12 hours after I've passaged my MCF7 cells I found out this unique cell which is disappeared now. Is it fungal contamination or something else?
Hi,
To me it seems a normal cell, not any fungal or bacterial. If you are sure that you have not mixed two cell lines then don't worry this kind of cells with totally different morphology may appears in culture. Cancer cell population is heterogeneous and depending upon autocrine, paracrine and environmental signals they sometime behave different.
i think its a neuronal-like differentiated cell, since its adherent to plastic...fungi would not do it and look more elongated (fiber-like)
Same here. This is for sure no contamination, but a cell that behaves differently. Actually it looks quite similar to the other cells, just a bit bigger.... probably after cytokinesis-defect?
3 or 4 cells overlapped head to head, not very firmly attached except the lowest one. For dividing they get up into the medium, divide, again attaches to the substratum. It's a co-incidence and are normal. Nothing to worry about., no contam. Enjoy
Do You have a real-time observation of the culture? I was involved in a Project where we had MCF-7 cells on continous observation (incubator and a microscope in one). This picture could be from my experiments - looks normal. I agree with Nitin, it is slightly above the surstrate, probably for division.
I am also sure that it’s not a contamination but a cell that acquired a neuronal-like phenotype maybe due to cellular stress or changes in cell density/ paracrine signaling.
Thanks Katrin. Point to note: contamination can not disappear on their own as mentioned in this case. If at all you want to check for myco...go for pcr specific detection in medium. The picture itself does not speak for it. Besides cell morphology, if once altered, is irreversible and again can not disappear. :)
In my opinion, this looks like a cell with neuronal phenotype after the differentiation process. I also don't think it's a contamination. If you are sure that you didn't mix the cell lines, then everything is fine.
The big cell you marked may be either cross contamination or another cell and the second marked cell became matured and went to cell death, it is my opinion sir.
Sometime cells with bizarre shape can be observed in cell lines... surely it not fungal contamination
Dear Aref Sobhkhizy
I agree with Gerold Untergasser, I think it's a neuronal-like differentiated cell or even it could be overlapped cells and It doesn't seem fungal or bacterial contamination.
Dear Ravi Thakur
thank you, for sure there is no other cell type because the laboratory has only one cell line under culturing, no other researcher is working there.
I have passaged the cells 12 hours before getting this cell, I was worry but after 2 hours it was disappeared and about the cell growth rat, I have to say that they're fine, when I passaged the cells, I kept only 35% of the cells, but after 24 hours, almost 80% of the flask was taken, I think I'm going to passage them again, tomorrow,
so, the growth rate is ok.
In my opinion, if you are sure that you did not mix two or more cell lines, the cells, marked, are the mature cell of your cell line (MCF7), because the orthers in your figure have the phenotype same together and like as your marked cell.
Some micro tentacles have been observed in cell culture of breast cancer cell lines. It is more common in triple negative breast cancer - not in er positive cells. I don't think this is contamination.
Firstly, I donot think its a cross contamination with some other cell line. If it is The possibility of sudden disappearance should not be there.
Secondly, If the cell was observed to be a floating cell, rather than adhered to the flask, It could possibly be cancer stem cell population with in any cancer cell line. that accounts for (0.01% in MCF-7 cells in a flask). But according to our lab observations, MCF-7 cancer stem cells look circular and freely floating with out any tentcular structures.
So I think it must be some de differentiated or transdifferentated cell that could have been formed by the cancer stem cell population. If the cell is floating when compared to rest of the cells then its for shur a cancer stem cell.
Now the issue of disappearance : as cancer stem cells are non-adherent and freely foating cells, they may have gone when a passage must have been done (Washed out with media change).
I hope my view can make some sense in judging the issue mentioned.
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