The Growth and Structure of Human Oral Keratinocytes in Culture

• Published in: Journal of investigative dermatology Vol. 88; no. 3; pp. 314 - 319
• Main Authors: Arenholt-Bindslev, Dorthe, Jepsen, Arne, MacCallum, Donald K, Lillie, John H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Danvers, MA Elsevier Inc 01-03-1987; Nature Publishing
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cell Division; Cells, Cultured; Cytological Techniques; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Keratins; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; Mouth Mucosa - cytology; Mouth Mucosa - ultrastructure; Vertebrates: skin, associated glands, phaneres, light organs, various exocrine glands (salt gland, uropygial gland...), adipose tissue, connective tissue; Human; Oral cavity; Cell culture; Ultrastructure; Mucosa; Keratinocyte; Skin
• ISSN: 0022-202X; 1523-1747
• DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12466191

Human keratinocytes derived from explants of check (buccal) mucosa grow vigorously in culture and can be sub-cultivated twice. The structure of the oral keratinocytes in vitro is the same in primary cultures and subcultures. The cells stratify, are characterized by well-developed tonofibrillar-desmosomal complexes, and rarely exhibit signs of terminal differentiation. Unique features of the culture system that favor keratinocyte growth are: (1) incubation at 34°C, (2) inclusion of 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide in the culture medium, and (3) initiating subcultures as 5.0mm colonies containing 100,000/20 μl of medium. One primary culture can yield 6 first-passage subcultures, which subsequently achieve confluence in 10–12 days. Such cultures are a useful source of human keratinocytes that stratify but generally do not undergo terminal differentiation.