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TISSUE CULTURE OF THE RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIAL CELLS
Author(s) -
HAYASHI MICHIKO,
ASAYAMA KUNIO,
UENO SATOKI
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1978.tb00470.x
Subject(s) - cytoplasm , microbiology and biotechnology , basement membrane , melanin , retinal , retinal pigment epithelium , biology , electron microscope , tissue culture , anatomy , epithelium , chemistry , in vitro , biochemistry , optics , physics , genetics
Pure culture of the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells of the chick embryo was carried out and the morphological characteristics of each developmental stage were observed under light microscope and transmission and scanning electron microscopes. Immature cells had a few, short processes on the apical surface and a few melanin granules in the cytoplasm. However, mature cells had two types of processes on the apical surface, one being narrow and the other wide. Many melanin granules were diffusely dispersed in the cytoplasm and the cells were joined by a junctional complex near the apical portion. Beneath the cultured cells, basement membrane and collagen fibrils were evident and were apparently produced by the cultured RPE cells. The structure of the cultured cells in the well‐differentiated stage appeared to be the same as that of living cells.