Mucus hypersecretion is a hallmark of inflammatory airway diseases, but few immortalized tracheal cell lines maintain the ability to differentiate into mucus-producing epithelium. Immortalized Rat Tracheal Epithethelial Cells (SPOC-1) were spontaneously derived from secondary cell cultures. Like other tracheal cell lines, SPOC1 exhibits increased proliferative capacity and decreased growth factor requirements relative to primary cells, but is unique in being non-tumorigenic, having a diploid karyotype and possessing the ability to form gland-like epithelial structures in tracheal grafts, which are comprised of mucin-producing mucous goblet cells. These characteristics position SPOC1 as a valuable tool for the study of airway epithelial secretory cell differentiation, function and neoplastic progression, as well as the key molecular events underlying mucous production.
Immortalization Method: Spontaneous
BioSafety Level: II
Organism: Rat
Species: Rat
Source Organs: Trachea
Organ Type: Trachea
Growth Properties: Adherent
Morphology: Epithelial
Population Doubling: ~24 hours
Seeding Density: 16,000 cells/cm
2Markers: Cornifin, keratins 13, 14, and 19, mucin, transglutaminase I
Donor Age: 10 - 14 weeks old
Propagation: The base medium for this cell line is Prigrow XII Medium available at
abm, Cat. No.
TM012. To make the complete growth medium, add the following components to the base medium: epidermal growth factor to a final concentration of 5 ng/mL, transferrin to a final concentration of 5 µg/mL, insulin to a final concentration of 5 µg/mL, hydrocortisone to a final concentration of 0.1 µg/mL, cholera toxin to a final concentration of 0.1 µg/mL, ethanolamine to a final concentration of 50 µMM, phosphoethanolamine to a final concentration of 50 µMM, CaCl
2 to a final concentration of 0.8 mM, essentially globulin-free bovine serum albumin to a final concentration of 1.5 mg/mL (Sigma-Aldrich, A4161), bovine pituitary extract to a final concentration of 0.1 µg/mL, and HEPES (pH 7.3) to a final concentration of 15 mM.Change media every 2-3 daysCarbon dioxide (CO
2): 5%, Temperature: +37.0°C.* Do not use heat-inactivated FBS for cell culture unless specified otherwise.
Quality Control: 1) Karyotyping; 2) Tumorigenicity analysis; 3) Immunostaining; 4) Western blot
Shipping Condition: Dry Ice
Storage Condition: liquid nitrogen or -180°C
Reference: Randell, S. H., Liu, J. Y., Ferriola, P. C., Kaartinen, L., Doherty, M. M., Davis, C. W., & Nettesheim, P. (1996). Mucin production by SPOC1 cells--an immortalized rat tracheal epithelial cell line. American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology, 14(2), 146–154. https://doi.org/10.1165/ajrcmb.14.2.8630264