The chick retinal pigment epithelium grown on permeable support demonstrates functional polarity

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Experimental Cell Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4827(89)90092-X· OSTI ID:5533900

Koh, S W M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore (United States)

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from the chick embryo was cultured permeable support. Using confluent cultures and analysis of the incubation medium, the present study demonstrates that RPE cells cultured on permeable membrane retain functional polarity, a characteristic of the RPE in vivo. The degree of intercellular permeability in the confluent RPE cultures was estimated by following ({sup 3}H)inulin movement from the apical side to the basal side of the cultures. Twenty-four hours after exposure of the apical side of the culture to ({sup 3}H)inulin, the {sup 3}H concentration in the apical medium remained at 3.4 to 4.4 times of that in the basal medium. When cultures are given 26 hours of ({sup 35}S)methionine, more than 20 bands with molecular weights ranging from 20,000 to > 250,000 Da can be detected in the medium as assessed by autoradiography of SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Electron microscopy of the confluent RPE cultures shows morphological polarization of the cells. The intercellular spaces appear to be closed at the apical side of the cells by junctional complexes consisting of tight junctions, zonular adherens junctions, and gap junctions.

• OSTI ID: 5533900
• Journal Information: Experimental Cell Research; (United States), Vol. 181:2; ISSN 0014-4827
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
EPITHELIUM
POLARIZATION
INULIN
UPTAKE
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
CHICKENS
CYTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
EMBRYOS
PERMEABILITY
RETINA
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BIRDS
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARBOHYDRATES
EYES
FACE
FOWL
HEAD
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
SENSE ORGANS
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
550301* - Cytology- Tracer Techniques