FPC C-tail expression caused cystogenesis in 3D culture.

<p>hICD cells from all four cell lines (3, 5, 6, 13), in parallel with cells from four control lines, were cultured in collagen I gels. All hICD-expressing lines (3, 6, 13, 100%; 5, <100%) formed cyst-like structures in contrast to tubule-like structures formed by control cells. The representative pictures were presented (A, B). (A) Tubulogenesis of both control (CTL1, CTL2) and hICD (hICD3, hICD6) cells at 1, 3 and 7 days after seeding in collagen I gels. At day 3 and 7, in contrast to control cells, which developed tubule-like structures (100%), hICD-expressing cells formed cyst-like structures (100%). (B) Confocal microscopy reveals the presence of a lumen in the tubule-like structure developed from control cells (CTL1, 2) and a central cavity in cyst-like structures in hICD-expressing cells (CTL3, 6) after 8-day culture. A segment of a tubule was shown with a higher magnification. HGF was not used in this experiment. Red, rhodamine phalloidin; green, acetylated α-tubulin; blue, DAPI.