Establishment and characterization of porcine Sertoli cell line for the study of xenotransplantation.
BACKGROUND
An understanding of the main mechanism that determines the ability of immune privilege related to Sertoli cells (SC) will provide clues for promoting a local tolerogenic environment. In this report, we established neonatal porcine SC line and evaluated their characteristics.


METHODS
SC line was established following the transfection of primary SC (NPSC) from the testis of neonatal pig with plasmid pRNS-1 carrying genes for neomycin resistance and the SV40 large T antigen. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR were performed to evaluate the character of immortalized SC lines.


RESULTS
Our immortalized SC line (iPS) proliferated stably and had a phenotype similar to NPSC, as indicated by the immunoexpression of follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and mRNA expression of androgen receptor (AR), and Wilms' tumor antigen (WT1). Interestingly, NPSC and iPS expressed mRNA of complement regulatory proteins (CRP) such as membrane cofactor protein (CD46), decay accelerating factor (DAF or CD55), and protectin (CD59), but CD59 mRNA expression was negligible in iPS.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that iPS, immortalized by the introduction of SV40 T, retain their original characteristics, except for the relatively low expression of CD59, and that they may be useful for future in vitro and in vivo studies of immune privilege mechanisms related to SC.
Lee
Hak-Mo
HM
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Oh
Byoung Chol
BC
Lim
Dong-Pyo
DP
Lee
Dong-Sup
DS
Cho
Jaejin
J
Lee
Gene
G
Lee
Jeong Ryul
JR
D000818:Animals; D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011962:Receptors, FSH / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D014162:Transfection; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000276:immunology / Q000379:methods*; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011962:Receptors, FSH; D025721:WT1 Proteins; D003165:Complement System Proteins