EFFICIENCY OF NEURAL DIFFERENTIATION OF MOUSE P19 EMBRYONAL CARCINOMA-CELLS IS DEPENDENT ON THE SEEDING DENSITY

Serum-free culture conditions for retinoic acid-induced neural differe ntiation of mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma cells were determined for fu ture ex vivo retroviral gene transfer and brain transplantation studie s. Neural differentiation of P19 cells was dependent on the seeding de nsities, and both neurons and astroglia differentiated efficiently at high seeding densities (2 x 10(4) and 5 x 10(4) cells/cm(2)) but not a t low seeding density (1 x 10(4) cells/cm(2)). In addition, P19 cells cultured at 5 x 10(4) cells/cm(2) showed neural differentiation whethe r or not they were infected with Friend leukemia virus FrC6-V, which i nhibited neural differentiation at 2 x 10(4) cells/cm(2). These result s indicate that FrC6-V-infected P19 embryonal carcinoma cells should b e seeded at high density to achieve efficient neural differentiation i n vitro for ex vivo gene transfer with a FrC6-V-derived retroviral vec tor system. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.