THE FINE STRUCTURE OF “DIVIDERS” AND “NON‐DIVIDERS” IN PHASE II HUMAN GLIAL CELL CULTURES

Abstract
A method is described which allows a comparison in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) of cells with different remaining proliferative capacity from the same culture [human glial V-787 CG cells]. The method takes advantage of a mini-cloning technique employing haptotactic palladium islands in combination with micro-dissection and preparation for TEM of islands carrying various numbers of cells after 10 days in culture, when all miniclones have become density dependent growth inhibited. By this technique non-dividers were compared with miniclones of dividers composed of 5-8 cells originating from single cells. Large, immotile cells without peripheral ruffling activity. Known to be non-dividers, were compared with small, ruffling cells, known to be dividers, in the reflection-interference mode in sparse cultures of living cells, and in the TEM mode as whole cell preparations after critical point drying of cells cultured on formvar-coated, gold EM-grids. Non-dividers contained a moderate number of residual bodies, well-developed Golgi areas, and often branched or circular mitochondria; they were thinly spread over the substratum with many focal points of contact and large areas of close apposition between cell and substratum.

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