Cell Line Authentication Research Articles

The History, Landscape, and Outlook of Human Cell Line Authentication and Security

The History, Landscape, and Outlook of Human Cell Line Authentication and Security

NASTRA: accurate analysis of short tandem repeat markers by nanopore sequencing with repeat-structure-aware algorithm.

Short-tandem repeats (STRs) are the type of genetic markers extensively utilized in biomedical and forensic applications. Due to sequencing noise in nanopore sequencing, accurate analysis methods are lacking. We developed NASTRA, an innovative tool for Nanopore Autosomal Short Tandem Repeat Analysis, which overcomes traditional database-based methods' limitations and provides a precise germline analysis of STR genetic markers without the need for allele sequence reference. Demonstrating high accuracy in cell line authentication testing and paternity testing, NASTRA significantly surpasses existing methods in both speed and accuracy. This advancement makes it a promising solution for rapid cell line authentication and kinship testing, highlighting the potential of nanopore sequencing for in-field applications.

Abstract 3381: Diversifying the breast cancer cell line repository with ACRJ-BC24, ACRJ-BC24α, and ACRJ-BC24β: Novel TNBC cell lines derived from an Afro-Caribbean patient

Abstract Breast cancer is a leading global health burden; however, women of African ancestry are disproportionately affected and have an increased risk of developing more aggressive breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and consequently suffering poorer outcomes. One factor contributing to this cancer disparity is the lack of diverse representation in preclinical models and clinical trials. Cell lines are widely used preclinical models, though of the breast cancer cell lines commercially available, only 8% are derived from women of African ancestry, compared to 90% from women of European ancestry. Thus, diversifying cancer cell lines would better represent the population as a whole and strengthen the translatability of results. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize three novel breast cancer cell lines derived from a woman of African-Caribbean ancestry, ACRJ BC24 parent, ACRJ BC24α, and ACRJ BC24β. Characterization assays included cell line authentication, growth curve analysis, western blots, immunohistochemistry staining, flow cytometry, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), xenografts, and karyotyping. Short tandem repeat profiling confirmed the novelty and human origin of the cell line. WGS confirmed the cell lines to be of 100% African ancestry. The ACRJ-BC24 parent, α, and β lines have been passaged over 70 times in vitro with a doubling time of 70 hours, 133 hours, and 70 hours, respectively. All cell lines were confirmed triple-negative, CD49f+ and EpCAM-, as well as CD44+ and CD24-, suggesting a basal-like subtype. Additionally, all the ACRJ BC24 cell lines expressed vimentin but not E-Cadherin, suggesting a mesenchymal phenotype. Expression of N-cadherin is demonstrated in the parent and α line, but not in the β line, showing varying levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition amongst the lines. Additionally, varying intensity of expression of CD49f was observed between the three ACRJ BC24 lines, further confirming a biological distinction. Cytotoxicity of 10 chemotherapy drugs was assessed against the 3 novel cell lines and established lines (MCF7, T47D, HCC70, and HCC1806). Differential viability was observed among the cell lines as gemcitabine and docetaxel were most potent against ACRJ BC24α with IC50s of 4.6 nM and 10 nM respectively compared to all other cell lines. Our findings confirm the need for increased representation of Black breast cancer cell lines among the preclinical panel for drug screens. The inclusion of these three novel Afro-Caribbean breast cancer cell lines in preclinical models will provide further insight into the current disparities among Black and White breast cancer cell lines. Citation Format: Isabella Allen, Shannique Clarke, Jovanka Ravix, Alex P. Sanchez Covarrubias, Ayodele Omotoso, Derria Cornwall, Sheray N. Chin, Sharon Harrison, Claude-Henry Claude-Henry Volmar, Shannon Saigh, Bilbao Cortes Bilbao Cortes, Elizabeth Smith, Rory Thompson, Camille Ragin, Sophia George, Simone Ann Marie Badal. Diversifying the breast cancer cell line repository with ACRJ-BC24, ACRJ-BC24α, and ACRJ-BC24β: Novel TNBC cell lines derived from an Afro-Caribbean patient [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3381.

