Open AccessSubpopulations of MCF7 cells separated by Percoll gradient centrifugation: a model to analyze the heterogeneity of human breast cancer.
Author(s) -
Mariana Resnicoff,
Estela E. Medrano,
Osvaldo L. Podhajcer,
Alicia Bravo,
Laura Bover,
José Mordoh
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.84.20.7295
Subject(s) - percoll , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , carcinoembryonic antigen , receptor , centrifugation , cancer , genetics , biochemistry
Exponentially growing MCF7 human breast cancer cells were separated in Percoll gradients into six different fractions of increasing density (A to F). These fractions could be subcultured and were found to contain different cellular subpopulations as defined by the following criteria: ability to generate other cellular subpopulations; growth rate; DNA synthesis; and expression of estrogen receptors, ras oncogene-encoded protein p21, and carcinoembryonic antigen. One of the minor fractions (E), which contained about 5% of the total cell number, appeared to contain the stem cells, on the basis of the following criteria: (i) its ability to reproduce the other cellular subpopulations, (ii) its high rate of growth and DNA synthesis, and (iii) the inability of the other subpopulations to generate it. The most differentiated subpopulation appeared to be the densest one (F), since it was the slowest growing and appeared to be the end point of the other subpopulations.