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Indispensability of Iron for the Growth of Cultured Chick Cells
Author(s) -
SAITO KOJI,
HAGIWARA YASUKO,
HASEGAWA TAKAYUKI,
OZAWA EIJIRO
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-169x.1982.00571.x
Subject(s) - transferrin , biology , myogenesis , embryonic stem cell , cell culture , microbiology and biotechnology , myocyte , biochemistry , cell , biophysics , genetics , gene
In order to clarify the role of iron in the growth promoting effect of transferrin (Tf), the effects of the following substances were examined in cultured chick skeletal myogenic cells: transition metal ions (Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Cr 3+ , Cu 2+ , Mn 2+ , Co 2+ , Cd 2+ , Zn 2+ and Ni 2+ ), Tf complexes with these metals and metal‐free apoTf. The cells did not grow well when incubated in a culture medium composed of Eagle's minimum essential medium and horse serum. But they grew well in the presence of Fe 2+ or Fe 3+ (10–100 μM) or iron‐bound Tf (10–500 nM) in the medium. None of the transition metal ions other than iron was effective. Neither apoTf nor Tf complexes with these metals showed the growth promoting effect. The generality of the requirement of iron for cell growth was ascertained in the primary culture of other types of chick embryonic cells: fibroblasts, cardiac myocytes, retinal pigment cells and spinal nerve cells. The results show that iron is one of the indispensable substances for cell growth and suggest that Tf protein plays a role in facilitating the transport of iron into the cells.