WM3211 Viable Cells

Cells are sterile, validated by short tandem repeat profiling, and are tested as negative for mycoplasma. It is recommended that cell lines are tested for mycoplasma contamination and short tandem repeat (STR) profiling every 10 passages or each time a frozen seed stock is made. See cell culture protocol for additional details. WM3211 is a tumorigenic (VGP) primary melanoma cell line with competence for metastasis. These cells display fibroblastic morphology in culture. This cell line was established from a metastatic site (lymph node) in a 34-year-old female. This cell line contains a L576P mutation at position 576 in the c-KIT gene. The L576P mutation results in an amino acid substitution at position 576 in KIT, from a Leucine (L) to a proline (P). This mutation occurs within the juxtamembrane domain. Mutant KIT proteins have increased kinase activity and transforming activity in vitro. This cell line is wild type for BRAF, PTEN, N-RAS, and CDK4. WM3211 cells produce xenograft tumors when injected into immunocompromised mice.