Investigation of the mixed origins of the MGC-803 cell line reveals that it is a hybrid cell line derived from HeLa.

Human cancer cell lines have an essential role in cancer research, but only authentic cell lines should be used as biological models. Authentication testing using short tandem repeat (STR) loci has shown that MGC-803 cells, which were reported to come from gastric adenocarcinoma, are similar to HeLa. In this study, we confirmed that the MGC-803 cell line contains genetic material from HeLa, including genetic sequence from human papilloma virus 18 (HPV18). Additional alleles were present on STR analysis that remained stable after extensive passaging and generation of mono-clones. This behavior is consistent with a hybrid cell line arising from cell-cell fusion. Further genetic analysis revealed that MGC-803 originated from donors with different genetic ancestries, one African (HeLa) and the other Asian. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that MGC-803 closely resembles HeLa and another nasopharyngeal-HeLa hybrid cell line CNE-2. Based on these findings, we conclude that MGC-803 is a hybrid cell line derived from HeLa and other cells, the latter derived from a different patient with Asian genetic ancestry.

Short tandem repeat profiling via next-generation sequencing for cell line authentication.

Cell lines are indispensable models for modern biomedical research. A large part of their usefulness derives from the ability of a cell line to proliferate over multiple passages (often indefinitely), allowing multiple experiments to be performed. However, over time, cell line identity and purity can be compromised by human errors. Cross-contamination from other cell lines and complete misidentification are both possible. Routine cell line authentication is a necessary preventive measure and has become a requirement for many funding applications and publications. Short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is the most common method for cell line authentication and is usually carried out using standard polymerase chain reaction-capillary electrophoresis analysis (STR-CE). Here, we evaluated next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based STR profiling of human and mouse cell lines at 18 and 15 loci, respectively, in a high-throughput format. Using the Python program STRight, we demonstrate that NGS-based analysis (STR-NGS) is superior to standard STR-CE in terms of the ability to report the sequence context of repeat motifs, sensitivity and flexible multiplexing capability. STR-NGS is thus a valuable alternative for cell line authentication.

A Case Study from the Past: "The RGC-5 vs. the 661W Cell Line: Similarities, Differences and Contradictions-Are They Really the Same?"

In the pursuit of identifying the underlying pathways of ocular diseases, the use of cell lines such as (retinal ganglion cell-5) RGC-5 and 661W became a valuable tool, including pathologies like retinal degeneration and glaucoma. In 2001, the establishment of the RGC-5 cell line marked a significant breakthrough in glaucoma research. Over time, however, concerns arose about the true nature of RGC-5 cells, with conflicting findings in the literature regarding their identity as retinal ganglion cells or photoreceptor-like cells. This study aimed to address the controversy surrounding the RGC-5 cell line's origin and properties by comparing it with the 661W cell line, a known cone photoreceptor model. Both cell lines were differentiated according to two prior published redifferentiation protocols under the same conditions using 500 nM of trichostatin A (TSA) and investigated for their morphological and neuronal marker properties. The results demonstrated that both cell lines are murine, and they exhibited distinct morphological and neuronal marker properties. Notably, the RGC-5 cells showed higher expression of the neuronal marker β-III tubulin and increased Thy-1-mRNA compared with the 661W cells, providing evidence of their different properties. The findings emphasize the importance of verifying the authenticity of cell lines used in ocular research and highlight the risks of contamination and altered cell properties.

Novel neoantigen peptides and tumor regression in the MC38 colorectal cancer model.

