Cellular characterization of epidermal growth factor-expanded free-floating neurospheres

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Abstract

Neural stem cells proliferate in liquid culture as cell clusters (neurospheres). This study was undertaken to characterize the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-expanded free-floating neurospheres derived from rat fetal striatum. We examined the ultrastructural and antigenic characteristics of these spheres. They consisted of two cell types, electron-dense and electron-lucent cells. Lucent cells were immunopositive to actin, vimentin, and nestin, whereas dense cells were immunopositive to actin, weakly positive to vimentin, and nestin-negative. Neurospheres contained healthy, apoptotic, and necrotic cells. Healthy cells were attached to each other by adherens junctions. They showed many pseudopodia and occasionally a single cilium. Sphere cells showed phagocytic capability because healthy cells phagocytosed the cell debris derived from dead cells in a particular process that involves the engulfment of dying cells by cell processes from healthy cells. Sphere cells showed a cytoplasmic and a nuclear pool of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors. They expressed E- and N-cadherin, α- and β-catenin, EGF receptor, and a specific subset of FGF receptors. Because sphere cells expressed this factor in the absence of exogenous FGF-2, we propose that they are able to synthesize FGF-2.

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Lobo, M. V. T., Alonso, F. J. M., Redondo, C., López-Toledano, M. A., Caso, E., Herranz, A. S., … Bazán, E. (2003). Cellular characterization of epidermal growth factor-expanded free-floating neurospheres. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, 51(1), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/002215540305100111

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