A line of non-tumorigenic mouse melanocytes, syngeneic with the B16 melanoma and requiring a tumour promoter for growth.
An immortal line of pigmented melanocytes, "melan-a", has been derived from normal epidermal melanoblasts from embryos of inbred C57BL mice. The conditions favouring proliferation of these cells largely resemble those for normal, non-established mouse melanoblasts and melanocytes, and include a low extracellular pH and the presence of a tumour promoter, tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) or teleocidin. Melan-a cells have the diploid chromosome number and do not form tumours in syngeneic or nude mice. They are therefore the first known line of non-tumorigenic mouse melanocytes, although an aneuploid melanocyte line of untested tumorigenicity has been reported (Sato et al., 1985). Melan-a cells are syngeneic with the B16 melanoma and its sublines, and provide an excellent parallel non-tumorigenic line for studies of the cellular and molecular basis of melanoma malignancy.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008235:Lyngbya Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*
D008235:Lyngbya Toxins; C022176:teleocidins; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate