PtK2 cells
Cell line
PtK2 cells are a cell line derived from male long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylis) epithelial kidney cells. This cell line is used for a variety of applications in biomedical research but is particularly popular as a model for mitosis.
01Origin
The PtK2 cell line was established by Kirsten Walen and Spencer Brown in 1962. Cells from the rat kangaroo were selected as the source of a cell line because this species has only a small number of chromosomes and these chromosomes are easily visualized under a microscope; mitosis becomes easy to observe, and the structural aspects of cell division can be closely examined.
02Characteristics
PtK2 cells are relatively large, and when grown in a monolayer, stay flat throughout the cell cycle - unlike many cells that round up during mitosis. PtK2 cells are resistant to adenovirus 5, coxsackievirus B5, and poliovirus 2. They are susceptible to coxsackievirus A9, herpes simplex, vaccinia, and vesicular stomatitis (Ogden strain). PtK2 cells contain intermediate filaments composed of Keratin.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “PtK2 cells”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Ptk2 phase2.png by Mllyjn, CC BY-SA 3.0
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