Immortalized Mouse Lung Clara Cells – Conditionally (C22)

Clara cells play a role in the maintenance of normal bronchiolar epithelium by secreting Clara Cell Secretory Proteins (i.e. CC10) to protect the respiratory tract against oxidative stress and inflammation. The C22 is a conditionally immortalized mouse lung clara cells isolated from the mouse harboring thermolabile mutation (tsA58) under the control of an interferon (IFN)-γ-inducible H-2Kb promoter and a temperature-sensitive simian virus 40 large T antigen. The functional expression of the SV40 large T antigen is induced by culturing the cells in vitro in medium containing IFN γ at a temperature permissive (33°C). At a non-permissive temperature (37°C-39°C), the cells cease to proliferate.C22 resembles closely to primary clara cells and constitutively expresses and secretes surfactant proteins SP-A, SP-B, SP-D and CC10. This cell line is useful in studying lung epithelial physiology, as well as studying the role of CC10 in pulmonary inflammation and viral infection.Presence of CC10, SP-A, SP-B and absence of SP-C confirmed by RT-PCR.