Fibroblast-like cells from embryonic chick cornea, heart, and skin are antigenically distinct

DM Garrett, GW Conrad - Developmental Biology, 1979 - Elsevier
DM Garrett, GW Conrad
Developmental Biology, 1979Elsevier
Populations of fibroblast-like cells from 14 day embryonic chick cornea, heart, and skin were
grown in vitro as primary cultures and found to be antigenically distinct from one another.
Corneal fibroblasts were obtained by dissection, whereas heart and skin fibroblast-like cells
were separated from nonfibroblastic cell types by their rapid adhesion to substrata. Cultured
cells were used as antigens in rabbits. Antisera were first absorbed against homogenates of
embryonic chicks from which the homologous tissue was removed. Each such 1° absorbed …
Abstract
Populations of fibroblast-like cells from 14 day embryonic chick cornea, heart, and skin were grown in vitro as primary cultures and found to be antigenically distinct from one another. Corneal fibroblasts were obtained by dissection, whereas heart and skin fibroblast-like cells were separated from nonfibroblastic cell types by their rapid adhesion to substrata. Cultured cells were used as antigens in rabbits. Antisera were first absorbed against homogenates of embryonic chicks from which the homologous tissue was removed. Each such 1° absorbed antiserum then was absorbed against homogenates of the two respective heterologous fibroblast-like cell populations (2° and 3° absorptions). Resulting 3° absorbed antisera were tested for specificity by immunodiffusion, immune agglutination, immune cytotoxicity (trypan blue uptake and 51Cr release), and indirect immunofluorescence. Each 3° antiserum was judged tissue specific when it reacted only with the fibroblast-like cells of its own tissue, i.e., the homologous population. Unabsorbed antisera reacted with both homologous and heterologous fibroblast-like cells, as did 1° absorbed antisera. Absorption of 1° antisera with homogenates of the two heterologous fibroblast-like populations removed antibodies against the heterologous populations without significantly reducing the 3° antiserum titer against the homologous fibroblast cell type. Moreover, absorption of 1° antisera with each of the two heterologous fibroblast-like populations removed antibodies not removed by the other. Thus, the fibroblast-like cells from cornea, heart, and skin are antigenically different from one another in vitro. The stable antigenic differences detected may have arisen during the differentiation of these cells in vivo. Some of the tissue-specific antigens detected must occur on the cell surface.
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