title: Characteristics and EGFP expression of goat mammary gland epithelial cells.
abstract: The aims of this study were (i) to establish a goat mammary gland epithelial (GMGE) cell line, and (ii) to determine if these GMGE cells could be maintained long-term in culture by continuous subculturing following transfection with a reporter gene, enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP). Primary culture of GMGE cells was achieved by outgrowth of migrating cells from the fragments of the mammary gland tissue of a lactating goat. The passage 16 GMGE cells were transfected with EGFP gene using lipofection. The expression of Cell keratins of epithelial cells in GMGE cells was test by immunofluorescence. Βeta-Casein gene mRNA was test for GMGE cells by RT-PCR. The results showed that when grown at low density on a plastic substratum, the GMGE cells formed islands, and when grown to confluency, the cells formed a monolayer and aggregated with the characteristic cobble-stone morphology of epithelial cells. GMGE cells could form dome-like structure which looked like nipple, and the lumen-like structures formed among the cells. Several blister-like structures appeared in the appearance of the cells. The GMGE cells contained different cell types, majority of the cells were short shuttle-like or polygon which were beehive-like. A part of cells were round and flat, a small number of cells were elongated. Some of the GMGE cells contained milk drops. The cell nuclei were round which had 2-4 obvious cores. The expression of Cell keratins demonstrated the property of epithelial cells in GMGE cells by immunofluorescence. The GMGE cells could express transcript encoding a Βeta-Casein protein. EGFP gene was successfully transferred into the GMGE cells, and the transfected cells could be maintained long-term in culture by continuous subculturing. In conclusion, we have established a EGFP gene transfected GMGE (ET-GMGE) cell line and maintained it long-term in culture by continuous subculturing.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Y-M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: X-Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins; D002460:Cell Line; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006041:Goats / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins