Cat. No. EC09063001
U-251 MG (Brain, Human)
Culture Medium：
EMEM (EBSS) + 2mM Glutamine + 1% Non Essential Amino Acids (NEAA) + 1mM Sodium
Pyruvate (NaP) + 10% Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS).
Cell Line description：
Derived from a malignant glioblastoma tumour by explant technique. U-251 was formerly
distributed as U-373 MG (ECACC catalogue number 89081403) until short tandem repeat
(STR)-PCR profiling confirmed identity with U-251. A new deposit of U-373 MG known as
U-373 MG (Uppsala) is now available (ECACC catalogue number 08061901).
Background to the identity query for the cell line U-373 MG: The American Type Culture
Collection (ATCC) reported that their stock of U-373 MG had been shown to have differing
genetic properties to stock from the originator’s laboratory, and to share similarities with
another glioblastoma cell line, U-251. In light of this, ECACC undertook an investigation
into the authenticity of its own stock of the U-373 MG cell line. ECACC found similar results
to the ATCC i.e. the stock held as U-373 MG was found to be identical by STR-PCR profiling
to U-251. The U-373 MG cell line listed under catalogue number 89081403 has been
re-named as ‘U-251 (formerly known as U-373 MG)’ and has the new ECACC catalogue
number 09063001.
DESCRIPTION OF REPOSITORY PEFERENCE SEED STOCK
Morphology：Pleomorphic/astrocytoid
Growth Mode：Adherent
Sub Culture Routine：Split sub-confluent cultures (70-80%) 1:3 to 1:6 i.e. seeding at 2-4x10,000
cells/cm² using 0.25% trypsin or trypsin/EDTA; 5% CO2; 37°C.
DNA Profile: STR-PCR Data:
Amelogenin: X,Y
CSF1PO: 11,12
D13S317: 10,11
D16S539: 12
D5S818: 11,12
D7S820: 10,12
THO1: 9.3
TPOX: 8
vWA: 16,18
Karyotype：2n = 46
Products：Contains GFAP positive cells
Recertors：PDGFR alpha and EGFR. See Nistér M. et al., (1988) & (1991)
Depositor：Professor Bengt Westermark, Department of Genetics and Pathology, University
Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
Country：Sweden
References：Pontén, J., Macintyre, E. H. (1968) Long term culture of normal and neoplastic
human glia. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 74, 465-486 PMID: 4313504.
Westermark B. et al., (1973) Determinants for the establishment of permanent tissue culture
lines from human gliomas. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 81:791-805. PMID: 4359449.
Pontén, J. & Westermark B. (1978) Properties of Human Malignant Glioma Cells in Vitro.
Medical biology 56: 184-193 PMID: 359950.
Nistér M. et al., (1988) Expression of messenger RNAs for platelet-derived growth factor and
transforming growth factor-alpha and their receptors in human malignant glioma cell lines.
Cancer Res. Jul 15; 48(14):3910-8 PMID: 2454731.
Nistér M. et al., (1991) Differential expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptors in
human malignant glioma cell lines. J Biol Chem. Sep 5; 266(25):16755-63 PMID: 1653246.