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F Alliot

Publications and source records attributed to F Alliot.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Immunocytochemical localization of cytochrome P-450scc in cultured rat oligodendrocytes].

Primary cultures of glial cells from newborn rat forebrain were tested after 3 to 4 weeks. Oligodendrocytes and astrocytes were characterized by immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies to galactocerebroside and glial fibrillary acidic protein, respectively. The cytoplasm of oligodendrocytes was specifically and intensely immunostained with monospecific polyclonal antibodies to the cytochrome P-450scc involved in the synthesis of pregnenolone from cholesterol. This observation brings additional support to the concept of "neurosteroids".

Animals↗

Role of astroglial cell clones in the survival and differentiation of cerebellar embryonic neurons.

To investigate the role of astrocytes in the survival and differentiation of cerebellar neurons during development, we have used astroglial cell clones, derived from 8-day postnatal cerebellar explants and which might be the in vitro equivalents of the 3 main types of cerebellar astrocytes, the Golgi epithelial cells and their Bergmann processes, the velate protoplasmic and the fibrous astrocytes (F. Alliot and B. Pessac, Brain Res., 306 (1984) 283-291). Nearly all single cells, dissociated from 15-day embryonic mouse cerebella and seeded at low density, adhered to layers of each of the cerebellar astroglial cell clones as well as to other glial lines or artificial substrates. However, the cerebellar embryonic neurons survived well only on monolayers of either the 'Golgi-Bergmann'-like or the 'velate protoplasmic'-like clones. On these layers, 60-80% of the neurons were still present after 5 days of co-culture, while only less than 5% survived on the other types of substrates. The differentiation pattern of the neurons surviving on the 'Golgi-Bergmann' and the 'velate protoplasmic' astroglial clones was studied with markers of postmitotic granule cells, the major neuronal population in adult cerebellum. The velate protoplasmic-like clone was the only one able to support the coordinate acquisition by most surviving neurons of the phenotypic characteristics of granule cells, i.e. a distinct morphology, a specific epitope binding the monoclonal antibody 7-8 D2 and immunoreactivity to glutamate. These data show a broad heterogeneity in the capacity of astroglial cell clones to support embryonic cerebellar neurons. In addition, they indicate that neuronal survival per se is not sufficient for the acquisition of a differentiated neuronal phenotype.

Animals↗

Effects of trembler mouse serum and laminin on oligodendrocyte proliferation and differentiation in culture.

Oligodendrocytes in primary cultures derived from rat embryo spinal cord were examined in control medium and in Trembler mouse serum (TMS)-supplemented medium. The oligodendrocytes were identified on the basis of the synthesis and surface expression of galactocerebrosides revealed by a monoclonal antibody directed against this component. We noticed two effects of TMS compared to control mouse serum. First, our results revealed that in TMS medium there is a mitogenic response of galactocerebroside (GalC)-positive cells. Second, in the presence of TMS, oligodendrocytes do not develop processes as they do in the presence of normal mouse serum. When laminin, a basal lamina component was added to TMS medium, GalC+ oligodendrocytes decreased in number and differentiation was normal. Possible explanations of the effects of TMS and laminin on oligodendrocyte proliferation and differentiation are discussed.

Animals↗

Macrophages express glial markers.

We have investigated the relationships between the glial cells of the central nervous system and the resident macrophages. The data reported here show that mouse peritoneal, bone marrow and spleen macrophages are immunoreactive to antibodies specific for astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

Animals↗

Crystallin gene expression and lentoid body formation in quail embryo neuroretina cultures transformed by the oncogenic retrovirus Mill Hill 2 or Rous sarcoma virus.

The lens-specific proteins alpha and delta crystallins and lentoid bodies, structures that follow a differentiation pathway similar to that of the lens, regularly appear after 4 to 5 weeks in quail embryo neuroretina monolayer cultures. We have investigated the effects of the avian oncogenic retroviruses Mill Hill 2 and Rous sarcoma virus on this process. Quail embryo neuroretina cells transformed by Mill Hill 2 virus were established into permanent cultures that synthesized alpha and delta crystallins and contained stem cells for the production of lentoid bodies. In contrast, transformation with the Rous sarcoma virus mutant tsNY-68 blocked the appearance of mRNA crystallins, but cytoplasmic alpha and delta crystallin mRNA and alpha crystallin appeared 44 h after a shift to the nonpermissive temperature. However, delta crystallins and lentoid bodies were only present after 7 days. The crystallins of transformed quail neuroretina cultures were immunologically indistinguishable from those of quail lenses and of normal quail embryo neuroretina cultures.

Animals↗

Astrocytic cerebellar cell clones synthesize the beta' isoforms of the beta-tubulin protein family.

