TY - JOUR
T1 - Foetal human melanocytes
T2 - In situ detection, in vitro culture and differentiation characteristics at 6-11 weeks EGA
AU - Le Poole, I. Caroline
AU - Van Den Wijngaard, René M.J.G.J.
AU - Verkruisen, Ronald P.
AU - Lamers, Wout H.
AU - Troost, Dirk
AU - Westerhof, Wiete
AU - Das, Pranab K.
PY - 1996/6
Y1 - 1996/6
N2 - In vivo, melanocytes were detected in epidermis from human tissue of 6.5 weeks estimated gestinational age (EGA) and older. We have successfully established melanocyte monocultures from tissue of 9 to 10 weeks EGA. To our knowledge, this is the first report on physiology of human foetal melanocytes in monoculture. In culture, such melanocytes retained foetal characteristics. Proliferation rates noted were markedly higher (approximately 2.7-fold) when compared to those in cultures of neonatal melanocytes. Moreover, when analyzing cellular phenotypes by markers for cells of the melanocytic lineage, foetal cells isolated from tissue of 9 weeks EGA reproducibly showed expression of the high molecular weight (HMW) antigen and c-kit to an extent intermediate to that found in neonatal melanocytes and M14 melanoma cells. Such differential expression was not observed if cells were isolated from tissue of 10 weeks EGA, indicating that the foetal environment provides essential differentiation stimuli during the 10th week of gestation. Moreover, these results are supportive of the theory that malignant transformation involves a process of dedifferentiation. In all, human foetal melanocyte culture provides a useful model to investigate pigment cell differentiation.
AB - In vivo, melanocytes were detected in epidermis from human tissue of 6.5 weeks estimated gestinational age (EGA) and older. We have successfully established melanocyte monocultures from tissue of 9 to 10 weeks EGA. To our knowledge, this is the first report on physiology of human foetal melanocytes in monoculture. In culture, such melanocytes retained foetal characteristics. Proliferation rates noted were markedly higher (approximately 2.7-fold) when compared to those in cultures of neonatal melanocytes. Moreover, when analyzing cellular phenotypes by markers for cells of the melanocytic lineage, foetal cells isolated from tissue of 9 weeks EGA reproducibly showed expression of the high molecular weight (HMW) antigen and c-kit to an extent intermediate to that found in neonatal melanocytes and M14 melanoma cells. Such differential expression was not observed if cells were isolated from tissue of 10 weeks EGA, indicating that the foetal environment provides essential differentiation stimuli during the 10th week of gestation. Moreover, these results are supportive of the theory that malignant transformation involves a process of dedifferentiation. In all, human foetal melanocyte culture provides a useful model to investigate pigment cell differentiation.
KW - Dedifferentiation
KW - Foetal pigment cells
KW - Melanocyte development
KW - Melanoma markers
KW - Melanosomes
KW - Proliferation in vitro
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030155438&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030155438&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1600-0749.1996.tb00100.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1600-0749.1996.tb00100.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 8888311
AN - SCOPUS:0030155438
VL - 9
SP - 126
EP - 133
JO - Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research
JF - Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research
SN - 1755-1471
IS - 3
ER -