MIN-6 Cells




































General information
Description | The MIN-6 cell line is a murine pancreatic beta cell line derived from insulinoma. It is commonly used in research to study insulin secretion mechanisms and beta-cell function due to its ability to synthesize and secrete insulin in response to glucose levels. This cell line is particularly valuable because it retains many of the functional characteristics of primary pancreatic beta cells, making it a useful model for diabetes research. MIN-6 cells exhibit glucose-responsive insulin secretion, which is a critical trait for studies focusing on the regulation of insulin release and the cellular responses to varying glucose concentrations. The cells are also used to investigate pancreatic beta-cell proliferation and apoptosis, as well as the role of various genes and environmental factors in these processes. Additionally, MIN-6 cells have been instrumental in testing potential pharmacological agents for their effects on beta-cell function and survival, thus contributing to the development of new therapeutic strategies for diabetes. |
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Organism | Mouse |
Tissue | Pancreas, islets of Langerhans |
Disease | Mouse insulinoma |
Synonyms | Min6, MIN6, Mouse INsulinoma 6 |
Characteristics
Age | 13 weeks |
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Gender | Unspecified |
Cell type | Beta cell |
Growth properties | Adherent |
Identifiers / Biosafety / Citation
Citation | MIN-6 (Cytion catalog number 302148) |
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Biosafety level | 1 |
Expression / Mutation
Protein expression | insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, ghrelin |
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Viruses | Transformant: Simian virus 40 (SV40) |
Handling
Culture Medium | DMEM, w: 4.5 g/L Glucose, w: 4 mM L-Glutamine, w: 1.5 g/L NaHCO3, w: 1.0 mM Sodium pyruvate (Cytion article number 820300a) |
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Medium supplements | Supplement the medium with 10% FBS |
Passaging solution | Accutase |
Subculturing | Discard the old medium and wash the cells with PBS. Add a freshly prepared 0.025% trypsin/0.02% EDTA solution heated to 37 degrees Celsius and wait until the cells detach, which usually takes about 5 minutes. Neutralize the trypsin by adding fresh medium, then transfer the cell mixture to a tube and centrifuge. After centrifugation, remove the supernatant, resuspend the cell pellet in fresh culture medium, and transfer the suspension to new flasks. |
Freeze medium | CM-1 (Cytion catalog number 800100) |
Handling of cryopreserved cultures |
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Quality control / Genetic profile / HLA
Sterility | Mycoplasma contamination is excluded using both PCR-based assays and luminescence-based mycoplasma detection methods. To ensure there is no bacterial, fungal, or yeast contamination, cell cultures are subjected to daily visual inspections. |
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Required products
- A Gentle Alternative to Trypsin
Accutase is a cell detachment solution that is revolutionizing the cell culture industry. It is a mix of proteolytic and collagenolytic enzymes that mimics the action of trypsin and collagenase. Unlike trypsin, Accutase does not contain any mammalian or bacterial components and is much gentler on cells, making it an ideal solution for the routine detachment of cells from standard tissue culture plasticware and adhesion coated plasticware. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits and uses of Accutase and how it is changing the game in cell culture.
Advantages of Accutase
Accutase has several advantages over traditional trypsin solutions. Firstly, it can be used whenever gentle and efficient detachment of any adherent cell line is needed, making it a direct replacement for trypsin. Secondly, Accutase works extremely well on embryonic and neuronal stem cells, and it has been shown to maintain the viability of these cells after passaging. Thirdly, Accutase preserves most epitopes for subsequent flow cytometry analysis, making it ideal for cell surface marker analysis.
Additionally, Accutase does not need to be neutralized when passaging adherent cells. The addition of more media after the cells are split dilutes Accutase so it is no longer able to detach cells. This eliminates the need for an inactivation step and saves time for cell culture technicians. Finally, Accutase does not need to be aliquoted, and a bottle is stable in the refrigerator for 2 months.
Applications of Accutase
Accutase is a direct replacement for trypsin solution and can be used for the passaging of cell lines. Additionally, Accutase performs well when detaching cells for the analysis of many cell surface markers using flow cytometry and for cell sorting. Other downstream applications of Accutase treatment include analysis of cell surface markers, virus growth assay, cell proliferation, tumor cell migration assays, routine cell passage, production scale-up (bioreactor), and flow cytometry.
Composition of Accutase
Accutase contains no mammalian or bacterial components and is a natural enzyme mixture with proteolytic and collagenolytic enzyme activity. It is formulated at a much lower concentration than trypsin and collagenase, making it less toxic and gentler, but just as effective.
Efficiency of Accutase
Accutase has been shown to be efficient in detaching primary and stem cells and maintaining high cell viability compared to animal origin enzymes such as trypsin. 100% of cells are recovered after 10 minutes, and there is no harm in leaving cells in Accutase for up to 45 minutes, thanks to autodigestion of Accutase.
In summary
In conclusion, Accutase is a powerful solution that is changing the game in cell culture. With its gentle nature, efficiency, and versatility, Accutase is the ideal alternative to trypsin. If you are looking for a reliable and efficient solution for cell detachment, Accutase is the solution for you.