Skip to main content
Log in

The production of long-term rat muscle cell cultures on a Matrigel substrate and the removal of fibroblast contamination by collagenase

  • Cell, Tissue & Organ Culture
  • Published:
Methods in Cell Science

Abstract

We report a simplified method modified from standard procedures for the production of long-term primary skeletal muscle monolayer cell cultures using collagenous for tissue digestion. When grown on the commercially available substrate Matrigel, such cultures are high in myotube content, remain attached to the plate surface after the initiation of spontaneous activity and do not need to be treated with mitotic inhibitors to control fibroblast proliferation. In addition cultures even more enriched for myotubes can be produced by selective removal of fibroblasts from Matrigel coated plates by collagenase. This novel procedure, along with the simplified primary culture technique, allows for highly reproducible results even for the inexperienced user.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Betz H, Changeux JP (1979). Regulation of muscle acetylcholine receptor synthesis in vitro by cyclic nucleotide derivatives. Nature 278: 749–752.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bursztajn S, Berman SA, Gilbert W (1989). Differential expression of acetylcholine receptor mRNA in nuclei of cultured muscle cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci 86: 2928–2932.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Funange VL, Smith SM, Minnich MA (1992). Entactin promotes adhesion and long-term maintenance of cultured regenerated skeletal myotubes. Cellular Physiology 150: 251–257.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Goldman D, Carlson BM, Staple J (1991). Induction of adult-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene expression in noninnervated regenerating muscle. Neuron 7: 649–658.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hartley RS, Yablonka-Reuveni Z (1990). Long-term maintenance of primary myogenic cultures on a reconstituted basement membrane. In Vitro Cell & Dev Biol 26: 955–961.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Martinou J-P, Merlie JP (1991). Nerve-dependent modulation of acetylcholine receptor e-subunit gene expression. J Neurosci 11: 1291–1299.

    Google Scholar 

  7. O'Malley JP, Mills RG, Bray JJ (1990). Effects of electrical stimulation and tetrodotoxin paralysis on antigenic properties of acetylcholine receptors in rate skeletal muscle. Neuroscience Letters 120: 224–226.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Rutzky LP, Pumper RW (1974). Supplement to a survey of commercially available tissue culture media (1970). In Vitro 9: 468–469.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Rubin LL (1985). Increases in muscle Ca2+ mediate changes in acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine receptors caused by muscle contraction. Proc Natl Acad Sci 82: 7121–7125.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Salpeter MM, Spanton S, Holley K, Podleski TR (1982). Brain extract causes acetylcholine receptor redistribution which mimics some early events at developing neuromuscular junctions. J Cell Biol 93: 417–425.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ternaux JP, Portalier P (1992). Influence of tongue myoblasts on rat dissociated hypoglossal motoneurons in culture. Int J Dev Neurosci 11: 33–48.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Sebbane R, Clokey G, Merlie JP, Tzartos S, Londstrom J (1983). Characterization of the mRNA for mouse muscle acetylcholine receptor α subunit by quantitative translation in vitro. J Biol Chem 258: 3294–3303.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Yaffe D (1973). Rat skeletal muscle cells. In PF Kruse Jr, MK Patterson JR (eds), Tissue culture, methods and applications. New York: Academic Press, pp 106–114.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. P. O'Malley.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

O'Malley, J.P., Greenberg, I. & Salpeter, M.M. The production of long-term rat muscle cell cultures on a Matrigel substrate and the removal of fibroblast contamination by collagenase. Methods Cell Sci 18, 19–23 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00123519

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00123519

Key words

Navigation