28 Background: Neoantigen vaccine is an emerging modality to treat cancer by unleashing cytotoxic T cells against tumor-specific mutant antigens. Neoantigens are de-novo changes in tumor cells and are hence more immunogenic and less susceptible to off-target toxicities. In building our own pipeline for neoantigen discovery, we used the mouse colon adenocarcinoma cell line MC38 as a validation model. Methods: We sequenced MC38 cells by whole exome and RNA sequencing to shortlist variants. Candidates were confirmed by sanger sequencing, then analyzed for binding affinity to MHC class I H2-Kb and H2-Db. We selected top 10 epitopes for facile modification to maximize immunogenicity by taking into account peptide characteristics, such as hydrophobicity. In-vivo immunogenicity was tested by subcutaneous injections of pooled peptides in C57BL/6J mice. Amongst the 10 peptides tested, we picked five that elicited greatest IFNγ secretion in re-stimulated splenocytes. Predicted binding affinity did not correlate with in-vivo immunogenicity. We inoculated MC38 cells into the left flank of C57BL/6J mice and started treatment four days later. Mice were injected twice weekly with PBS (group 1), CpG only (group 2), anti-PDL1 only (group 3), Peptide pool + CpG (group 4) and Peptide pool + CpG + anti-PDL1 (group 5) (n=8 per group). CpG ODN 1826 is a TLR9 agonist and acts as an adjuvant, while anti-PDL1 is an immune checkpoint inhibitor. We monitored tumor size, animal weights and food intake every 2-3 days. Results: In control group 1, tumor size exponentially increased by 36 folds on the 18th day of treatment. Groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 saw 16, 13, 8 and 5-fold increases in tumor size respectively, 21 days post-treatment. No tumors were found in 3/7 mice in group 5 upon sacrifice, suggesting tumor regression. Tumor control in groups 4 and 5 corroborated with significant IFNγ secretion from neoantigen re-stimulated splenocytes. We observed 38-45 fold expansion in the number of CD8+ KLRG1+ short-lived effector cells and significant increase in PD-1+ TIM3+ exhausted T cells in group 4 and 5 relative to control. Reps1 and Adpgk neoantigen peptides are widely reported and used in MC38 syngenic model. However, they were not included because both were undetected by sequencing. Cell line authentication by STR profiling confirmed that our cells matched that of MC38 from Kerafast. Conclusions: Using an in-house pipeline, we derived a set of novel neoantigen peptides that robustly controlled tumor growth in the MC38 tumor challenge model. In-silico binding predictions did not correlate with in-vivo patterns of IFNγ secretion. In-vivo tests for IFNγ induction after peptide vaccination is a better measure for potential in tumor control. Upregulation of T-cell exhaustion markers after peptide vaccination explains the improved response with anti-PDL1. Reps1 and Adpgk mutations were absent in our cells, which calls caution to researchers conducting similar research.

Molecular characterization and genetic authentication assay for Anopheles ‘hemocyte-like’ cell lines 4a-3A and 4a-3B

BackgroundAnopheles cell lines are used in a variety of ways to better understand the major vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this, commonly used cell lines are not well characterized, and no tools are available for cell line identification and authentication.MethodsUtilizing whole genome sequencing, genomes of 4a-3A and 4a-3B ‘hemocyte-like’ cell lines were characterized for insertions and deletions (indels) and SNP variation. Genomic locations of distinguishing sequence variation and species origin of the cell lines were also examined. Unique indels were targeted to develop a PCR-based cell line authentication assay. Mitotic chromosomes were examined to survey the cytogenetic landscape for chromosome structure and copy number in the cell lines.ResultsThe 4a-3A and 4a-3B cell lines are female in origin and primarily of Anopheles coluzzii ancestry. Cytogenetic analysis indicates that the two cell lines are essentially diploid, with some relatively minor chromosome structural rearrangements. Whole-genome sequence was generated, and analysis indicated that SNPs and indels which differentiate the cell lines are clustered on the 2R chromosome in the regions of the 2Rb, 2Rc and 2Ru chromosomal inversions. A PCR-based authentication assay was developed to fingerprint three indels unique to each cell line. The assay distinguishes between 4a-3A and 4a-3B cells and also uniquely identifies two additional An. coluzzii cell lines tested, Ag55 and Sua4.0. The assay has the specificity to distinguish four cell lines and also has the sensitivity to detect cellular contamination within a sample of cultured cells.ConclusionsGenomic characterization of the 4a-3A and 4a-3B Anopheles cell lines was used to develop a simple diagnostic assay that can distinguish these cell lines within and across research laboratories. A cytogenetic survey indicated that the 4a-3A and Sua4.0 cell lines carry essentially normal diploid chromosomes, which makes them amenable to CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. The presented simple authentication assay, coupled with screening for mycoplasma, will allow validation of the integrity of experimental resources and will promote greater experimental reproducibility of results.Graphical abstract

Derivation of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma cell line HS-1 as a patient-derived tumor organoid.

Acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) of the pancreas is a malignant tumor of the exocrine cell lineage with a poor prognosis. Due to its rare incidence and technical difficulties, few authentic human cell lines are currently available, hampering detailed investigations of ACC. Therefore, we applied the organoid culture technique to various types of specimens, such as bile, biopsy, and resected tumor, obtained from a single ACC patient. Despite the initial propagation, none of these organoids achieved long-term proliferation or tolerated cryopreservation, confirming the challenging nature of establishing ACC cell lines. Nevertheless, the biopsy-derived early passage organoid developed subcutaneous tumors in immunodeficient mice. The xenograft tumor histologically resembled the original tumor and gave rise to infinitely propagating organoids with solid features and high levels of trypsin secretion. Moreover, the organoid stained positive for carboxylic ester hydrolase, a specific ACC marker, but negative for the duct cell marker CD133 and the endocrine lineage marker synaptophysin. Hence, we concluded the derivation of a novel ACC cell line of the pure exocrine lineage, designated HS-1. Genomic analysis revealed extensive copy number alterations and mutations in EP400 in the original tumor, which were enriched in primary organoids. HS-1 displayed homozygous deletion of CDKN2A, which might underlie xenograft formation from organoids. Although resistant to standard cytotoxic agents, the cell line was highly sensitive to the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, as revealed by an in vitro drug screen and in vivo validation. In summary, we document a novel ACC cell line, which could be useful for ACC studies in the future.

Rat Hepatic Stellate Cell Line CFSC-2G: Genetic Markers and Short Tandem Repeat Profile Useful for Cell Line Authentication.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are also known as lipocytes, fat-storing cells, perisinusoidal cells, or Ito cells. These liver-specific mesenchymal cells represent about 5% to 8% of all liver cells, playing a key role in maintaining the microenvironment of the hepatic sinusoid. Upon chronic liver injury or in primary culture, these cells become activated and transdifferentiate into a contractile phenotype, i.e., the myofibroblast, capable of producing and secreting large quantities of extracellular matrix compounds. Based on their central role in the initiation and progression of chronic liver diseases, cultured HSCs are valuable in vitro tools to study molecular and cellular aspects of liver diseases. However, the isolation of these cells requires special equipment, trained personnel, and in some cases needs approval from respective authorities. To overcome these limitations, several immortalized HSC lines were established. One of these cell lines is CFSC, which was originally established from cirrhotic rat livers induced by carbon tetrachloride. First introduced in 1991, this cell line and derivatives thereof (i.e., CFSC-2G, CFSC-3H, CFSC-5H, and CFSC-8B) are now used in many laboratories as an established in vitro HSC model. We here describe molecular features that are suitable for cell authentication. Importantly, chromosome banding and multicolor spectral karyotyping (SKY) analysis demonstrate that the CFSC-2G genome has accumulated extensive chromosome rearrangements and most chromosomes exist in multiple copies producing a pseudo-triploid karyotype. Furthermore, our study documents a defined short tandem repeat (STR) profile including 31 species-specific markers, and a list of genes expressed in CFSC-2G established by bulk mRNA next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Multiplex short tandem repeat profiling of immortalized hepatic stellate cell line Col-GFP HSC.

Misidentification, cross-contamination and genetic drift of continuous animal cell lines are persistent problems in biomedical research, leading to erroneous results and inconsistent or invalidated studies. The establishment of immortalized hepatic stellate cell line Col-GFP HSC was reported in PLoS One in the year 2013. In the present study a multi loci short tandem repeat signature for this cell line was established that allows for unique cell line authentication.

