Transimmortalized mouse intestinal cells (m-ICcl2) that maintain a crypt phenotype

This study describes the properties of a clone of immortalized cells (m-ICcl2 cells) derived from the bases of small intestinal villi from 20-day-old fetuses of L-type pyruvate kinase (L-PK)/TAg1 transgenic mice. The mice harbor the simian virus 40 large T antigen under the control of the 5' regulatory sequence from the L-PK gene. m-ICcl2 cells expressed nuclear large T antigen, had a prolonged life span, and were nontumorigenic when injected into nude mice. They formed confluent monolayers of cuboid cells separated by tight junctions, developed dense, short apical microvilli, and formed domes. They also possessed cytokeratins, villin, aminopeptidase N, dipeptidyl-peptidase IV, and glucoamylase and retained crypt cell features, including intracellular sucrase isomaltase and alpha-L-fucose glycoconjugates accumulation and expression of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene. Thus the m-ICcl2 cell line obtained by targeted oncogenesis in transgenic mice maintained in culture several important properties and differentiated functions of intestinal crypt cells.