Undifferentiated keratinocytes control growth, morphology, and antigen expression of normal melanocytes through cell-cell contact.

BACKGROUND: Melanocytes in the normal human epidermis are generally dendritic and neither proliferate nor express melanoma-associated antigens. In culture, on the other hand, melanocytes are bi- to tripolar, proliferate with 2 to 4 day doubling times, and express melanoma-associated antigens. This observation prompted us to investigate the regulatory role of keratinocytes for growth, morphology, and antigen expression of melanocytes. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Melanocytes and keratinocytes were cultured under three different co-culture conditions: (a) separated by a semiporous membrane, (b) in monolayer cultures allowing direct contact between cells, and (c) in three-dimensional epidermal reconstructs. RESULTS: Melanocytes separated from keratinocytes by semiporous membranes remained di- and tripolar and could not proliferate in medium optimal for keratinocytes. When cell-cell contact was established between melanocytes and undifferentiated, but not differentiated, keratinocytes, melanocytes proliferated at a rate similar to keratinocytes and they developed multiple dendrites. In co-cultures allowing the multi-layered growth of keratinocytes, melanocytes were nonproliferative when juxtaposed to undifferentiated keratinocytes in the basal layer, but proliferated when surrounded by differentiated keratinocytes in the intermediate and upper layers. Expression of melanoma-associated antigens on melanocytes decreased to similar levels as in normal skin when melanocytes were in direct contact with undifferentiated, but not differentiated, keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Undifferentiated, but not differentiated, keratinocytes control growth, morphology, and antigen expression of melanocytes through direct cell-cell contact. These results suggest that the phenotypic characteristics of nevus and melanoma cells in the dermis, i.e., proliferation and expression of tumor-associated antigens, may be due to their loss of contact with undifferentiation keratinocytes.

Growth and invasion of human melanomas in human skin grafted to immunodeficient mice.

An orthotopic model of human melanoma was developed in which malignant cells were injected into human skin grafted to nude and SCID mice. Melanoma cells proliferated and invaded the human skin grafts with characteristic patterns. Three of six melanomas grew as multiple nodules and infiltered the grafts without major architectural changes in the dermis, whereas the others invaded the dermis along collagen fibers with prominent endothelial vessels. By contrast, melanoma cells inoculated into mouse skin grew as diffusely expanding nodules that did not invade the murine dermis. In human skin grafts, human melanoma cells were angiogenic for human blood vessels, and murine vessels were only found at the periphery of grafts. Tumor cells invaded the human vessels, and four out of seven cell lines metastasized to lungs, suggesting that this model is useful to determine in vivo the interactions between normal and malignant human cells.

Phenotypes and interactions of human melanocytes and keratinocytes in an epidermal reconstruction model.

The morphologic and antigenic phenotype of normal human melanocytes and keratinocytes was investigated in monolayer and 3-dimensional cultures in an effort to develop an epidermal model that resembles the normal human epidermis. When cultured for several passages in optimal growth medium, pure cultures of either cell type could be established as demonstrated by light and electron microscopy and with monoclonal antibodies defining melanocyte- and keratinocyte-associated antigens. Three-dimensional growth of keratinocytes on polycarbonate filters was induced by increasing calcium concentrations in the culture medium and exposing cultures to air. After 30 to 35 days incubation, the 3-dimensional keratinocyte cultures reached a total of 12 to 25 layers and keratinocytes of various stages of differentiation formed three morphologically and antigenically different strata. The basal layer of these constructs consisted of ovoid cells with desmosomes and hemidesmosome-like structures. These cells expressed low molecular weight cytokeratins similar to basal cells in situ. The intermediate layer, representing the stratum spinosum in situ, contained flat cells with keratohyaline granules and many desmosomes. These cells expressed gp 80 kilodaltons, gp 40 to 50 kilodaltons, involucrin, and filaggrin. The upper layer, the stratum corneum equivalent, contained large, flattened cells with keratohyaline granules. The majority of these cells were anucleate. When melanocytes were cocultured with keratinocytes in monolayer or in epidermal reconstructs, they assumed a multidendritic morphology and donated pigment to surrounding keratinocytes. The majority of pigmented cells localized singly within the basal layer of the reconstructs and their dendrites were intimately associated with keratinocyte plasma membranes. Pigment donation to keratinocytes appeared to occur through the uptake of melanosome-containing dendrite fragments and phagocytosis of individual melanosomes by keratinocytes. It is hypothesized that keratinocytes produce unique microenvironmental factors that regulate the melanocytic phenotype.