Hep-56.1C Cells

The Hep-56.1c hepatoma cell line is derived from a mouse liver tumor, specifically from the C57BL/6J mouse strain. This cell line is characterized by a notable mutation in the p53 gene, identified at different passages during in vitro propagation. Specifically, Hep-56.1c exhibits a C:G to G:C transversion at codon 132 of exon 5, resulting in an amino acid change from cysteine to tryptophan. This mutation was detected at passage number 17, suggesting a selective growth advantage conferred by the mutation, leading to its predominance in the cell population.

The Hep-56.1c cell line displays a predominantly epithelial morphology, reflecting its hepatocytic origin. This is consistent with its intermediate filament protein profile, which includes the simple keratins K8 and K18, as well as vimentin and keratin K19 to varying degrees. The presence of these proteins confirms the hepatocytic nature of the cell line and its classification as a hepatoma line.

Further analysis of Hep-56.1c using DNA fingerprinting did not reveal any major structural abnormalities, although some changes in the relative intensities of specific bands were observed with increasing passage numbers. This indicates genomic stability with some degree of variability over extended culture periods. The p53 mutation analysis and intermediate filament protein expression patterns together establish Hep-56.1c as a valuable model for studying hepatocellular carcinoma and the role of p53 mutations in liver tumorigenesis.