Establishment and characterization of tracheal epithelial cell lines, TM01 and TM02-3, from transgenic mice bearing temperature-sensitive simian virus 40 large T-antigen gene.

Murine tracheal epithelial cell lines, TM01 and TM02-3, were established from a primary culture of tracheal cells of adult transgenic mice bearing a temperature-sensitive simian virus (SV40) large T-antigen gene. Both TM01 and TM02-3 cells, which grew until confluent monolayers were formed, maintained tight contact with neighboring cells, and retained the characteristics of epithelial cells with microvilli on the surface. These cells grew at a permissive temperature (33 degrees C), but did not at a nonpermissive temperature (39 degrees C), indicating that TM01 and TM02-3 cells undergo temperature-sensitive growth. Large T-antigen was expressed only in the nuclei at 33 degrees C. Sepharose CL-4B column chromatography using a 14C-glucosamine hydrochloride, indicating that both cells produced high molecular weight glycoconjugates, and suggesting that these cells may originate from mucus-producing cells. TM01 cells expressed intercellular adhesion molecular-1 (ICAM-1) in both unstimulated and stimulated (1,000 U/ml tumor necrosis factor-alpha and 500 U/ml interferon-gamma) conditions, whereas TM02-3 cells expressed ICAM-1 only under stimulated conditions. We conclude that these cell lines may serve as a useful model to study the tracheal cell functions under defined in vitro conditions.