Establishment and characterization of a cell line from the American opossum (Didelphys virginiana).
A permanent tissue-cultured cell line (designated OK) has been established from kidney tissue of an adult American opossum. The OK line has been characterized with respect to morphology, chromosome constitution, tissue-culture requirements, and attainable mitotic arrest. The cells are epithelial-like with a stable nondiploid chromosomal modal number of 23. Cells grown in Eagle's minimal essential medium with 10% fetal bovine serum have a mean doubling time of 18 hr. The cell line OK is potentially useful for the isolation and purification of the mammalian X chromosome because of the size differential between the smaller X's and the larger autosomes.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000032:analysis; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003470:Culture Media; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D007621:Karyotyping; D007668:Kidney; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects; D009893:Opossums; D014960:X Chromosome
D003470:Culture Media; D003078:Colchicine