Using short tandem repeat profiling to validate cell lines in biobanks

Aim. To approve the COrDIS kit (Gordiz, Russia) for the authenticity of cell lines from the Bioresource Collection of the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology by the short tandem repeat (STR) profiling.Material and methods. The chosen method proved to be a reliable and reproducible option. With this approach, a number of polymorphic STR loci are amplified using commercially available primer sets. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products are analyzed simultaneously with size standards using automated fluorescent detection methods. The results are presented as a simple number code corresponding to the lengths of the PCR products amplified at each locus. By applying this method to cell lines, the laboratory can both authenticate commercial cell lines and build a database of their lines. In the work, we used the COrDIS EXPERT 26 kit (Gordiz, Russia), validated for molecular genetic identification of personality based on multiplex PCR analysis of 26 highly polymorphic loci of human genomic deoxyribonucleic acid. PCR results were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis using an automatic genetic analyzer with laser-induced fluorescence detection (Applied Biosystems 3500xL).Results. When testing the method, profiling of 37 cell lines was carried out, of which 18 were announced in international databases and 19 were unique, obtained at the N. N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, as well as a cell line mixture in order to determine the limits of contamination detection. The obtained results showed the correspondence of commercial cell lines with the data in international databases. Within the framework of this work, profiles of unique lines were obtained and the foundation of own genetic database was laid. Studies to identify the limit of contamination detection by another line have shown that even 4% of the contaminant culture in the total pool can be used to identify its individual alleles.Conclusion. The results obtained indicate the possibility of using the method to identify samples of the collection and detect intraspecific contamination.

Genetic Characterization of Rat Hepatic Stellate Cell Line HSC-T6 for In Vitro Cell Line Authentication.

Immortalized hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) established from mouse, rat, and humans are valuable in vitro models for the biomedical investigation of liver biology. These cell lines are homogenous, thereby providing consistent and reproducible results. They grow more robustly than primary HSCs and provide an unlimited supply of proteins or nucleic acids for biochemical studies. Moreover, they can overcome ethical concerns associated with the use of animal and human tissue and allow for fostering of the 3R principle of replacement, reduction, and refinement proposed in 1959 by William M. S. Russell and Rex L. Burch. Nevertheless, working with continuous cell lines also has some disadvantages. In particular, there are ample examples in which genetic drift and cell misidentification has led to invalid data. Therefore, many journals and granting agencies now recommend proper cell line authentication. We herein describe the genetic characterization of the rat HSC line HSC-T6, which was introduced as a new in vitro model for the study of retinoid metabolism. The consensus chromosome markers, outlined primarily through multicolor spectral karyotyping (SKY), demonstrate that apart from the large derivative chromosome 1 (RNO1), at least two additional chromosomes (RNO4 and RNO7) are found to be in three copies in all metaphases. Additionally, we have defined a short tandem repeat (STR) profile for HSC-T6, including 31 species-specific markers. The typical features of these cells have been further determined by electron microscopy, Western blotting, and Rhodamine-Phalloidin staining. Finally, we have analyzed the transcriptome of HSC-T6 cells by mRNA sequencing (mRNA-Seq) using next generation sequencing (NGS).

An automated cell line authentication method for AstraZeneca global cell bank using deep neural networks on brightfield images

Cell line authentication is important in the biomedical field to ensure that researchers are not working with misidentified cells. Short tandem repeat is the gold standard method, but has its own limitations, including being expensive and time-consuming. Deep neural networks achieve great success in the analysis of cellular images in a cost-effective way. However, because of the lack of centralized available datasets, whether or not cell line authentication can be replaced or supported by cell image classification is still a question. Moreover, the relationship between the incubation times and cellular images has not been explored in previous studies. In this study, we automated the process of the cell line authentication by using deep learning analysis of brightfield cell line images. We proposed a novel multi-task framework to identify cell lines from cell images and predict the duration of how long cell lines have been incubated simultaneously. Using thirty cell lines’ data from the AstraZeneca Cell Bank, we demonstrated that our proposed method can accurately identify cell lines from brightfield images with a 99.8% accuracy and predicts the incubation durations for cell images with the coefficient of determination score of 0.927. Considering that new cell lines are continually added to the AstraZeneca Cell Bank, we integrated the transfer learning technique with the proposed system to deal with data from new cell lines not included in the pre-trained model. Our method achieved excellent performance with a precision of 97.7% and recall of 95.8% in the detection of 14 new cell lines. These results demonstrated that our proposed framework can effectively identify cell lines using brightfield images.

