title: Suspension culture of HeLa cells in protein-free medium: sensitivity to human pathogenic viruses.
abstract: Human adherent HeLa-PF cells grown for 5 years in a protein-free 1:1 nutrient mixture of Dulbecco's modified MEM and Ham's F12 (DMEM-F12) were established in suspension culture. The cells grew in protein-free DMEM-F12 (using magnetically stirred flasks) as a monodisperse suspension with a population doubling time of 28 h. The cells were infected with poliovirus types 2 and 3, herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), echovirus 6 and adenoviruses 3 and 7. Polioviruses replicated in suspension culture of HeLa-PF cells to a similar extent as in protein-free and serum-supplemented adherent cultures. RSV and HSV developed significantly lower titers while adenoviruses and echovirus 6 developed significantly higher titers in suspension than in adherent cultures. The results show that suspension culture of HeLa-PF may both provide the advantage of a high virus yield and enable cultivation of viruses which are not contaminated by serum or other proteins usually added to the culture medium.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Hygiene, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cinatl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cinatl
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wichelhaus
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rabenau
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Gümbel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kornhuber
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Doerr
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002455:Cell Division; D003470:Culture Media; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000379:methods*; D014780:Viruses / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media