Culture of cloned cells from the mouse preputial gland tumor ESR 586.

Cells from the mouse preputial gland tumor ESR 586 have been cultured and cloned. Trypsin-ethylenediaminetetraacetate was used to obtain single cells. The cells are grown in a modified CMRL-1415 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. Clones tend to fall into two classes: Class 1, those that undergo morphological differentiation in liquid medium to form round bodies filled with lipid vaculoes; and Class 2, those that do not differentiate. Preliminary studies on the control of differentiation in Class 1 clones suggest that a minimum cell density is required before differentiation takes place. Analysis of the lipids from differentiating and nondifferentiating clones reveals the presence of sebaceous-type lipids in differentiating clones only. No requirement for testosterone was found for these cells.