Abstract

Mouse peritoneal mast cells (PMC) express a connective tissue-type mast cell (CTMC) phenotype, including reactivity with the heparin-binding fluorescent dye berberine sulfate and incorporation of [35S] sulfate predominantly into heparin proteoglycans. When PMC purified to greater than 99% purity were cultured in methylcellulose with IL-3 and IL-4, approximately 25% of the PMC formed colonies, all of which contained both berberine sulfate-positive and berberine sulfate-negative mast cells. When these mast cells were transferred to suspension culture, they generated populations that were 100% berberine sulfate-negative, a characteristic similar to that of mucosal mast cells (MMC), and that synthesized predominantly chondroitin sulfate [35S] proteoglycans. When "MMC-like" cultured mast cells derived from WBB6F1-+/+ PMC were injected into the peritoneal cavities of mast cell-deficient WBB6F1-W/Wv mice, the adoptively transferred mast cell population became 100% berberine sulfate-positive. In methylcellulose culture, these "second generation PMC" formed clonal colonies containing both berberine sulfate-positive and berberine sulfate-negative cells, but exhibited significantly less proliferative ability than did normal +/+ PMC. Thus, clonal mast cell populations initially derived from single PMC exhibited multiple and bidirectional alterations between CTMC-like and MMC-like phenotypes. However, this process was associated with a progressive diminution of the mast cells' proliferative ability.

View details for Web of Science ID A1988Q102800007

View details for PubMedID 3416076