Expression of B cell markers on SR-4987 cells derived from murine bone marrow stroma

• Published in: Experimental hematology Vol. 25; no. 6; p. 536
• Main Authors: Pessina, A, Neri, M G, Mineo, E, Piccirillo, M, Gribaldo, L, Brambilla, P, Zaleskis, G, Ujházy, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01.06.1997
• Subjects: Animals; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte - metabolism; B-Lymphocytes - cytology; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Bone Marrow Cells; Cell Line; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - genetics; Flow Cytometry; Gene Expression; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - genetics; Interleukin-7 - genetics; Mice; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Stem Cell Factor - genetics
• ISSN: 0301-472X

The murine cell line SR-4987 was originated in our laboratory from adherent cells of a long term bone marrow culture. SR-4987 cells do not express p21-ras and c-fms products on membrane whereas secrete M-CSF, evidence a fibroblast-like morphology and are vimentine positive. This line shows a very poor "in vitro" agar clonogenicity which is not modulated by the addition of different cytokines and growth factors (M-CSF, GM-CSF, G-CSF, IL-3, IL-7, alpha-TNF, PDGF, and EGF). On the contrary, a dramatic increase in clonogenicity is observed in the presence of bFGF. The RT-PCR investigation evidences the mRNA encoding for bFGF, IL-7, GM-CSF, and SCF (c-kit ligand). The analysis of CD antigen expression on SR-4987 cell membrane indicates a phenotype (CD5+, CD44+, 45R(B220)+, sIg+, 5'-nucleotidase+) that is consistent with a B cell feature. Our observations suggest that exogenous bFGF might represent an appropriate stimulus for inducing the SR-4987 cells proliferation also in the absence of cell-substrate anchorage. Further, they indicate that SR-4987 cells could represent a particular differentiation stage in which characters of "stromal cell" and "B cell" are coexpressed in agreement with the hypothesis of a common stromal-hematopoietic differentiation.