Different Lines for Different Times
SaOS-2
The SaOS-2 cell line is an RB negative and p53 negative osteosarcoma cell line often used to analyze pRB's arrest functions. Re-introduction of pRB into these cells causes a G1 arrest, cell cycle withdrawal and cellular senescence, thus providing a sensitive assay for pRB's arrest functions.
U2OS
The U2OS cell line is an RB positive and p53 positive osteosarcoma cell line. This cell line is known to induce higher levels of E2F1 in response to DNA damage. This cancer cell line is unique in that it maintains an in-tact DNA damage response pathway, thus is often used as the cell line of choice when studying E2F1-induced apoptosis in the pRB field.
C33A
RB-1 Deficient cell line derived by N. Auersperg from cervical cancer biopsies. The line exhibited a hypodiploid karyotype initially, and an epithelial morphology. Karyological instability was observed with continued passage. The retinoblastoma protein (pRB) is present but abnormal in size - so non-functional pRB (confirm). For this reason, C33A cell lines are used as an "RB1-deficient" cell line into which RB expression constructs are transfected for various binding and functional assays. Expression of p53 is elevated, and there is a point mutation at codon 273 resulting in a Arg -> Cys substitution. The cells are negative for human papillomavirus (HPV). Re-introduction of pRB into C33A does not cause G1 arrest. Since re-introduced pRB has no effect on proliferative control, this cell line is often used to study pRB-E2 interactions from over-expression constructs, or to study E2F1-induced apoptosis in isolation.
HeLa
An HPV-infected cell line derived from a cervical carcinoma. HeLa cells are considered both pRB- and p53- deficient since the activities of p53 and members of the pRB family are very low. This may be attributed to HPV18 infection of the culture. Ectopic overexpression of either tumor suppressor has been used to study apoptosis in this cell line.
HEK293
Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells (a.k.a. HEK 293 cells) are a cell line originally derived from human embryonic kidney cells grown in tissue culture. The human embryonic kidney cells were obtained from a single aborted healthy fetus, and transformed with sheared adenovirus 5 DNA, of which ~4.5 kilobases from the left arm of the viral genome incorporated into human chromosome 19. HEK 293 cells' karyotype exhibit two or more copies of each chromosome and with a modal chromosome number of 64. They are described as hypotriploid, containing less than three times the number of chromosomes of a normal haploid human cell. Chromosomal abnormalities include a total of three copies of the X chromosome and four copies of chromosome N17 and N22. The presence of multiple X chromosomes and the lack of a Y chromosome suggest that the original fetus was of a baby girl. Use of the cell line is popular since they are extremely easy to work with, being straightforward to culture and to transfect, and so can be used in experiments in which the behavior of the cell itself is not of interest. Typically, these experiments involve transfecting in a gene (or combination of genes) of interest, and then analyzing the expressed protein; essentially, the cell is used simply as a test tube with a membrane.
tl;dr: Embryonic kidney cells immortilized via adenovirus transfection and have hypotriploid karyotype. Used as "test tube" for expression and interaction assays, not to study cellular behaviour.
HCT116
Immortilized human colorectal carcinoma cell line which possesses a mutation in codon 13 of the ras proto-oncogene, and can be used as a positive control for PCR assays of mutation in this codon. Used to due ease of transfection.
H1299
Immortilized p53 negative human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell line derived from the lymph node.
HT1080
A fibrosarcoma cell line derived from tissue taken from a biopsy of a fibrosarcoma in a 35-year-old human male. The cell line carries an IDH1 mutation.
IMR90
Human lung fibroblasts from caucasian female embryo. Karyotype: diploid (2n = 46).
RPE-hTERT
Immortilized human retinal pigmental epithelial (RPE) cell line expressing telomerase. Used as control cell line that properly enters G0 upon
T98G
Human fibroblasts isolated from glioblastoma multiformein 61 year-old caucasian male. Karyotype is hyperpentaploid, with modal chromosome number around 128-132. Noted for ease of transfection and highly efficient synchronization (~80% G1 upon serum deprivation).
BJ-hTERT fibroblasts
human fibroblasts isolated from foreskin of healthy neonatal male, immortilized with hTERT.
Fluorescent Ubiquitination-based Cell Cycle Indicator FUCCI
Based on activities of APC/C and SCF. From anaphase to the next S phase, the APC/C is active, and Azami green-tagged geminin is absent.
