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Studies on a serum substitute for mammalian cells in culture

Analyses of fractionated peptone dialysate and the use of glycine peptides

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Summary

Amino acid analyses of two biologically efficacious fractions from a peptone dialysate (PD) revealed high concentrations of glycine, presumably present in PD as glycine-rich peptides. Before undertaking further analyses of PD the growth-promoting abilities of several commercially available glycine peptides were tested with strain L (NCTC 2071) cells continuously subcultured in chemically defined medium NCTC 135, and with RH-PD cells which require peptone or peptone fractions for continued survival and proliferation. NCTC 2071 populations 5 to 10% greater than control cultures were obtained with 0.18 to 0.72mm peptide-supplemented medium NCTC 135; slightly better results were obtained with peptides containing an even number of glycine residues. No amplification of this response was observed after 28 to 29 weekly culture transfers in 0.72mm supplemented NCTC 135, and evidence suggested that the peptides were poorly hydrolyzed to monomeric glycine. Addition of the glycine peptides may permit use of a reduced minimum inoculum for NCTC 2071. Marked growth enhancement of peptone-dependent RH-PD cells was obtained only when glycine peptides were tested in the presence of 0.5 mg of PD per ml.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tissue Culture Section, Laboratory of Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 4D18, 20014, Bethesda, Maryland

    William G. Taylor & Virginia J. Evans

  2. University of Illinois at the Medical Center, 60680, Chicago, Illinois

    Robert W. Pumper

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  1. William G. Taylor
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  2. Virginia J. Evans
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  3. Robert W. Pumper
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Taylor, W.G., Evans, V.J. & Pumper, R.W. Studies on a serum substitute for mammalian cells in culture. In Vitro 9, 278–285 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02616074

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