Expression of intermediate filament proteins in MDCK cells cultured in the three-dimensional gel in the presence of cytokine HGF/SF
Moĭzhess, T.G.; Chipysheva, T.A.; Gel'shteĭn, V.I.
Tsitologiia 40(4): 308-312
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-3771 PMID: 9644763 Document Number: 495919
An immunomorphologic study was made of expression of intermediate filament proteins--keratin and vimentin--in the structures formed in branching tubulogenesis of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney epithelial cells (MDCK, clone 20), cultured in three-dimensional collagen gel in the presence of the "scatter factor" (HGF/SF). An improved method of parallel immunostaining of the whole branching structures and of their cryostat cross-sections was used. It was shown that both the discoid epithelial cells, forming walls of tubules with inner clear spaces, and the fibroblast-like cells invading the collagenic gel coexpressed keratin and vimentin. Thus, in the studied system of simplified morphogenesis in vitro, some conservatism of intermediate filament protein expression was revealed which does not respond to changes in cell shape or cell localization.