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Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology EN009G-399 July 6, 2001 20:4

Mammalian Cell Culture

Bryan Griffiths Florian Wurm
SC&P Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

I. Introduction
II. The Cell
III. The Culture System
IV. The Culture Production Process
V. Cell Products
VI. Applications of Cell Culture
VII. Conclusion

GLOSSARY Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) An enzyme that re-
duces dihydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate.
Amplification The generation of multiple copies of one Immortalization The attainment by a finite cell culture
or more genes in a cell or nucleus. of the attributes of a continuous cell line.
Anchorage-dependent cell (ADC) Cells that will grow, Methotrexate A folic acid antagonist that binds to, and
or survive, only when attached to a surface (e.g., glass inhibits, DHFR (see above).
or plastic). Recombinant protein A protein produced in a cell
Calcium-phosphate/DNA co-precipitation The most that has been genetically engineered (e.g., by trans-
popular method for the preparation of DNA that is to fection).
be transfected into mammalian cells. Subculture (=passage) The transfer of cells, with or
Cell hybridization The fusion of two or more dissimilar without dilution, from one culture vessel to another.
cells leading to the formation of a synkaryon (hybrid Suspension cell Cells, that either singly or in aggregates
with fused nuclei from original cells). multiply while suspended in liquid medium.
Cell line A cell line arises from a primary culture at the Transfection The transfer of naked DNA into cells in
time of the first successful subculture and implies that culture.
cultures consist of cell lineages originally present in Transformation An inheritable change to cells in cul-
the primary culture. ture, either intrinsically or by treatment with carcino-
Clone A population of cells derived from a single cell by gens, oncogenic viruses, irradiation, or transfection
mitosis. with oncogenes, leading to the acquisition of altered
Continuous cell culture A culture apparantly capable of properties (e.g., neoplatic, proliferative, antigenic).
an unlimited number of population doublings (often Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) Plasminogen acti-
referred to as immortal ). vators catalyze the conversion of plasminogen to the

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