Characterization of a pluripotent stem cell line derived from a mouse embryo

A pluripotent, karyotypically normal, male culture line ESC-BLC 1 of embryonal stem cells was established from delayed mouse blastocysts of strain 129/ter Sv. The cell line was isolated after cultivation of inner cell mass cells on X-irradiated feeder layer of mouse embryonal fibroblasts. The pluripotent status of the cell line was confirmed by in vivo and in vitro differentiation. For in vivo differentiation, cells were injected subcutaneously into syngeneic mice. The resulting tumors contained various tissues, derivatives of all three primary germ layers. In vitro cultivated pluripotent stem cells differentiated into endoderm-like, neuronal-like and tubular structures. Determination of alkaline phosphatase in cell line ESC-BLC 1 yielded a high specific activity; G-banding of metaphases revealed a normal, male karyotype.