Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #274077

Title: Development and characterization of two porcine monocyte-derived macrophage cell lines

Author
item Chitko-Mckown, Carol
item CHAPES, STEPHEN - Kansas State University
item Miller, Laura
item RIGGS, PENNY - Texas A&M University
item ORTEGA, M - Kansas State University
item Green, Benedict - Ben
item MCKOWN, RICHARD - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Results in Immunology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2013
Publication Date: 3/19/2013
Citation: Chitko McKown, C.G., Chapes, S.K., Miller, L.C., Riggs, P.K., Ortega, M.T., Green, B.T., McKown, R.D. 2013. Development and characterization of two porcine monocyte-derived macrophage cell lines. Results in Immunology. 3:26-31.

Interpretive Summary: Monocytes are cells circulating in the blood that are effectors of innate immunity. Their more differentiated counterparts, the macrophages, are located in organs. These cells protect against invading micro-organisms by engulfing and killing them and also send signals to other components of the immune system by secreted proteins called cytokines. Unfortunately, monocytes and macrophages in the pig are also the targets of certain bacteria such as Brucella, and viruses such as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, which have the capability of multiplying inside of these immune cells and making the host more susceptible to other pathogens. Although porcine monocytes can be isolated from blood, it is a labor intensive procedure requiring large volumes of blood, since they comprise less than 10% of the population of immune cells in circulation. Furthermore, the need to obtain blood from multiple animals in order to have sufficient numbers of monocytes for experimental purposes contributes additional animal variation to data analysis. Numerous mouse and human monocyte-derived cell lines are publicly available; however, pig monocyte-derived cell lines are not. We developed two porcine monocyte-derived cell lines that have biological activities and surface markers resembling porcine monocytes obtained from blood. These cells will be useful tools for studying the porcine immune response.

Technical Abstract: Cell lines Cdelta2+ and Cdelta2- were developed from monocytes obtained from a 10-month-old, crossbred, female pig. These cells morphologically resembled macrophages, stained positively for a-naphthyl esterase and negatively for peroxidase. The cell lines were bactericidal and highly phagocytic. Both cell lines expressed the porcine cell-surface molecules MHCI, CD11b, CD14, CD16, CD172, and small amounts of CD2; however, only minimal amounts of CD163 were measured. The lines were negative for the mouse marker H2K*k, bovine CD2 control, and secondary antibody control. Additionally, cells tested negative for Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus and Porcine Circovirus Type 2. Therefore, these cells resembled porcine macrophages based on morphology, cell-surface marker phenotype, and function and will be useful tools for studying porcine macrophage biology.