Establishment and characterization of a VX2 carcinoma derived rabbit cell line as a model system for the study of papilloma virus associated head and neck cancer

Abstract

A B C Figure 3. Characterization of the VX2 cell line by flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. (A) Two distinct populations of VX2 cells are observed during FACS analysis. One population was designated as small and the other was termed large based on their different cell sizes and granularity. (B) After sorting each of the two populations into a single tissue culture flask both subpopulations reappeared during further culturing pointing them to represent two phenotypes of the same cell line. (C) Western Blot analysis of unsorted VX2 cells as well as the small and the large populations demonstrated expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with pronounced activity of this signaling pathway (Erk1/2-phospho) in the large population. EGFR: epidermal growth factor receptor, TrkB: tropomyosin-related kinase B, Erk1/2-phospho: extracellular signal regulated kinase 1 and 2 (active form), CXCR4: C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (=CD184), PCNA: proliferating cell nuclear antigen, Pin1: peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase 1.