FIG. 3.
m17.ASCs have a normal immortal phenotype. (a) Karyotype analysis: G-banding chromosome of m17.ASC cells at two passages (p 10 and p73), which was normal if compared with normal mouse karyotype (19, XX). (b) Population doubling time. Every 3 days 1×105/cm2 of m17.ASC (from p82 to p91) and primary cells (from p1 to p10) were passaged sequentially (named p1–10 in abscissae for both cell types). (c) Telomere length was measured in this series of passages, as well as from p27 to p32, from p43 to p49 and from p107 to p113 and was compared with the telomere length of SVF at p1. (d) m17.ASCs do not display transforming activity, as assessed in a soft agar assay, which allows only anchorage-independent cell proliferation. In these conditions, m17.ASCs produced even a lower number of colonies relative to NIH-3T3 cells used as a negative control. By contrast, transformed NIH-3T3-Met-EC− gave a high number of colonies. Representative experiments out of the three performed are reported. SVF, stromal vascular fraction.