Isolation of a human prostate carcinoma cell line (DU 145)

TLDR

A long‑term cell line was derived from a human prostate adenocarcinoma that had metastasized to the brain. The DU 145 line was passaged 90 times over two years, grows as epithelial islands on plastic Petri dishes, and forms colonies in soft agar. Karyotypic analysis shows an aneuploid human karyotype with 64 chromosomes, distinctive marker chromosomes including a Y translocation, minute metacentric chromosomes, and three large acrocentric chromosomes, and electron microscopy reveals remarkable similarity in organelle structure between the original tumor and the cultured cells.

Abstract

Abstract A long‐term tissue culture cell line has been derived from a human prostate adenocarcinoma metastatic to the brain. The cell line, DU 145, has been passaged 90 times in vitro over a period of 2 years. The cells are epithelial, grow in isolated islands on plastic Petri dishes, and form colonies in soft agar suspension culture. Karyotypic analysis demonstrates an aneuploid human karyotype with a modal chromosome number of 64. Distinctive marker chromosomes (a translocation Y chromosome, metacentric minute chromosomes and three large acrocentic chromosomes) have been identified. Electron microscopy of the original tumor tissue and of the tissue culture cell line show a remarkable similarity in cell organelle structure.