The SaOS-2 cell line is an RB negative and p53 negative osteosarcoma cell line often used to analyze pRB's arrest functions. Re-introduction of pRB into these cells causes a G1 arrest, cell cycle withdrawal and cellular senescence, thus providing a sensitive assay for pRB's arrest functions.
U2OS
The U2OS cell line is an RB positive and p53 positive osteosarcoma cell line. This cell line is known to induce higher levels of E2F1 in response to DNA damage. This cancer cell line is unique in that it maintains an in-tact DNA damage response pathway, thus is often used as the cell line of choice when studying E2F1-induced apoptosis in the pRB field.
C33A
RB-1 Deficient cell line derived by N. Auersperg from cervical cancer biopsies. The line exhibited a hypodiploid karyotype initially, and an epithelial morphology. Karyological instability was observed with continued passage. The retinoblastoma protein (pRB) is present but abnormal in size - so non-functional pRB (confirm). For this reason, C33A cell lines are used as an "RB1-deficient" cell line into which RB expression constructs are transfected for various binding and functional assays. Expression of p53 is elevated, and there is a point mutation at codon 273 resulting in a Arg -> Cys substitution. The cells are negative for human papillomavirus (HPV). Re-introduction of pRB into C33A does not cause G1 arrest. Since re-introduced pRB has no effect on proliferative control, this cell line is often used to study pRB-E2 interactions from over-expression constructs, or to study E2F1-induced apoptosis in isolation.
HeLa
An HPV-infected cell line derived from a cervical carcinoma. HeLa cells are considered both pRB- and p53- deficient since the activities of p53 and members of the pRB family are very low. This may be attributed to HPV18 infection of the culture. Ectopic overexpression of either tumor suppressor has been used to study apoptosis in this cell line.
HEK293
Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells (a.k.a. HEK 293 cells) are a cell line originally derived from human embryonic kidney cells grown in tissue culture. The human embryonic kidney cells were obtained from a single aborted healthy fetus, and transformed with sheared adenovirus 5 DNA, of which ~4.5 kilobases from the left arm of the viral genome incorporated into human chromosome 19. HEK 293 cells' karyotype exhibit two or more copies of each chromosome and with a modal chromosome number of 64. They are described as hypotriploid, containing less than three times the number of chromosomes of a normal haploid human cell. Chromosomal abnormalities include a total of three copies of the X chromosome and four copies of chromosome N17 and N22. The presence of multiple X chromosomes and the lack of a Y chromosome suggest that the original fetus was of a baby girl. Use of the cell line is popular since they are extremely easy to work with, being straightforward to culture and to transfect, and so can be used in experiments in which the behavior of the cell itself is not of interest. Typically, these experiments involve transfecting in a gene (or combination of genes) of interest, and then analyzing the expressed protein; essentially, the cell is used simply as a test tube with a membrane.
tl;dr: Embryonic kidney cells immortilized via adenovirus transfection and have hypotriploid karyotype. Used as "test tube" for expression and interaction assays, not to study cellular behaviour.
HCT116
Immortilized human colorectal carcinoma cell line which possesses a mutation in codon 13 of the ras proto-oncogene, and can be used as a positive control for PCR assays of mutation in this codon. Used to due ease of transfection.
H1299
Immortilized p53 negative human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell line derived from the lymph node.
HT1080
A fibrosarcoma cell line derived from tissue taken from a biopsy of a fibrosarcoma in a 35-year-old human male. The cell line carries an IDH1 mutation.
IMR90
Human lung fibroblasts from caucasian female embryo. Karyotype: diploid (2n = 46).
RPE-hTERT
Immortilized human retinal pigmental epithelial (RPE) cell line expressing telomerase. Used as control cell line that properly enters G0 upon
T98G
Human fibroblasts isolated from glioblastoma multiformein 61 year-old caucasian male. Karyotype is hyperpentaploid, with modal chromosome number around 128-132. Noted for ease of transfection and highly efficient synchronization (~80% G1 upon serum deprivation).
BJ-hTERT fibroblasts
human fibroblasts isolated from foreskin of healthy neonatal male, immortilized with hTERT.
Fluorescent Ubiquitination-based Cell Cycle Indicator FUCCI
Based on activities of APC/C and SCF. From anaphase to the next S phase, the APC/C is active, and Azami green-tagged geminin is absent.