Immortalized Drosophila Embryonic Cells (R3)

The immortalized Drosophila Embryonic Cells (R3) was established by serial passaging of primary cultures from Act5C > UAS-RasV12 embryos. The RasV12 immortalized cell lines have significantly up-regulated cell-cycle and cell-division gene expression including gene targets of the E2 promoter binding factor/retinoblastoma protein (E2F/RB) pathway. The cell lines are in a proliferative undifferentiated progenitor-like state associated with increasing levels of Polycomb Group (PcG) transcripts during the immortalization process. Related to adult muscle precursors (AMPs), a stem cell-like population contributing to adult muscles and sharing properties with vertebrate satellite cells, the immortalized R3 cell line retained the capacity for myogenic differentiation when treated with the steroid hormone ecdysone. The cell line is recommended as a tool for Drosophila embryogenesis and muscle cell differentiation and proliferation. Express upregulated Cyc A, stg, dap, cdc2c, tum, sti, pav, stg, dup, dap, Orc2, and Mcm2.