Proline analogue removes fibroblasts from cultured mixed cell populations

Abstract

PRIMARY cultures of cells from various tissues have become important tools for many experimental studies, but attempts to prepare primary cultures of specialised cell types are frequently frustrated by the tendency of fibroblasts to grow more rapidly than other cells. During studies on procollagen biosynthesis by fibroblasts, it has been found that if the cells are incubated with any one of four proline analogues, the analogues are incorporated into protein and the incorporation of the analogues into procollagen polypeptides prevents the chains from folding into a triple helicial conformation^1–7. We report here that if fibroblasts are grown in the presence of the proline analogue cis-hydroxyproline, their rate of growth is markedly limited. This may provide a simple technique for removing fibroblasts from cultures of mixed cell populations.