Development and characterization of an endothelial cell line from the bulbus arteriosus of walleye, Sander vitreus

A cell line has been developed from the bulbus arteriosus (BA) of the walleye (WE), Sander vitreus (Mitchill), and is termed WEBA. WEBA produced collagen I, and when held at confluency for days or weeks, spontaneously formed capillary-like tubes. WEBA cells bound fluorescently-labeled Ulex europaeus lectin agglutinin I (UEA-1), took up acetylated low density lipoprotein (Ac-LDL), were stained for von Willebrand factor (vWF), and produced nitric oxide (NO). The cytoskeleton consisted at least of α- and β-tubulin, vimentin, and actin, with the actin organized into circumferential bundles. Immunofluorescence staining revealed at least two tight junction proteins, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and claudin 3. Together these results suggest that WEBA is an endothelial cell line. Relatively high doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) induced cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) protein and 7-ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (EROD) activity in WEBA. As one of the first fish endothelial and BA cell lines, WEBA should be useful in many disciplines in which the teleost cardiovascular system is a focus.