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Growth requirements of calf lens epithelium in culture
Author(s) -
TaylorPapadimitriou J.,
Shearer M.,
Watling D.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.1040950112
Subject(s) - thymidine , cell division , biology , lens (geology) , cell growth , in vitro , epithelium , microbiology and biotechnology , endogeny , cell culture , cell cycle , cell , biochemistry , genetics , paleontology
Abstract The in vitro life span and rate of growth of calf lens cells cultured in serum‐supplemented 199 medium can be markedly increased by growing the cells with a layer of mitomycin‐killed 3T6 feeders. In the absence of feeders, the epithelial cells are partially blocked in the S period of the cell cycle but show a normal distribution of cells in G 1 and G 2 when grown with fibroblasts. Increased growth rates and division potential can also be achieved by growing the lens in 199 medium containing 10 −5 M thymidine, and cells grown under these conditions show a normal growth cycle. Our results suggest that lens epithelial cells cultured in medium 199 show a deficient endogenous synthesis of thymidylic acid, and fibroblast feeders or exogenously added thymidine enable them to overcome this deficiency. When grown in the presence of 10 −5 M thymidine, the lens epithelial cells show a very low serum requirement for cell division in short term culture.