Last updated: 5/16/16 By: Tim Starr
This protocol describes in general how to culture, freeze, and thaw cells. Each cell line will be somewhat different, and line-specific procedures should generally be followed. An excellent source for cell culture is the American Type Cell Collection website (ATCC) which has detailed information on many cell lines.
Thawing cells, Culturing cells, Cell culture plate dimensions and numbers, Treating cells with antibiotics, Passaging cells, Freezing cells, Specialized instructions for specific cell types (HCECs, HBECs, Lung Cancer Lines, Jaws II DCs, JM8.A (Agouti) ES Cell Clones from KOMP, YAMC-IMCE, T84 CRC cells).
Notes
Notes
These cells were given to us by Jerry Shay of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The paper describing these cells is Roig, et al., Gastroenterology, 2010. Basically, they transfected epithelial cells from routine colonoscopies with CDK4 and hTERT to immortalize the cells. The cells express mesenchymal markers VIM and ACTA2 when growing. Upon arrest, they form a cuboidal shape and express KRT18, TJP1, MUC1, MUC2, GPA33, and the stem cell markers LGR5, BMI1, CD29, and CD44. In matrigel they will form cyst-like structures.
Culture cells in primaria flasks or plates, they do not do well on standard tissue culture plates. Roig et al., uses Cosmic Calf Serum, but they think FBS works as well. Freezing media is 90% fetal or cosmic calf serum and 10% DMSO. Normally fill a T25 flask with 5 ml of media. Seed cells at a 2e5 to 3e5 cells per 10 cm plate, which will grow to confluency in 4-5 days.
HCEC media:
Preparation of stock solutions:
We currently have the following cell lines: H2030, H2009, H522, A549, H838, and HBEC. The five cancer cell lines are available from ATCC. The HBEC line was created in the lab of John Minna (Ramirez et al., Cancer Research, 2004), and they were created by expressing hTERT and CDK4 in normal human bronchial epithelial cells.
Split cells 1:2 or 1:3 when they are 80% confluent. HBEC cells do not grow well if they are allowed to grow to confluency
Media for H2030, H2009, H522 and A549. (Freezing media = 95% calf serum, 5% DMSO)
Media for H838. (Freezing media = 95% calf serum, 5% DMSO)
Media for HBEC. (Freezing media 80% K-SFM, 10% calf serum, 10% DMSO).
Note: Keratinocyte serum-free medium comes with two supplements, Bovine Pituitary Extract and recombinant human EGF. Add the entire contents of both of these supplements to the media.
Background: These cells are used by KOMP to generate knockout ES cells. JM8.A sub-lines are derived from the JM8 parental line and is considered feeder independent. These cells are derived from C57BL/6N mice and the Agouti allele has been modified to correct the black mutation. Mice derived from these cells will have Agouti coat color and are heterozygous for the Agouti allele (A/a). Note: Laura Green at UM MGL says they grow very well with feeder cells. Prepare media, trypsin and gelatin ahead of time.
Media for JM8.A (Agouti) ES cell lines.
Note:
ES Cell Trypsin recipe
Notes:
Gelatin recipe (500 ml of 0.1% gelatin)
Notes:
Microinejection Medium recipe
Freezing media recipe (2X solution 10 ml)
Freezing JM8.A ES cell clones
Thawing and culturing JM8.A ES cell clones
Expansion of JM8.A ES Cell Clones for Microinjection and Future Use
Overview
These cells were generated by Robert Whitehead using the immorto-mouse (Whitehead, PNAS 1993). Newer versions of these cells are further described in Whitehead, AJPGLP, 2009. These cells are conditionally immortalized using a temperature sensitive SV40 allele. The cells are immortal only at the permissive temperature of 33ºC, and they will die at 37ºC in the absence of IFN-gamma due to inactivation of the SV40 allele. The mouse IFN-gamma will stimulate expression of the SV40 allele. To prove that transformation has not occurred, plate cells in 24 well plates at 5e4 per ml in media without added IFN-gamma and culture at 37ºC. The majority of cells should senesce within 3-5 days and they should all die by ~7 days.
A confluent 10 cm plate will contain between 10-15 million cells. Puromycin will kill YAMC at a concentration of 4 µg/ml in general.
Passaging YAMC-IMCE cells
Rinse cells in sterile PBS. Apply 1 ml Trypsin/EDTA and incubate 5 minutes at 33ºc. Add 9 ml RPMI-1640, count cells, spin, ressuspend in YAMC media and plate. Generally split ~1:2 or 1:3.
YAMC Media
Filter sterilize
Freezing Media (20 ml)
Add 4 ml FCS and 2 ml DMSO to 15 ml RPMI-1640.
Overview
The T84 cell line is a transplantable human carcinoma cell line derived from a lung metastasis of a colon carcinoma from a 72-year old male. For more information refer to the ATCC web page http://www.atcc.org/products/all/CCL-248.aspx
Passaging T84 cells
Rinse cells in sterile PBS. Apply 1 ml Trypsin/EDTA and incubate 5 minutes at 37ºc. Add 9 ml DMEM, rinse and transfer to 15 ml conical, count cells, spin 1500 rpm 5 minutes, ressuspend in T84 media and plate. Generally split ~1:5 or 1:10.
T84 Media
Filter sterilize
Freezing Media (10 ml)
Add 5 ml FCS and 1 ml DMSO to 4 ml T84 media.