Characterisation of thyroid medullary carcinoma TT cell line.

TT cell line is the best known stabilized cell line derived from the human medullary thyroid carcinoma. The ultrastructural characteristics of these cells include well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, a prominent Golgi apparatus and a considerable number of secretory granules. Numerous hormones were immunocytochemically demonstrated in TT cells of which calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are the products of the same gene but an alternative RNA processing. TT cells were found to produce some other hormones as well, namely ACTH, neurotensin, enkephalin, PTHrP, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), serotonin but also functional proteins of the chromogranin group, synaptophysin, NSE, calbindin and tyrosine hydroxylase. Some marker proteins have been detected in the cytosol (CEA) and in the cytoskeleton (alpha-tubulin, cytokeratin). The influence of numerous factors on the secretory activity of these cells has been demonstrated so far, including effects of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, glucocorticoids, sex steroids, cAMP, gastrin-releasing peptide, sodium butyrate, phorbol esters, ionomycin and forskolin. The investigators performed on the TT cell line demonstrate that this is the most reliable model system for the human parafollicular cells developed so far, in comparison to other cell lines derived from the medullary carcinoma of the thyroid.