VK2/E6E7

The VK2/E6E7 cell line was established in 1996 from the normal vaginal mucosal tissue taken from a premenopausal woman undergoing anterior-posterior vaginal repair surgery.

The ectocervical Ect1/E6E7 (ATCC CRL-2614) and endocervical End1/E6E7 (ATCC CRL-2615) cell lines were established in 1996 from normal epithelial tissue taken from a premenopausal woman undergoing hysterectomy for endometriosis.

Cells at passage 3 were immortalized by transduction with the retroviral vector LXSN-16E6E7 in the presence of polybrene. Clones were selected in medium containing G418.

The endocervical cell line expresses characteristics of simple columnar epithelium, whereas the ectocervical and vaginal cell lines express characteristics of stratified squamous nonkeratinizing epithelia.

Without stimulation, all three cell lines produce macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), transforming growth factor beta1, interleukin 8 (IL-8), prostaglandin E2, the secretory leukoproteinase inhibitor, and the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor.

The endocervical cell line (End1/E6E7), but not the others, also produce the lymphopoietic cytokines IL-6, IL-7, and consistently detectable levels of the chemokine known as "regulated-upon-activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted" (RANTES).

Stimulation with interferon gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) induces or significantly up-regulates expression of several of the cytokines and chemokines as well as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens in the lines.

1. Check all containers for leakage or breakage.
2. Remove the frozen cells from the dry ice packaging and immediately place the cells at a temperature below ­-130°C, preferably in liquid nitrogen vapor, until ready for use.

1. Thaw the vial by gentle agitation in a 37°C water bath. To reduce the possibility of contamination, keep the O-ring and cap out of the water.  Thawing should be rapid (approximately 2 minutes).
2. Remove the vial from the water bath as soon as the contents are thawed, and decontaminate by dipping in or spraying with 70% ethanol. All of the operations from this point on should be carried out under strict aseptic conditions.
3. It is recommended that the cryoprotective agent be removed immediately. Transfer the vial contents to a centrifuge tube containing  9.0 mL complete culture medium. Centrifuge the cell suspension at approximately 125 x g for 5 to 10 minutes.  Discard the supernatant and resuspend the cell pellet in an appropriate amount of fresh growth medium.
4. Transfer the cells an appropriate size vessel.  It is important to avoid excessive alkalinity of the medium during recovery of the cells.  It is suggested that, prior to the addition of the vial contents, the culture vessel containing the growth medium be placed into the incubator for at least 15 minutes to allow the medium to reach its normal pH (7.0 to 7.6).
5. Incubate the culture at 37°C in a suitable incubator.  A 5% CO₂ in air atmosphere is recommended if using the medium described on this product sheet.

1. Remove and discard culture medium.
2. Briefly rinse the cell layer with 0.25% (w/v) Trypsin-0.03% (w/v) EDTA solution to remove all traces of serum that contains trypsin inhibitor.
3. Add 2.0 to 3.0 ml of Trypsin-EDTA solution to flask and observe cells under an inverted microscope until cell layer is dispersed (usually within 5 to 15 minutes).
   Note: To avoid clumping do not agitate the cells by hitting or shaking the flask while waiting for the cells to detach. Cells that are difficult to detach may be placed at 37°C to facilitate dispersal.
4. Neutralize the trypsin by adding 6.0 to 8.0 ml of a 1:1 mixture of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium and Ham's F12 medium (DMEM:F-12, ATCC Catalog No. 30-2006), containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Aspirate cells by gently pipetting.
5. To remove trypsin-EDTA solution, transfer cell suspension to centrifuge tube and spin at approximately 125 x g for 5 to 10 minutes
6. Discard supernatant and resuspend cells in fresh serum-free growth medium.  Add appropriate aliquots of cell suspension to new culture vessels.
7. Place culture vessels in incubators at 37°C. Cells will not attach well for 24 hours after subculture.

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