Chemical alternative for cell identification and cross-contamination detection.

Misidentification of human cell lines has previously led to confusing results during cell culture experiments. Although several enzymatic as well as molecular analysis approaches have been developed for cell-line authentication, these methods remain costly. In the present paper, we describe a simple chemical alternative based on known compound cell cytotoxicity. In addition to cisplatin, a pool of eight tamoxifen derivative compounds was used to compare the cytotoxic effects on three different breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7, T47D and MDA-MB-231. Our results show that four out of the eight cytotoxic-related compounds allowed to distinguish the different cell lines based on their IC50 (the half maximal inhibitory concentration) values which are cell type dependent. The remaining chemicals, particularly the most cytotoxic P15, showed close IC50 values for all the cell lines. Interestingly, flow cytometry experiments have identified notable differences among the three cell lines treated with P15. T47D and MDA-MB231 cells were blocked in SubG1 phase and S phase, respectively, while no significant change in cell cycle profile was noticed for MCF-7 cells. Differences were also noted at the level of caspase-3 activity and cell proliferation in P15-treated cells.

Role and relevance of fish cell lines in advanced in vitro research.

IntroductionCell line derived from fish has been established as a promising tool for studying many key issues of aquaculture covering fish growth, disease, reproduction, genetics, and biotechnology. In addition, fish cell lines are very useful in vitro models for toxicological, pathological, and immunological studies. The easier maintenance of fish cell lines in flexible temperature regimes and hypoxic conditions make them preferable in vitro tools over mammalian cell lines. Great excitement has been observed in establishing and characterizing new fish cell lines representing diverse fish species and tissue types. The well-characterized and authenticated cell lines are of utmost essential as these represent cellular functions very similar to in vivo state of an organism otherwise it would affect the reproducibility of scientific research.ConclusionThe fish cell lines have exhibited encouraging results in several key aspects of in vitro research in aquaculture including virology, nutrition and metabolism, production of vaccines, and transgenic fish production. The review paper reports the cell lines developed from fish, their characterization, and biobanking along with their potential applications and challenges in in vitro research.

Overview of the Maintenance of Authentic Cancer Cell Lines.

The proper maintenance of cancer cell lines is critical to maintain the integrity of any experiment. Proper maintenance includes handling of cell lines and maintaining records on usage and confirmation of identity. Cross-contamination of cancer cell lines has been well documented by the ATCC and must be avoided at all costs. In addition, contamination by Mycoplasma sp. is a well-known issue, which, if left unchecked, can affect all data collected as this contamination can affect cell line metabolism and has uncharacterized effects. Considerations and specific recommendations for the proper maintenance of cancer cell lines are presented here.

تقييم السمات الوراثية لخطوط الخلايا البشرية المعالجة بالأدوية باستخدام معلِّمات سمات الحمض النووي الجنائي

Cell line authentication using Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) is necessary to ensure the integrity of the cell for its continuous culture and to identify misidentification and cross-contamination issues. This study investigates the changes in the genetic profile of MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines caused by the methanolic leaf extract of Anastatica hierochuntica (AH) using human identification based STR markers. MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines were treated with various concentrations of AH extracts for three different periods. The treated and control cells' DNA was extracted using a QIAamp® DNA Micro Kit, quantified using a Quantifiler Duo DNA Quantification Kit, and amplified using an AmpFlSTR Identifiler plus PCR Amplification Kit. The concentrations of the DNA extracted from control and MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines treated with AH extract at 300 to 2400 µg/ml for 24hr and 150 to 2400 µg/ml for 48 and 72hrs were statistically significant (p<0.05). Microsatellite instability (MSI), loss of heterozygosity (LOH), insertion/deletions changes in the STRs profile were observed in treated cell lines at 1200 and 2400 µg/ml in MCF-7 cells for 48 and 72hrs and HepG2 cells for 24, 48, and 72hrs. We conclude that the highest concentration of AH extracts affected the genotype of the cell lines leading to misidentification. Therefore, cell line authentication by forensic DNA analysis techniques plays a decisive role for cells tested with a high concentration of chemical compounds and gives the forensic investigator an insight into these changes in the STR genotype of a victim/suspect who has been been under long term chemotherapeutic treatment.

