TRANSIMMORTALIZED MOUSE INTESTINAL-CELLS (M-ICCL2) THAT MAINTAIN A CRYPT PHENOTYPE

This study describes the properties of a clone of immortalized cells ( m-ICcl2 cells) derived from the bases of small intestinal villi from 2 0-day-old fetuses of L-type pyruvate kinase (L-PK)/TAg1 transgenic mic e. The mice harbor the simian virus 40 large T antigen under the contr ol of the 5' regulatory sequence from the L-PK gene. m-ICcl2 cells exp ressed nuclear large T antigen, had a prolonged life span, and were no ntumorigenic when injected into nude mice. They formed confluent monol ayers of cuboid cells separated by tight junctions, developed dense, s hort apical microvilli, and formed domes. They also possessed cytokera tins, villin, aminopeptidase N, dipeptidyl-peptidase IV, and glucoamyl ase and retained crypt cell features, including intracellular sucrase isomaltase and alpha-L-fucose glycoconjugates accumulation and express ion of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor and the cystic fibrosis t ransmembrane conductance regulator gene. Thus the m-ICcl2 cell line ob tained by targeted oncogenesis in transgenic mice maintained in cultur e several important properties and differentiated functions of intesti nal crypt cells.