Tubulogenesis from isolated single cells of adult mammalian kidney: clonal analysis with a recombinant retrovirus. Humes, H. David, John C. Krauss, Deborah A. Cieslinski, Angela J. Funke. Departments of Internal Medicine, VA Medical Center, and University of Michigan
APStracts 3:0008F, 1996.
The adult mammalian kidney tubule epithelium exists in a relatively dormant, slowly replicative state but has a large potential for regenerative morphogenesis following severe ischemic or toxic injury. Under selective serum free growth conditions which included epidermal growth factor and retinoic acid, a subpopulation of renal proximal tubule cells isolated from adult rabbit kidney were grown in cell culture. These cells possessed two important characteristics: (i) an ability to differentiate morphogenically into tubule structures when grown in three-dimensional collagen gels, and (ii) a high capacity for self renewal, since cell lineage analysis with a recombinant retrovirus demonstrated that in vitro tubulogenesis arose from clonal expansion of a single cell. Thus, individual cells in the adult kidney have retained the ability for kidney tubulogenesis in vitro.

Received 13 February 1995; accepted in final form 21 December
1995.
APS Manuscript Number F51-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Renal Fluid Electrolyte
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 22 January 96