True contractile SMC can only be found in intact tissue, or in very early primary cultures (ie before 7 days after isolation (the exact time depends on the species, seeding density etc)). Everything else is, more or less, synthetic. Keep in mind, though, that there is a sliding continuum between contractile and synthetic. Some SMC, even in vivo, have a synthetic phenotype. Some cultured SMC are less synthetic than others. Ascertaining the Vvmyo is the classic means of measuring the contractile/synthetic phenotype of the SMC. Refs: classic papers by Julie and Gordon Campbell and by Johan Thyberg.
True contractile SMC can only be found in intact tissue, or in very early primary cultures (ie before 7 days after isolation (the exact time depends on the species, seeding density etc)). Everything else is, more or less, synthetic. Keep in mind, though, that there is a sliding continuum between contractile and synthetic. Some SMC, even in vivo, have a synthetic phenotype. Some cultured SMC are less synthetic than others. Ascertaining the Vvmyo is the classic means of measuring the contractile/synthetic phenotype of the SMC. Refs: classic papers by Julie and Gordon Campbell and by Johan Thyberg.
It would be ideal if you can review this recent paper from nature communications: http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v3/n6/full/ncomms1867.html?WT.ec_id=NCOMMS-20120606
They used good techniques to validate their findings. Although it originated some controvery in the vascular field: http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/112/1/17
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