KC Cells
General information
| Description | KC (Kc167) is a Drosophila melanogaster embryonic cell line derived from a dorsal closure stage female embryo, registered in Cellosaurus as CVCL_Z833. The line was originally established and has been widely used in Drosophila cell biology, genetic screens, and functional genomics. Kc167 cells have been immortalized with SV40 and grow semi-adherently, forming a mixed population of attached and loosely floating cells. They are among the best-characterized Drosophila cell lines and are fully amenable to RNAi-mediated gene silencing, making them a cornerstone model for genome-wide RNAi screens in invertebrate biology. KC cells are applicable in Drosophila cell biology, genome-wide RNAi and CRISPR screens, signal transduction pathway studies (Wnt/Wingless, Hedgehog, Notch, JAK/STAT, Toll/NF-κB), innate immunity research, and comparative studies of evolutionarily conserved pathways. The fully sequenced and annotated Drosophila genome, combined with extensive public databases of RNAi reagents (e.g., DRSC/TRiP), makes KC cells particularly powerful for unbiased functional genomic discovery. BSL-2 classification applies due to the SV40 immortalization. KC cells are cultured in Schneider's Drosophila medium supplemented with 2 mM Glutamine and 10% FBS. Critically, Drosophila cell lines are cultured at 25°C in ambient air without CO₂ (not 37°C / 5% CO₂ as for mammalian cells). Cells are passaged by gentle resuspension and dilution (semi-adherent growth). Medium is renewed or cells are diluted every 2–3 days. |
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| Organism | Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly) |
| Tissue | Embryo |
| Disease | Normal |
| Metastatic site | Embryo (dorsal closure stage) |
| Applications | Drosophila cell biology; genome-wide RNAi screens; CRISPR screens; signal transduction (Wnt/Wingless, Hedgehog, Notch, JAK/STAT, Toll/NF-κB); innate immunity; invertebrate functional genomics |
| Synonyms | KC, K C |
Characteristics
| Age | Dorsal closure stage |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Morphology | Semi-adherent epithelial-like |
| Cell type | Embryonic cells |
| Growth properties | semi-adherent |
Regulatory Data
| Citation | KC (Cytion catalog number 300604) |
|---|---|
| Biosafety level | 2 |
| NCBI_TaxID | 7227 |
| CellosaurusAccession | CVCL_Z833 |
| GMO Status | GMO-S2: This Drosophila cell line contains a stably integrated SV40 immortalization cassette. BSL-2 containment is required. This classification applies only within Germany and may differ elsewhere. |
Biomolecular Data
| Virus susceptibility | SV40 immortalized |
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Handling
| Culture Medium | Schneider's Drosophila medium + 2mM Glutamine + 10% Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS). |
|---|---|
| Supplements | Supplement the medium with 2 mM Glutamine and 10% FBS |
| Dissociation Reagent | Not required (semi-adherent; resuspend gently) |
| Doubling time | approx. 24 to 48 hours |
| Subculturing | Gently pipette the culture to resuspend semi-adherent cells. Transfer an appropriate volume to a new flask and add fresh pre-warmed Schneider's medium. Dilute to a density of 5 × 10⁵ to 1 × 10⁶ cells/ml. Incubate at 25°C in ambient air without CO₂. |
| Split ratio | 1 to 3 |
| Seeding density | 5 × 10⁵ to 1 × 10⁶ cells/ml |
| Fluid renewal | Every 2 to 3 days |
| Freeze medium | As a cryopreservation medium, we use complete growth medium (including FBS) + 10% DMSO for adequate post-thaw viability, or CM-1 (Cytion catalog number 800100), which includes optimized osmoprotectants and metabolic stabilizers to enhance recovery and reduce cryo-induced stress. |
| Thawing and Culturing Cells |
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| Incubation Atmosphere | 25°C, ambient air (no CO₂ required). |
| Shipping Conditions | Cryopreserved cell lines are shipped on dry ice in validated, insulated packaging with sufficient refrigerant to maintain approximately −78 °C throughout transit. On receipt, inspect the container immediately and transfer vials without delay to appropriate storage. |
| Storage Conditions | For long-term preservation, place vials in vapor-phase liquid nitrogen at about −150 to −196 °C. Storage at −80 °C is acceptable only as a short interim step before transfer to liquid nitrogen. |
Quality Control & Molecular Analysis
Material Transfer Agreement
If you intend to use Cytion cell lines solely for internal research at a single research site, please complete and sign our Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) and submit it along with your order.
For any commercial applications - including but not limited to fee-for-service work, quality control testing, product release, diagnostic use, or regulatory studies - please complete the Intended Use Form so we can prepare a suitable agreement tailored to your project.
Please note: The MTA applies only to certain cell lines. If this notice and the MTA document appear on a product page, the agreement is applicable. For cell lines not covered by the MTA, no reference to the agreement will be shown. The MTA is not valid for customers in the Americas, China, or Taiwan. Please contact our U.S. entity to receive the appropriate agreement.