Live-Cell Imaging: Cell Motility

Bovine Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cells (BPAE Line)

The BPAE cell line was initiated in January 1979 from the main stem of a pulmonary artery belonging to a young cow (Bos taurus). The BPAE line of endothelial cells is positive for bovine diarrhea virus, one of the most important known bovine viral pathogens, which causes a broad array of clinical syndromes that result in significant losses in the beef industry each year. BPAE cells are also positive for angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), an enzyme that is intricately involved in the maintenance of blood pressure and volume. Due to this fact, BPAE cells are often utilized in hypertension research as well as studies of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

BPAE Live Cell Video No. 1 - Finding itself surrounded, an endothelial cell seems to bounce about as if it were caught in a pinball game, quickly changing directions each time it comes into contact with another cell. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (24.0 hour time-lapse sequence; 72 seconds - 30.2 MB).

BPAE Live Cell Video No. 2 - Numerous points of contact are temporarily formed and then released along the margins of the cells, giving the impression that they are greeting each other by repeatedly sharing brief handshakes of microscopic proportions. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (20.3 hour time-lapse sequence; 61 seconds - 25.5 MB).

BPAE Live Cell Video No. 3 - Vacuoles that hold materials brought in from outside of a cell are formed via endocytosis and those that contain materials to be voided by a cell are emptied via exocytosis. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (24.3 hour time-lapse sequence; 73 seconds - 30.8 MB).

BPAE Live Cell Video No. 4 - Commonly known as blebs, small hemispherical mounds seem to bubble up from the exterior membranes of newly formed daughter cells. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (21.6 hour time-lapse sequence; 65 seconds - 27.3 MB).

BPAE Live Cell Video No. 5 - Unlike fibroblasts, cultured endothelial cells do not tend to crawl over other cells. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (20.3 hour time-lapse sequence; 61 seconds - 25.9 MB).

BPAE Live Cell Video No. 6 - Several BPAE cells can be observed undergoing mitosis. The daughter cells generally establish their own polarity and begin migrating along their own paths soon after the process takes place. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (24.3 hour time-lapse sequence; 73 seconds - 30.7 MB).

BPAE Live Cell Video No. 7 - Imaged under low-magnification, the BPAE cells appear to have nearly formed a complete monolayer, but continue to shift positions and realign themselves in a variety of manners. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (18.0 hour time-lapse sequence; 54 seconds - 22.6 MB).