基于人和小鼠细胞共培养体系研究隧道纳米管

Study of Tunneling Nanotubes Based on Co-Culture System of Human and Mouse Cells

摘要: 隧道纳米管(tunneling nanotubes, TNT)是一种新型的细胞间通讯连接方式。越来越多的证据显示，TNT参与小分子、病原体和部分细胞器等的细胞间传递，在细胞生理病理过程中发挥重要作用。本文将人和小鼠细胞共培养，利用激光显微成像技术对细胞间TNT的产生过程以及特征进行观察和分析。结果显示，在人和小鼠乳腺肿瘤细胞共培养体系中，同类细胞间可以形成TNT通讯结构，但是在人和小鼠细胞之间却没有。另外，在时间序列拍摄过程中发现，细胞间TNT倾向于细胞间指向性接触后形成，同时在人和小鼠活细胞共培养体系中会出现同类型细胞“汇聚”现象。因此细胞间TNT的形成可能是基于特异胞间信号诱导接触，并且只能在特定细胞间建立TNT通道连接。

Abstract: Tunneling nanotubes (TNT) is a new type of intercellular communication connection. More and more evidence shows that TNT is involved in the intercellular transmission of small molecules, pathogens, and some organelles, and plays an important role in cell physiological and pathological processes. In this study, we observed and analyzed the production and characteristics of TNT between human and mouse cells in co-cultured by laser microscopic imaging technique. The results showed that the TNT structure could be formed in the same type cells, but not in the different type cells in the co-culture system of human and mouse tumor cells. In addition, it was found that the establishment of TNT between cancer cells tended to be formed after the directional contact between cells in the process of time series shooting, and the phenomenon of convergence of the same type cells were also found in the co-culture system of human and mouse living cells. Therefore, the formation of TNT between cells maybe induced based on specific intercellular signal and TNT can only build between specific cells.