Best Practices for Authentication of Cell Lines to Ensure Data Reproducibility and Integrity.

Cell line misidentification and contamination are major contributors to the reproducibility crisis in academic research. Authentication of cell lines provides assurances of the data generated; however, commercially available cells are often not subjected to rigorous identification testing. In this study, commercially available cell lines underwent testing to confirm cell identity and purity. The methods reported here outline the best practices for cell line authentication. Briefly, a commercially available primary rabbit aortic endothelial cell line was purchased for the intent of producing target proteins necessary for generating species-specific recombinant antibodies. These rabbit-specific antibodies would then be utilized for the development of in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to evaluate blood-based biomarkers of vascular injury after total-body irradiation. To authenticate the cell line, cell identity and purity were determined by single tandem repeat (STR) testing, flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) DNA Barcoding in-house and/or through commercial vendors. Fresh cells obtained from a New Zealand White rabbit (Charles River, Wilmington, DE) were used as a positive control. The results of STR and flow cytometry analyses indicated the cells were not contaminated with human or mouse cells, and that the cells were not of endothelial origin. PCR demonstrated that cells were also not of rabbit origin, which was further confirmed by a third-party vendor. An unopened vial of cells was submitted to another vendor for CO1 DNA Barcoding analysis, which identified the cells as being purely of bovine origin. Results revealed that despite purchase through a commercial vendor, the cell line marketed as primary rabbit aortic endothelial cells were of bovine origin. Purity analysis found cells were misidentified rather than contaminated. Further investigation to determine the cell type was not performed. The most cost-effective and efficient methodology for confirming cell line identity was found to be CO1 DNA Barcoding performed by a commercial vendor.

A novel transposable element-based authentication protocol for Drosophila cell lines.

Drosophila cell lines are used by researchers to investigate various cell biological phenomena. It is crucial to exercise good cell culture practice. Poor handling can lead to both inter- and intra-species cross-contamination. Prolonged culturing can lead to introduction of large- and small-scale genomic changes. These factors, therefore, make it imperative that methods to authenticate Drosophila cell lines are developed to ensure reproducibility. Mammalian cell line authentication is reliant on short tandem repeat (STR) profiling; however, the relatively low STR mutation rate in Drosophila melanogaster at the individual level is likely to preclude the value of this technique. In contrast, transposable elements (TEs) are highly polymorphic among individual flies and abundant in Drosophila cell lines. Therefore, we investigated the utility of TE insertions as markers to discriminate Drosophila cell lines derived from the same or different donor genotypes, divergent sub-lines of the same cell line, and from other insect cell lines. We developed a PCR-based next-generation sequencing protocol to cluster cell lines based on the genome-wide distribution of a limited number of diagnostic TE families. We determined the distribution of five TE families in S2R+, S2-DRSC, S2-DGRC, Kc167, ML-DmBG3-c2, mbn2, CME W1 Cl.8+, and ovarian somatic sheath Drosophila cell lines. Two independent downstream analyses of the next-generation sequencing data yielded similar clustering of these cell lines. Double-blind testing of the protocol reliably identified various Drosophila cell lines. In addition, our data indicate minimal changes with respect to the genome-wide distribution of these five TE families when cells are passaged for at least 50 times. The protocol developed can accurately identify and distinguish the numerous Drosophila cell lines available to the research community, thereby aiding reproducible Drosophila cell culture research.