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Properties of Wilms' tumor line (TuWi) and pig kidney line (LLC-PK1) typical of normal kidney tubular epithelium

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Summary

Two stable epithelial-like cell lines, the pig kidney strain (LLC-PK1) and a Wilms' tumor line (TuWi), previously established in other laboratories, were found to exhibit a number of properties characteristic of kidney proximal tubular epithelium. Electron micrographs of LLC-PK1 monolayers revealed cells forming rosettes reminiscent of tubules. Numerous elongated microvilli and an amorphous basal laminar material surrounded the cell membranes. Cell junctions were located between cell membranes at regions adjacent to the patent lumens. Wilms' cells in culture were similar in appearance to the pig kidney cells; they exhibited numerous microvilli, a thin basal laminar coating on the membrane, and desmonsomes between cells. No rosette formation was evident. Neither cell line was found to produce extracellular reticulin fibers when grown in the presence ofl-ascorbic acid for 1 week. Absence of stainable reticulin in cell monolayer culture after ascorbicacid treatment has been noted only in cell lines of apparent epithelial origin. Histochemically, both lines reacted positively for activities of a number of enzymes found in high amounts in normal kidney tubular epithelium. Pig kidney cells were highly positive for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity and moderately active for acid phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase activities. Wilms' tumor cells were markedly active for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, 5′-nucleotidase, ATPase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and acid phosphatase activities. These findings in conjunction with the ultrastructural observations indicate that these two lines in culture maintain many of the properties typical of proximal kidney tubular epithelium.

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  1. Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 20014, Bethesda, Maryland

    Alan Perantoni & Jules J. Berman

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  1. Alan Perantoni
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Perantoni, A., Berman, J.J. Properties of Wilms' tumor line (TuWi) and pig kidney line (LLC-PK1) typical of normal kidney tubular epithelium. In Vitro 15, 446–454 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02618414

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02618414

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