Biomaterial Database

The Fischer rat thyroid cell line FRTL-5 exhibits a nondiploid karyotype. 1998

V Tasevski, and D Benn, and G Peters, and B Luttrell, and A Simpson

Department of Endocrinology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW, Australia.

The FRTL-5 cell line is a stable thyroid cell line derived from the thyroid gland of the Fischer rat under defined culture conditions, which has been widely adopted as a model system for the study of thyroid cell function and for bioassay. While characterizing by flow cytometry FRTL-5 cells that were supplied to this laboratory by ATCC (American Type Cell Collection), we discovered that the cells (ATCC CRL8305) were not diploid, having approximately twofold the DNA content relative to a diploid control. The increase in DNA content also applied to cells originally supplied by the ATCC (described as passage 14) that when counted in metaphase had a modal chromosomal count of 84, indicating tetraploid status, double the expected 42 of a diploid rat cell. In a private communication, the ATCC confirmed these findings which nevertheless are contrary to previous literature reports where they were reported to be diploid. Tetraploid cells are less sensitive to thyrotropin (TSH) as measured by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production, compared with diploid cells (p = < 0.001). Despite similar 3H-thymidine uptake in 0.2% fetal calf serum, tetraploid cells show increased 3H-thymidine uptake in 5% fetal calf serum in the absence of TSH (p = 0.001). The origin of these chromosomal changes is unclear, but these findings must raise doubts regarding the suitability of the tetraploid FRTL-5 cell line as a model for studies of human or animal thyroid physiology.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007621	Karyotyping	Mapping of the KARYOTYPE of a cell.	Karyotype Analysis Methods,Analysis Method, Karyotype,Analysis Methods, Karyotype,Karyotype Analysis Method,Karyotypings,Method, Karyotype Analysis,Methods, Karyotype Analysis
D011003	Ploidies	The degree of replication of the chromosome set in the karyotype.	Ploidy
D011916	Rats, Inbred F344	An inbred strain of rat that is used for general BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH purposes.	Fischer Rats,Rats, Inbred CDF,Rats, Inbred Fischer 344,Rats, F344,Rats, Inbred Fisher 344,CDF Rat, Inbred,CDF Rats, Inbred,F344 Rat,F344 Rat, Inbred,F344 Rats,F344 Rats, Inbred,Inbred CDF Rat,Inbred CDF Rats,Inbred F344 Rat,Inbred F344 Rats,Rat, F344,Rat, Inbred CDF,Rat, Inbred F344,Rats, Fischer
D002460	Cell Line	Established cell cultures that have the potential to propagate indefinitely.	Cell Lines,Line, Cell,Lines, Cell
D004171	Diploidy	The chromosomal constitution of cells, in which each type of CHROMOSOME is represented twice. Symbol: 2N or 2X.	Diploid,Diploid Cell,Cell, Diploid,Cells, Diploid,Diploid Cells,Diploidies,Diploids
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D005434	Flow Cytometry	Technique using an instrument system for making, processing, and displaying one or more measurements on individual cells obtained from a cell suspension. Cells are usually stained with one or more fluorescent dyes specific to cell components of interest, e.g., DNA, and fluorescence of each cell is measured as it rapidly transverses the excitation beam (laser or mercury arc lamp). Fluorescence provides a quantitative measure of various biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell, as well as a basis for cell sorting. Other measurable optical parameters include light absorption and light scattering, the latter being applicable to the measurement of cell size, shape, density, granularity, and stain uptake.	Cytofluorometry, Flow,Cytometry, Flow,Flow Microfluorimetry,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting,Microfluorometry, Flow,Cell Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated,Cell Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated,Cytofluorometries, Flow,Cytometries, Flow,Flow Cytofluorometries,Flow Cytofluorometry,Flow Cytometries,Flow Microfluorometries,Flow Microfluorometry,Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sortings,Microfluorimetry, Flow,Microfluorometries, Flow,Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated Cell,Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated Cell
D005838	Genotype	The genetic constitution of the individual, comprising the ALLELES present at each GENETIC LOCUS.	Genogroup,Genogroups,Genotypes
D000242	Cyclic AMP	An adenine nucleotide containing one phosphate group which is esterified to both the 3'- and 5'-positions of the sugar moiety. It is a second messenger and a key intracellular regulator, functioning as a mediator of activity for a number of hormones, including epinephrine, glucagon, and ACTH.	Adenosine Cyclic 3',5'-Monophosphate,Adenosine Cyclic 3,5 Monophosphate,Adenosine Cyclic Monophosphate,Adenosine Cyclic-3',5'-Monophosphate,Cyclic AMP, (R)-Isomer,Cyclic AMP, Disodium Salt,Cyclic AMP, Monoammonium Salt,Cyclic AMP, Monopotassium Salt,Cyclic AMP, Monosodium Salt,Cyclic AMP, Sodium Salt,3',5'-Monophosphate, Adenosine Cyclic,AMP, Cyclic,Adenosine Cyclic 3',5' Monophosphate,Cyclic 3',5'-Monophosphate, Adenosine,Cyclic Monophosphate, Adenosine,Cyclic-3',5'-Monophosphate, Adenosine,Monophosphate, Adenosine Cyclic
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia