ULTRASTRUCTURAL DIFFERENTIATION OF A CLONAL HUMAN EMBRYONAL CARCINOMA CELL-LINE INVITRO

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (5) , 2190-2198
Abstract
A cloned human embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line 2102Ep derived from a testicular teratocarcinoma was characterized by EM and immunohistochemistry. These EC cells when plated at high cell density grow mostly as undifferentiated cells displaying relatively little pleomorphism. Of these cells, 85-90% contain keratin in the form of peridesmosomal tonofilaments. Cell populations of the same clonal line plated at a low cell density contain, in addition to undifferentiated EC cells, large cells displaying complex cytoplasmic architecture, more complex junctions, and intracytoplasmic keratin in the form of bundles. Some of these cells also react with antibodies to human chorionic gonadotropin indicative of trophoblastic differentiation. Some cells form morules which are multicellular aggregates composed of a core of EC cells and an attenuated, more differentiated outer cell layer. The data point out some similarities and even more prominent differences between human and mouse EC cells.