Quantitative evaluation of the murine B16 melanoma tumor model after gene marking with an EGFP/Neo expressing retroviral vector.
Reliable evaluation of tumor growth in animal models depends upon accurate identification of all malignant cells in affected organs. An ideal tumor cell label is non-toxic, labels the cells in a population uniformly and does not affect their biological behavior. A good candidate for such a cell label is enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP). However, the stability of EGFP expression and the characteristics of EGFP-marked tumors cells in vivo have not yet been elucidated in detail. We here report that a B16 murine melanoma subline stably transduced with an EGFP/Neo encoding retroviral vector display the same growth patterns in vitro and in vivo as the parental cell line. Furthermore, the transduced cells were found to maintain the level of EGFP expression in vivo for at least 15 days. Thus, B16 malignant melanoma cells stably transduced with the gene for EGFP seem well suited for studies on tumor growth in mouse models.
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Aarhus, Bartholin Building, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. bdhansen@immunology.au.dk
Bettina Dencker
BD
Hansen
Mogens
M
Duch
Peter
P
Hokland
Finn Skou
FS
Pedersen
Marianne
M
Hokland
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D005819:Genetic Markers; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008543:Melanins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins