Growth and differentiation of embryonic mouse palatal epithelial cells in primary culture

The study of both normal and abnormal mammalian palatal development would be greatly enhanced by the advent of a cell culture system for the palatal epithelium in the absence of its mesenchyme. We have developed such a method for the primary culture of the secondary palatal epithelium from the embryonic mouse which allows for both epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation into the three cell types normally found in vivo. These include the terminally differentiated medial epithelial cells and the appearance of the nasal epithelial cell phenotype (ciliated pseudostratified), as well as the oral epithelial cell phenotype (stratified squamous). The most successful culture medium tested consisted of a 1:1 mixture of DMEM/F-12 basal medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Epithelial cell attachment, DNA synthesis and differentiation are greatly stimulated by the presence of EGF and by an extracellular matrix (ECM) substratum. Our results have demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of culturing embryonic palatal epithelial cells in primary culture in the absence of any mesenchymal tissue.