Generation of an equine oviductal epithelial cell line for the study of sperm-oviduct interactions

Equine oviductal epithelial cells (OEC) were transformed with simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV 40 T-ag) to create a cell line for the study of the interaction of equine spermatozoa with oviductal epithelium. One cell line was established based on the expression of the SV 40 Tag and extended lifes pan in culture. Immortalized equine OEC retained the characteristics of dif ferentiated OEC such as the formation of monolayers with characteristic epi thelial morphology and cell polarization as well as expression of cytokerat in and equine major histocompatibility complex I. Monolayers of immortalize d equine OEC retained their functional competence to bind equine spermatozo a in a dose-dependent manner comparable to that of primary equine OEC cultu res. This immortalized cell line of equine OEC provides a uniform, readily available system for sperm-OEC co-cultures, and may be a useful model for t he study of sperm-oviduct interactions in the horse. (C) 1999 by Elsevier S cience Inc.