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Differentiation potential of an immortalized non‐tumorigenic human liver epithelial cell line as liver progenitor cells
Author(s) -
Tokiwa T.,
Yamazaki T.,
Xin W.,
Sugae N.,
Noguchi M.,
Enosawa S.,
Tsukiyama T.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
cell biology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1095-8355
pISSN - 1065-6995
DOI - 10.1016/j.cellbi.2006.07.006
Subject(s) - progenitor cell , progenitor , immortalised cell line , microbiology and biotechnology , cell culture , line (geometry) , cell , biology , cancer research , stem cell , biochemistry , genetics , geometry , mathematics
We report the differentiation potential of an immortalized non‐tumorigenic human liver epithelial cell line, THLE‐5b. Under basic culture conditions THLE‐5b showed undifferentiated phenotypes. When grown as cell aggregates, THLE‐5b exhibited a hepatocyte‐like ultrastructure, ammonia metabolic activity and several other indicators that suggest hepatocytic maturation, including up‐regulation or induction of liver‐specific genes such as albumin and tryptophane 2,3‐dioxygenase, and down‐regulation of biliary cell markers such as gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). Under these conditions, transcriptional factors such as HNF‐1 and HNF‐4α were also up‐regulated or induced. In Matrigel culture, expression of GGT was up‐regulated. THLE‐5b expressed both albumin and α 1‐antitrypsin, but lost expression of CK19 in severe combined immunodeficient mice. Thus, THLE‐5b can be aligned with progenitor cells, which are committed to the hepatocytic or biliary epithelial cell lineage. These results imply that bipotent progenitor cell populations similar to THLE‐5b cells may exist in adult human liver.