RETINAL-PIGMENT EPITHELIAL-CELL DIFFERENTIATION INVITRO - INFLUENCE OF CULTURE-MEDIUM

Abstract

Cultured chick [Gallus domesticus] pigment epithelial (PE) cells from stages 29-31 chick embryos grown in normal Eagle''s minimum essential medium (MEM) exhibit marked colonial organization and differentiation. Individual cells appear epithelial and heavily pigmented. Cells grown in Ham''s modified F-12 medium appear fibrocytic with colonial disorganization and little visible pigmentation. Biochemically, cells grown in F-12 medium lack receptors for 3H-retinol and 3H-retinoic acid, although cells grown in MEM exhibit specific 3H-retinol binding. Pathways of glucose utilization differ significantly in cells grown in the 2 media, with considerably lower overall respiratory activity and lower pentose phosphate pathway activity seen with the F-12 medium. Different nutritional states apparently markedly affect PE cell characteristics in culture and possibly in vivo as well.