Skip to main content
PMC home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1976 Jun;73(6):2023–2027. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.6.2023

Selenium is an essential trace nutrient for growth of WI-38 diploid human fibroblasts.

W L McKeehan, W G Hamilton, R G Ham
PMCID: PMC430440  PMID: 1064872

Abstract

The trace element selenium is essential for clonal growth of diploid fibroblasts from human fetal lung (WI-38) in media containing small amounts of serum protein. Maximum growth stimulation is obtained when 30 nM neutralized selenious acid is added to a synthetic medium containing 1.5 mg/ml of dialyzed fetal bovine serum protein (equivalent to a 3% serum concentration). Serum appears to be a source of selenium in most culture media, since higher concentrations of serum protein or whole serum mask the selenium requirement of WI-38 cells. Selenium is also required by a Chinese hamster cell line that can be grown in a protein-free synthetic culture medium.

Full text

PDF
2023

Images in this article

2025Image
on p.2025
2026Image
on p.2026

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Deaven L. L., Petersen D. F. The chromosomes of CHO, an aneuploid Chinese hamster cell line: G-band, C-band, and autoradiographic analyses. Chromosoma. 1973;41(2):129–144. doi: 10.1007/BF00319690. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Flohe L., Günzler W. A., Schock H. H. Glutathione peroxidase: a selenoenzyme. FEBS Lett. 1973 May 15;32(1):132–134. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(73)80755-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Frost D. V., Lish P. M. Selenium in biology. Annu Rev Pharmacol. 1975;15:259–284. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pa.15.040175.001355. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. HAM R. G. An improved nutrient solution for diploid Chinese hamster and human cell lines. Exp Cell Res. 1963 Feb;29:515–526. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4827(63)80014-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. HAM R. G. CLONAL GROWTH OF MAMMALIAN CELLS IN A CHEMICALLY DEFINED, SYNTHETIC MEDIUM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Feb;53:288–293. doi: 10.1073/pnas.53.2.288. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HAM R. G. Clonal growth of diploid Chinese hamster cells in a synthetic medium supplemented with purified protein fractions. Exp Cell Res. 1962 Dec;28:489–500. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(62)90253-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HAYFLICK L. THE LIMITED IN VITRO LIFETIME OF HUMAN DIPLOID CELL STRAINS. Exp Cell Res. 1965 Mar;37:614–636. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(65)90211-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Higuchi K. Cultivation of animal cells in chemically defined media, a review. Adv Appl Microbiol. 1973;16:111–136. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2164(08)70025-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Katsuta H., Takaoka T. Cultivation of cells in protein- and lipid-free synthetic media. Methods Cell Biol. 1973;6:1–42. doi: 10.1016/s0091-679x(08)60046-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Levander O. A. Selenium and chromium in human nutrition. J Am Diet Assoc. 1975 Apr;66(4):338–344. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MUTH O. H., OLDFIELD J. E., REMMERT L. F., SCHUBERT J. R. Effects of selenium and vitamin E on white muscle disease. Science. 1958 Oct 31;128(3331):1090–1090. doi: 10.1126/science.128.3331.1090. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MUTH O. H., SCHUBERT J. R., OLDFIELD J. E. White muscle disease (myopathy) in lambs and calves. VII. Etiology and prophylaxis. Am J Vet Res. 1961 May;22:466–469. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nelson F. C., Hidiroglou M., Hamilton H. A. The Effect of Prophylactic Treatment of Pregnant Beef Cows on the Incidence of Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy. A Field Trial. Can Vet J. 1964 Oct;5(10):268–273. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Oh S. H., Ganther H. E., Hoekstra W. G. Selenium as a component of glutathione periodase isolated from ovine erythrocytes. Biochemistry. 1974 Apr 23;13(9):1825–1829. doi: 10.1021/bi00706a008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. PUCK T. T., MARCUS P. I., CIECIURA S. J. Clonal growth of mammalian cells in vitro; growth characteristics of colonies from single HeLa cells with and without a feeder layer. J Exp Med. 1956 Feb 1;103(2):273–283. doi: 10.1084/jem.103.2.273. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Scott M. L., Noguchi T., Combs G. F., Jr New evidence concerning mechanisms of action of vitamin E and selenium. Vitam Horm. 1974;32:429–444. doi: 10.1016/s0083-6729(08)60021-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stadtman T. C. Selenium biochemistry. Science. 1974 Mar 8;183(4128):915–922. doi: 10.1126/science.183.4128.915. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Taylor W. G., Richter A., Evans V. J., Sanford K. K. Influence of oxygen and pH on plating efficiency and colony development of WI-38 and Vero cells. Exp Cell Res. 1974 May;86(1):152–156. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(74)90660-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Whanger P. D., Pedersen N. D., Weswig P. H. Selenium proteins in ovine tissues. II. Spectral properties of a 10,000 molecular weight selenium protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1973 Aug 6;53(3):1031–1035. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(73)90195-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES