A resource for cell line authentication, annotation and quality control

• Published in: Nature (London) 2015-04, Vol.520 (7547), p.307-311
• Main Authors: Yu, Mamie, Selvaraj, Suresh K., Liang-Chu, May M. Y., Aghajani, Sahar, Busse, Matthew, Yuan, Jean, Lee, Genee, Peale, Franklin, Klijn, Christiaan, Bourgon, Richard, Kaminker, Joshua S., Neve, Richard M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 13/1; 13/95; 14/19; 631/67; 631/80; 64/116; 96/1; 96/95; analysis; Cell Line - classification; Cell Line - metabolism; Cell lines; Cell Separation; Data Curation; Genotype; Guidelines as Topic; Health aspects; Humanities and Social Sciences; Identification and classification; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Methodology; Methods; Microsatellite Repeats - genetics; multidisciplinary; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics; Quality Control; Quality standards; Reproducibility of Results; Science; Species Specificity; Studies; Terminology as Topic; Vocabularies & taxonomies
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/nature14397

Cell line misidentification, contamination and poor annotation affect scientific reproducibility. Here we outline simple measures to detect or avoid cross-contamination, present a framework for cell line annotation linked to short tandem repeat and single nucleotide polymorphism profiles, and provide a catalogue of synonymous cell lines. This resource will enable our community to eradicate the use of misidentified lines and generate credible cell-based data. Competing financial interests. The majority of authors are employees of Genentech Inc. and/or hold stock in Roche. It has been long known that many cultured cell lines, an essential tool not only in biological research but also other areas of science, are contaminated, mislabelled or incorrectly annotated; here an analysis covering over 3,500 cell lines and their unambiguous authentication and annotation offers the community a reference point for both STR and SNP profiles as genetic methods of cell authentication, combined with suggested standards for nomenclature using a controlled vocabulary. Solving the cell-line identity crisis Cultured cell lines, including many cancer cell lines, are essential tools not only in biological research but also other areas of science. Unfortunately, it has been long known that many cell lines are contaminated, mislabelled or incorrectly annotated. Richard Neve and colleagues now present an analysis providing unambiguous authentication and annotation for more than 3,500 cell lines. This resource offers a reference point for both short tandem repeats (STR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiles as genetic methods of cell annotation, combined with suggested standards for nomenclature using a controlled vocabulary.