Control by the extracellular environment of differentiation pathways in 1003 embryonal carcinoma cells: study at the level of specific intermediate filaments.

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Abstract
1003 is a multipotential embryonal carcinoma (EC) clonal cell line which can be induced to follow different developmental pathways by altering the composition of the culture medium. When grown in serum‐containing medium the great majority of 1003 cells remain undifferentiated; they express the ECMA 7 cell‐surface embryonic antigen and very low amounts of vimentin. In serum‐free medium, most 1003 cells differentiate into neuroepithelial cells. The majority of these cells are still labelled with ECMA 7 antibodies. They contain higher amounts of vimentin than EC cells, but no neurofilament proteins. Neuroepithelial cells then differentiate into neurons through a stage of preneurons containing both vimentin and the 70‐K neurofilament protein. Fully differentiated neurons contain 70‐K neurofilament protein but no vimentin. The 200‐K neurofilament protein is detected later in the neurons. Mesenchymal cells (induced by re‐adding serum) express high amounts of vimentin organized in networks. Preneurons, neurons, and mesenchymal cells do not express ECMA 7 antigen.