Immunochemical and molecular characterization of GBC4 as a tanycyte-like cell line derived from grouper brain.

A clonal cell line, GBC4, derived from grouper (Epinephelus coioides) brain is proposed to represent an immature astroglial cell line because it expresses glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cytokeratin and vimentin. In teleost brain, tanycytes are the most abundant GFAP-expressing cell type, suggesting that GBC4 cells are derived from tanycytes. To test this hypothesis, protein and mRNA expression profiles of GBC4 cells were evaluated.