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Estrogen-dependent DNA synthesis in cultures ofxenopus liver parenchymal cells

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Summary

We have recently shown that extensive proliferation of liver parenchymal cells takes place in adult maleXenopus frogs in response to estradiol-17β, which also induces synthesis and secretion of vitellogenin, the precursor of yolk proteins. We demonstrate here that liver parenchymal cells from adult male animals can be maintained for several weeks in a defined tissue culture medium containing added insulin, dexamethasone, and triiodothyronine. Under these conditions the cells do not divide, but can synthesize DNA. Maximum DNA synthesis occurs in cells that have achieved monolayer morphology under low plating densities. Estradiol-17β causes a dose-dependent increase in the number of cells synthesizing DNA, as well as inducing synthesis of vitellogenin. Estrogen-dependent, but not background, DNA synthesis is inhibited by the antiestrogen tamoxifen. These results imply that estradiol-17β acts directly on liver cells to initiate DNA replication, probably by interaction with a receptor protein and induction of specific gene transcription.

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Author notes

  1. Barry S. Aprison

    Present address: Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Indiana University, 47405, Bloomington, IN

  2. Rosanne J. Spolski

    Present address: Ontario Cancer Institute, 500 Sherbourne Street, M4X1K9, Toronto, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Brandeis University, 02254, Waltham, Massachusetts

    Barry S. Aprison, Linda Martin-Morris, Rosanne J. Spolski & Lawrence J. Wangh

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  1. Barry S. Aprison
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  2. Linda Martin-Morris
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  3. Rosanne J. Spolski
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  4. Lawrence J. Wangh
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Additional information

Supported by National Science Foundation grants PCM 77-21578 and PCM 79-23483 and National Institutes of Health grant 1R01 AM 31695-01. B. S. A. was a U. S. Public Health Service Predoctoral Trainee (GM07122) and was supported by a grant from the American Liver Foundation.

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Aprison, B.S., Martin-Morris, L., Spolski, R.J. et al. Estrogen-dependent DNA synthesis in cultures ofxenopus liver parenchymal cells. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 22, 457–464 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02623446

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02623446

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