Tw. Ehlers et Kg. Vogel, Proteoglycan synthesis by fibroblasts from different regions of bovine tendon cultured in alginate beads, COMP BIOC A, 121(4), 1998, pp. 355-363
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences",Physiology
Journal title
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
The ability of cell shape to modulate proteoglycan synthesis in tendon fibr
oblasts was investigated by placing freshly isolated tendon fibroblasts and
chondrocytes into primary culture either as adherent cells on a polystyren
e substratum or as rounded cells in alginate beads. Chondrocytes and cells
from the compressed region of adult tendon synthesized predominantly large
proteoglycan when maintained either as dense monolayers;, where actin stres
s fibers in the cytoskeleton were prominent, or in alginate beads, where ac
tin fibers could not be detected. After three rounds of proliferation as el
ongated adherent cells the synthesis of large proteoglycan was greatly redu
ced, i.e. the chondrocytic cells underwent 'dedifferentiation', Cells from
the tensional region of adult tendon synthesized predominantly small proteo
glycan when in primary culture as a monolayer, after proliferation on a fla
t substratum. or as round cells in alginate beads. Fibroblasts from the ten
sional region of newborn tendon showed no tendency toward increased synthes
is of large proteoglycan when maintained as round cells in alginate beads f
or 7 weeks. In tendon there appears to be a mechanically induced developmen
tal transition from fibroblastic to chondrocytic cells. However, neither th
e change to a rounded cell shape nor the lack of organized cytoskeletal act
in fibers was sufficient to induce chondrocyte-like proteoglycan synthesis
in differentiated tendon fibroblasts in culture. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science
Inc. All rights reserved.