MULTIPLE BIDIRECTIONAL ALTERATIONS OF PHENOTYPE AND CHANGES IN PROLIFERATIVE POTENTIAL DURING THE INVITRO AND INVIVO PASSAGE OF CLONAL MAST-CELL POPULATIONS DERIVED FROM MOUSE PERITONEAL MAST-CELLS

  • 1 September 1988
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 72  (3) , 877-885
Abstract
Mouse peritioneal mast cells (PMC) express a connective tissue-type mast cell (CTMC) phenotype, including reactivity with the heparin-binding fluorescent dye berberine sulfate and incorporation of [35S] sulfate predominantly into heparin proteoglycans. When PMC purified to > 99% purity were cultured in methylcellulose with IL-3 and Il-4 .apprx. 25% of the PMC formed colonies, all of which contained both berberine sulfate-positive and berberine sulfate-negative mast cells. When these mast cells were transferred to suspension culture, they generated populations that were 100% berberine sulfate-negative, a characteristic similar to that of mucosal mast cells (MMC), and that synthesized predominantly chondrotin sulfate [35S] proteoglycans. When "MMC-like" cultured mast cells derived from WBB6F1+/= PMC were injected into the peritoneal cavities of mast cell-deficient WBB6F-W/Wv mice the adoptively transferred mast cell population became 100% berberine sulfate-positive. In methylcellulose culture, these "second generation PMC" formed clonal colonies containing both berberine sulfate-positive and berberine sulfate-negative cells, but exhibited significantly less proliferative ability than did normal +/+ PMC. Thus, clonal mast cell populations initially derived from single PMC exhibited multiple and bidirectional alterations between CTMC-lide and MMC-like phenotypes. However, this process was associated with a progressive diminution of the mast cells'' proliferative ability.