Macro- and microvascular endothelial cells in vitro: maintenance of biochemical heterogeneity despite loss of ultrastructural characteristics

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02631005· OSTI ID:5769033

Stolz, D B; Jacobson, B S ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst (USA)

Microvascular endothelial cells from bovine adrenal medulla and brain and macrovessel endothelial cells from bovine aorta were isolated and cultured under similar conditions in order to determine morphologic and biochemical heterogeneity in vitro. All three cell types exhibited nearly identical ultrastructural morphology and two-dimensional gel protein patterns of {sup 35}S-methionine-labeled whole cells. Two-dimensional gel analysis of {sup 35}S-methionine-labeled plasma membrane proteins however, revealed two-dimensional gel protein patterns unique to the tissue type from which the endothelial cells were isolated. This suggests that the functional significance of these specific endothelial cell types is manifested primarily in surface-associated proteins and that many of the differences are sustained in culture. To determine the potential of aorta, brain, and adrenal medulla endothelial cell (EC) cultures to respond to developmentally significant signals, morphology, growth pattern, and cell surface proteins were monitored in the presence and absence of growth factors. A 17 to 26% increase in cell density as well as an increase in the number of elongated and overlapping cells resulted when all three EC types were exposed to a mitogenic medium. Additionally, expression of specific glycoprotein profiles, as determined by Concanavalin A Western blotting of two-dimensional gels, was dependent on the presence or absence of growth factors in the medium. The ability to induce this morphologic and biochemical variation in the three endothelial cell types was maintained into later passage. Taken together, these data imply that endothelial cells isolated from different tissues exhibit and maintain biochemical heterogeneity and do not completely dedifferentiate into a common endothelial cell type in culture.

• OSTI ID: 5769033
• Journal Information: In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology; (USA), Vol. 27A:2; ISSN 0883-8364
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ENDOTHELIUM
BIOCHEMISTRY
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
ADRENAL GLANDS
AORTA
BLOOD VESSELS
BRAIN
CATTLE
CELL MEMBRANES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
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IN VITRO
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MORPHOLOGY
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SULFUR 35
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BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CHEMISTRY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
DRUGS
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
EVALUATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GLANDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
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LIGHT NUCLEI
LIPOTROPIC FACTORS
MAMMALS
MEMBRANES
MITOGENS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PROTEINS
RADIOISOTOPES
RUMINANTS
SULFUR ISOTOPES
TISSUES
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550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques