The ultrastructure of cultures from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma.

When chondrocytes from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma are isolated by trypsin and collagenase digestion and cultured in Petri dishes, they form a new extracellular matrix within 24 hours, with proteoglycan matrix granules and collagen fibrils. This rapid synthesis of new matrix, together with the biochemical and morphological characterization of the proteoglycans as typical of cartilage, demonstrates the value of these cultures as a model system for studies of synthesis, secretion, and organization of extracellular matrix.