Thyroglobulin Production by Rat Thyroid Cells in Culture: A Study at the Level of Single Cells

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Abstract
The production of thyroglobulin (TG) by cultured rat thyroid cells was demonstrated at the level of a single cell using a modified reverse plaque-forming assay. Thyroid cells were cultured in the presence of sheep erythrocytes (SE) coated with hybrid antibody specific for both SE and TG. Upon the addition of anti-TG serum and complement, hemolytic plaques appeared around TG-producing cells. The kinetics of plaque formation and the distribution of plaque dimensions were investigated. The number of plaqueforming cells reached a peak after 48–72 h of culture, and at this time, 40–60% of the cells were producing TG; the number of plaque-forming cells declined thereafter, reaching a plateau after 5–7 days of culture. This behavior could be related to changes in TG production during the cell cycle. Most plaques showed a single thyroid cell in the center, thus suggesting that, at least in vitro, follicular organization is not an absolute requirement for TG secretion.