An in vitro approach to ruminant mammary gland biology

• Published in: Biotechnology Advances Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 17 - 41
• Main Authors: Matitashvili, E., Bramley, A.J., Zavizion, B.
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Inc 1997; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal cells; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; cell lines; Establishment of new cell lines, improvement of cultural methods, mass cultures; Eukaryotic cell cultures; explants; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; mammary epithelial cells; mammary myoepithelial cells; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; primary cell culture; Ruminant; transgenic animal; mammary myoepithelial cells; primary cell culture; mammary epithelial cells; transgenic animal; cell lines; explants; Ruminant; Culture medium; Cell culture; Ruminant animal; Transgenic animal; Explant; Ox; Cow; Review; Cell immortalization; Myoepithelial cell; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Cell line; Animal; Primary culture; Epithelial cell; Sheep; Goat; Artiodactyla; Mammary gland; Ungulata; Growth factor
• ISSN: 0734-9750; 1873-1899
• DOI: 10.1016/S0734-9750(97)00001-3

This review discusses both fundamental and applied in vitro studies on ruminant mammary gland biology and summarizes progress made over the last decade in development of in vitro techniques to study growth, function and pathology of the mammary gland. The advantages and limitations of different in vitro systems are considered including explant cultures, primary cell cultures and immortalized lines of mammary-derived cells from cow, sheep and goat. The cell growth, differentiation and response to lactogenic hormones and growth factors are discussed as well as the relevance of the cell behavior in different culture conditions.