weird S2 cells - (Jan/17/2008 )

Hello everyone,

I have a question about fly S2 cells. Typical S2 cells are rounded you know. But when I culture S2 cells, some of them may change shapes to spindle-like or tadpole-like, one or two very long thing filaments(I think they are actually protrusive cell membrane) may protrude from the cells. I have just passed them for only 4 generations. These can't be contaminations because we don't culture other cells. Does anyone know the reason of this shape change? Thanks!

Hello,

I have observed that S2 cells present this spindle-like shape when they are stressed in these occasions:
For the first 5-6 passages after you have thawed them
When they are a high-passage culture (but this is not your case)
When they are too much diluted (if your is an adherent culture, seed cells at 1000 to 5000 cells/cm2, if it is a suspension one seed them at 10000 to 30000 cells/ml)

Drosy