Growth of Stratified Squamous Epithelium on Reconstituted Extracellular Matrices: Long-Term Culture

• Published in: Journal of investigative dermatology Vol. 90; no. 2; pp. 100 - 109
• Main Authors: Lillie, John H., MacCallum, Donald K., Jepsen, Arne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Danvers, MA Elsevier Inc 01-02-1988; Nature Publishing
• Subjects: Animals; Basement Membrane - ultrastructure; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Collagen - analysis; Epidermal Cells; Epidermis - ultrastructure; Epithelial Cells; Extracellular Matrix - ultrastructure; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Keratins - analysis; Mice; Rats; Vertebrates: skin, associated glands, phaneres, light organs, various exocrine glands (salt gland, uropygial gland...), adipose tissue, connective tissue; Oral cavity; Cell culture; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Stratified epithelium; Rat; Ultrastructure; Collagen; Rodentia; Keratinocyte; Extracellular matrix; Skin
• ISSN: 0022-202X; 1523-1747
• DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12462054

Oral keratinocytes grown at an air—liquid interface on stabilized matrices of collagen or a basement membrane exhibit a pattern of tissue organization more similar to the parent tissue than the same cells cultured conventionally. An orderly sequence of cell migration and differentiation is maintained, and the full complement of terminally differentiated cells is retained on the surface of the culture for up to 65 days following subculture. The pattern of histodifferentiation of cultured stratified squamous epithelium differs according to the matrix upon which it is grown. Pliant, fine meshed gels of type III collagen are corrugated by the cultured keratinocytes with adjustments occurring in the various suprabasal cell strata that result in the retention of a flat stratum corneum. Such pliant gels can be stabilized by pouring a supporting underlayer of coarse type I guinea pig collagen. Keratinocytes grown directly on the irregular surface of guinea pig type I collagen migrate into spaces between collagen fibrillar bundles and aberrantly keratinize 20–30 days following subculture. Keratinocytes grown on a basement membrane do not aberrantly keratinize, suggesting that contact with a basement membrane may suppress signals for keratinocyte differentiation. Keratinocytes also form hemidesmosomes opposite a basement membrane but not opposite collagen fibrils. The keratin pattern of oral keratinocytes cultured in different configurations does not change; a finding that indicates that a greater degree of tissue organization does not automatically result in the synthesis of keratins more characteristic of upper cell strata or cornified cells in the native tissue.