Widespread occurrence of intermediate-sized filaments of the vimentin-type in cultured cells from diverse vertebrates

Characterization of cells of amniotic fluids by immunological identification of intermediate-sized filaments: Presence of cells of different tissue origin

“…The de novo formation of vimentin filaments during in vitro growth of epithelial cells has been shown for various cell types (Franke et al 1978a(Franke et al , 1979d and in particular detail for rat hepatocytes (Franke et al to be published a). Our present data do not allow us to decide whether vimentin filaments occurring in cells of E-type colonies reflect the induction of vimentin synthesis during culture.…”

“…Primary cultures were used for indirect immunofluorescence microscopy between days 6 and 28 of culture. For the induction of perinuclear aggregates of intermediate-sized filaments, cell cultures were treated with 10 6M colcemid for 24h (Franke et al 1979d).…”

“…Vimentin antibodies were raised in guinea pigs against human vimentin purified from cytoskeletons of SV40 transformed human fibroblasts (SV80-celts; Franke et al 1979d). The preparation of guinea pig antibodies against epidermal prekeratin from bovine muzzle which broadly cross-react with prekeratin-like proteins of different tissues and species has been described (Franke et al 1981b).…”

“…For our purpose we used antibodies against intermediate-sized filaments of the prekeratin and vimentin type. Filaments of the prekeratin type are present in most, if not all true epithelial cells in situ (Franke et al 1978a(Franke et al , 1979a(Franke et al , b, 1981a and are also 0340-6717/81/0059/0373/$ 01.40 formed in a variety of cultured epithelial cells (Franke et al 1978b(Franke et al , 1979c (Franke et al 1979d). In the tissue vimentin decorates mesenchymal cells and has so far not been shown in true epithelial cells, although certain "epithelioid" cell types such as endothelial and lens forming cells contain filaments of this type (Franke et al 1979 f;Schmid et al 1979;Ramaekers et al 1980;Schnitzer et al 1981).…”

“…In the tissue vimentin decorates mesenchymal cells and has so far not been shown in true epithelial cells, although certain "epithelioid" cell types such as endothelial and lens forming cells contain filaments of this type (Franke et al 1979 f;Schmid et al 1979;Ramaekers et al 1980;Schnitzer et al 1981). In vitro, however, expression of vimentin type intermediate-sized filaments is also observed in diverse non-mesenchymal cells such as cells of epithelial, myogenic, or neuronal origin (Franke et al 1978a(Franke et al , 1979d. Immunologic detection of vimentin therefore provides a criterion to characterize mesenchymal cells grown in the tissue but does not provide a positive criterion to identify the origin of cells grown in culture.…”