We have analysed the isotubulin pattern of three astrocytic cell clones, derived from spontaneously established permanent cell cultures originating from 8-day postnatal mice cerebellar explants, in comparison with that of primary astroglial cultures from embryonic brain and cerebellum. These astrocytic clones, which may represent the different astroglial cell types of mouse cerebellum, did not produce the alpha- and beta-acidic isoforms, these being found only in cells of neuronal lineage. However, the three astrocytic clones, but not the primary astroglial cultures, did synthesize the beta'-tubulin isoforms; in addition quantitative analysis of the beta' proteins showed a positive correlation between the ability of the cells to extend processes and their synthesis of the beta' isoforms. These data suggest that the presence of beta'-tubulin is not specific for neuronal cells but may be related to the ability of cells from the nervous system to extend processes.

Animals↗

Astrocytic cell clones derived from established cultures of 8-day postnatal mouse cerebella.

Clonal permanent cell lines with astrocytic properties have been established from explant cultures of 8-day postnatal mouse cerebella after in vitro spontaneous transformation, i.e. without the addition of carcinogens or oncogenic viruses. The cell lines were derived in a multistage process. Slowly proliferating foci with several morphologies appeared 4 months after initiation of the cultures and became progressively enriched by cells with a homogeneous appearance. These cells could be established into permanent cell lines from which many clones were obtained. Some of these cloned cell lines bound anti-GFAP sera and therefore appeared to be astrocytic. According to their morphology, 3 separate types of these GFAP-positive clones could be distinguished. Type I and II cells had small somata; type I had several short processes, while type II had two processes, one of which was very thin and long (greater than 200 microns). Type III cells had large flat somata and no processes. The three types of clonal cell lines were labeled by monoclonal antibodies which bind to astrocytes in vivo. In particular, three monoclonal antibodies (BSP-3, M2 and M3) bound only to type II cells in a distinct pattern. Type I and II astrocytes are pseudodiploid and type III, heteroploid. The properties of these different clonal cell lines are very stable. We have thus obtained permanently established clonal cultures of mouse cerebellum astrocyte-like cells, which might be the in vitro counterparts of fibrous (type I), or velamentous (type III) astrocytes and of Golgi epithelial cells (type II).

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A glycine-enriched astrocytic cell clone derived from mouse cerebella transformed in vitro by simian virus-40.

Measurements were made of the amino acid content of a cellular clone (K55) derived from mouse cerebellar cultures transformed in vitro by simian virus-40 (Alliot and Pessac, 1981) and that appears to be astroglial. Both the total amount of amino acids as well as the percentage of glycine in K55 cells were higher than in the mixed cultures from which they are derived. Further, glycine accumulates in the culture medium of K55 cells, but not in the medium of the parental mixed cell culture (C14), thereby suggesting that glycine is synthesized and released by K55 cells.

Amino Acids↗

Studies on intercellular adhesion. III. Adhesion of cells to isotypic or heterotypic collecting particles and monolayers.

Adhesion between cells of different tissues from chick embryos was studied by the modified collecting particle (Pessac et al., '77a) and stationary monolayer assays. These assays measure the number of 3H labeled cells that adhere to the surface of cell aggregates and tissue fragments or on top of cell monolayers. The numbers of cells from a given suspension that adhere to identical or different cells can be compared. Intercellular adhesion may be considered as tissue specific if, in identical conditions, more cells adhere to identical cells than to cells from different tissues. Neural retina, cerebrum, optic tectum, liver and kidney cells from 9-day-old chick embryos showed no tissue specificity of adhesion, while heart cells adhered preferentially to collecting heart fragments.

Animals↗

Studies on intercellular adhesion. I. Adhesion of neural retina cells to isotypic aggregates in serum free medium.

A quantitative assay for intercellular adhesion, which is a modification of the collecting aggregate assay (Roth et al., '71) is described. The use of mechanically dissociated single cells labeled with 3H-leucine, and of a gyratory shaker increased considerably the efficiency of cell collection. With chick embryo neural retina, it was shown that isotypic cell adhesion occurs in simple synthetic media and even in sodium chloride solution suggesting that divalent cations do not play a major role in adhesion of these cells. Cell collection in media without serum was not affected by metabolic or protein synthesis inhibitors. However, cell adhesion was temperature-dependent since no collection occurred at 4 degrees C but was maximal at 38 degrees C.

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Studies on intercellular adhesion. II. Promoting effect of serum and proteins on adhesion of neural retina cells to isotypic aggregates.

The quantitative assay described in the preceding paper (Pessac et al., '77) was used to study the effects of serum and various proteins on isotypic adhesion of chick embryo neural retina cells. Fetal bovine, chicken, horse, rabbit and human sera promoted cell adhesion to the same extent. The same sera also enhanced isotypic adhesion of cells from other organs showing that the cell adhesion promoting activity of sera was not organ specific. Neural retina (NR) cell collection in serum supplemented medium was not modified by protein synthesis or metabolic inhibitors and was temperature dependent with a maximum at 38 degrees C. The higher temperature does not seem to be required for repair of the cell surface after dissociation, but for the process of adhesion itself. Various serum fractions and egg albumin showed a cell adhesion promoting activity similar to that of sera.

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