A LIQUID CULTURE SYSTEM FOR MURINE MEGAKARYOCYTE PROGENITOR CELLS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 59  (2) , 250-257
Abstract
A liquid culture system is described for murine megakaryocyte progenitor cells (CFU-M) in the presence of pokeweed-mitogen-stimulated spleen-cell conditioned medium. There were dose-related responses between the number of CFU-M developed and the number of cells cultured and the dosage of conditioned medium in this liquid culture system. Murine CFU-M were abundantly cloned in this system and the plating efficiency was similar in comparison with that in a plasma clot system. The acetylcholinesterase-positive colonies (> 4 acetylcholinesterase-positive cells) were clearly seen on day 3 of culture, and they reached a maximum (60.5 .+-. 10.7/2 .times. 105 cells) on day 7 of culture. Ultrastructural analyses of megakaryocytic maturation in this system showed that a few megakaryocytes produced platelets that were released in the culture medium on day 5 of culture. This liquid culture system is suitable for the study of the dynamic process of the megakaryocyte-platelet system.