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Neurite formation by neuroblastoma‐glioma hybrid cells (NG108–15) in defined medium: Stochastic initiation with persistence of differentiated functions
Author(s) -
Krystosek Alphonse
Publication year - 1985
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.1041250222
Subject(s) - neurite , microbiology and biotechnology , persistence (discontinuity) , cellular differentiation , biology , chemically defined medium , cell culture , elongation , in vitro , immunology , biochemistry , genetics , gene , materials science , ultimate tensile strength , metallurgy , engineering , geotechnical engineering
Neurite formation and proliferation by NG108‐15 cells were studied in shortterm serum‐free N2 medium. Neuritogenesis by individual cells was observed at widely differing times, suggesting a stochastic component to initiation of differentiation. Cells with and without neurites could also enter one or more rounds of proliferation at varying times. The initial choice between these divergent behaviors influenced subsequent growth. Cells initially extending neurites had a high probability of continuing neuritic elongation. Cells initially dividing had a high probability of yielding further progeny. Addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP to cells cultured in N2 medium rapidly increased the probability of differentiating and decreased the probability of proliferating. To test whether or not cells with highly differentiated morphologies had irreversibly lost the capacity for proliferation, induced cultures were washed and challenged by the addition of serum‐containing medium. The length of time required for individual cells to divide increased with increasing time of preincubation in the induction medium. However, few cells appeared to be permanently removed from the proliferative pool. These observations suggest that differentiating cells exhibit persistence , a tendency to continue on the differentiation pathway. Persistence is extinguished following one round of proliferation in serum‐contianing medium.