Structure of cultured fibroblasts from dermatosparaxic calves

Clonal cell lines from the dermis of a dermatosparaxic calf were grown in tissue culture. After fixation in a mixture of glutaraldehyde and osmium, they were prepared for electron microscopy. Most cells contained a well-developed Golgi region, lysosomes, mitochondria, and dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum. They also contained numerous, large bundles of intracellular fialments, many lipid droplets and extensive arrays of vesicles. Cultures accumulated substantial amounts of extracellular fibrillar material. The fibrils were loosely packed and indistinctly cross-banded. Bundles of intracellular filaments were commonly parallel in adjacent cells and also parallel to extracellular fibrils. These cytoplasmic features may result from the inability of the secreted collagen to form normal fibrils.