Cloned cells develop renal cortical collecting tubules

We investigated the development and morphogenesis of stem cells cloned from cultured transformed collecting duct cells of the rabbit in the presence of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF), vitamin A, laminin and transforming growth factors, HGF and vitamin A induced peanut agglutinin (PNA) positivity in nonprincipal cells (PC) but not in PCs, only HGF induced tubule formation. Although HGF induced a tubule-like arrangement in both cell lines, tubules with PNA-positive cells were observed only in non-PC cells incubated with HGF. Vasopressin increased intracellular free calcium in PNA-negative cells but not in PNA-positive cells. Intracellular pH increased in PNA-positive cells but not in PNA-negative cells when gluconate was substituted for Cl in the buffer. Cloned non-PCs were stem cells that developed PC- and IC-like characteristics and formed collecting ducts when incubated with HGF.