Species: Human

Cell type: Lung Carcinoma

Transgenes: Firefly luciferase (Fluc) with neomycin resistance (Neo) for selection with G418 and near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP; excitation/emission: 690/713nm) with puromycin resistance (Puro) for selection with puromycin

Media: DMEM, 10% FBS, 1% Pen/Strep, 0.6 mg/mL G418, 1 μg/mL puromycin

Description: A549-Fluc-Neo/iRFP-Puro is a polyclonal population of the human lung carcinoma cell line A549 (ATCC® CCL-185™) transduced with 1) LV-Fluc-P2A-Neo (LV011) encoding the firefly luciferase (Fluc) cDNA under the spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) promoter linked to the neomycin resistance gene (Neo) via a P2A cleavage peptide and 2) LV-iRFP-P2A-Puro (LV032) encoding the near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) cDNA under the spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) promoter linked to the puromycin resistance gene (Puro) via a P2A cleavage peptide.

The lentiviral vector used is a self-inactivating (SIN) vector in which the viral enhancer and promoter has been deleted. Transcription inactivation of the LTR in the SIN provirus increases biosafety by preventing mobilization by replication competent viruses and enables regulated expression of the genes from the internal promoters without cis-acting effects of the LTR (Miyoshi et al., J Virol. 1998).

Mycoplasma Testing: The A549-Fluc-Neo/iRFP-Puro cell line has been tested for mycoplasma contamination and is certified mycoplasma free.

Cell Line Authentication: The parental A549 cell line was authenticated and certified free of interspecies cross-contamination by short tandem repeat (STR) profiling with 9 STR loci including CSF1PO, D13S317, D16S539, D5S818, D7S820, TH01, TPOX, vWA and sex chromosome marker Amelogenin.

Recommended uses:

In vitro: This is a high Fluc/iRFP expressing cell line suitable for use as a positive control cell line in bioluminescence and fluorescence assays to verify luciferase or iRFP expression respectively in your lentiviral transduced cells.

In vivo: A549 cells form metastases in the lungs of mice post systemic administration. The in vivo growth of these metastases can be monitored using noninvasive bioluminescent imaging or noninvasive optical imaging for iRFP fluorescence.

Check out this recent application note by Bruker BioSpin; beautiful imaging using our A549-Fluc-Neo/iRFP-Puro cells. 

Cell photos: Low- and high-density cell morphology (200X)

Flow Cytometry for iRFP: A549-Fluc-Neo/iRFP-Puro (red) or control (A549-Fluc-Puro; grey) cells were fixed with paraformaldehyde and analyzed by flow cytometry (20,000 events).

Luciferase Assay: 10⁴, 10⁵, or 10⁶ cells were placed in wells of a 96-well plate and 0.3 mg of d-luciferin was added to the indicated wells. The plate was immediately imaged using a Xenogen IVIS Spectrum.

Bioluminescent images showing growth of a subcutaneous A549-Fluc tumor in an athymic mouse

10⁷ A549-Fluc-Puro cells (Imanis Life catalog #CL080) were injected subcutaneously into the right flanks of female NCR athymic mice. Mice were imaged at day 0 on the day of cell implantation and subsequently at days 7 and 16 using a Perkin Elmer IVIS® Spectrum system, at 10-15 minutes post intraperitoneal injection of D-luciferin at 150 mg/kg. Tumor size was measured using calipers. Data from a representative mouse (ID#4878) is shown.