Bioluminescence imaging of leukemia cell lines in vitro and in mouse xenografts: effects of monoclonal and polyclonal cell populations on intensity and kinetics of photon emission.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the utility of bioluminescence imaging (BLI) using firefly luciferase in monoclonal and polyclonal populations of leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo.


METHODS
Monoclonal and polyclonal human lymphoid and myeloid leukemia cell lines transduced with firefly luciferase were used for BLI.


RESULTS
Kinetics and dynamics of bioluminescence signal were cell line dependent. Luciferase expression decreased significantly over time in polyclonal leukemia cells in vitro. Transplantation of polyclonal luciferase-tagged cells in mice resulted in inconsistent signal intensity. After selection of monoclonal cell populations, luciferase activity was stable, equal kinetic and dynamic of bioluminescence intensity and strong correlation between cell number and light emission in vitro were observed. We obtained an equal development of leukemia burden detected by luciferase activity in NOD-scid-gamma mice after transplantation of monoclonal populations.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of monoclonal leukemia cells selected for stable and equal luciferase activity is recommended for experiments in vitro and xenograft mouse models. The findings are highly significant for bioluminescence imaging focused on pre-clinical drug development.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Sandra
S
Christoph
Jennifer
J
Schlegel
Francesca
F
Alvarez-Calderon
Yong-Mi
YM
Kim
Luis N
LN
Brandao
Deborah
D
DeRyckere
Douglas K
DK
Graham
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D053631:Interleukin Receptor Common gamma Subunit / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly / Q000378:metabolism*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D017785:Photons; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
C507942:Il2rg protein, mouse; D053631:Interleukin Receptor Common gamma Subunit; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly