AUTHOR=Kawamoto Masaki , Yamaji Toshiyuki , Saito Kyoko , Shirasago Yoshitaka , Satomura Kazuhiro , Endo Toshinori , Fukasawa Masayoshi , Hanada Kentaro , Osada Naoki 

TITLE=Identification of Characteristic Genomic Markers in Human Hepatoma HuH-7 and Huh7.5.1-8 Cell Lines

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2020.546106

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2020.546106

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>The human hepatoma-derived HuH-7 cell line and its derivatives (Huh7.5 and Huh7.5.1) have been widely used as a convenient experimental substitute for primary hepatocytes. In particular, these cell lines represent host cells suitable for propagating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) <italic>in vitro</italic>. The Huh7.5.1-8 cell line, a subline of Huh7.5.1, can propagate HCV more efficiently than its parental cells. To provide genomic information for cells’ quality control, we performed whole-genome sequencing of HuH-7 and Huh7.5.1-8 and identified their characteristic genomic deletions, some of which are applicable to an in-house test for cell authentication. Among the genes related to HCV infection and replication, 53 genes were found to carry missense or loss-of-function mutations likely specific to the HuH-7 and/or Huh7.5.1-8. Eight genes, including <italic>DDX58</italic> (<italic>RIG-I</italic>), <italic>BAX</italic>, <italic>EP300</italic>, and <italic>SPP1</italic> (osteopontin), contained mutations observed only in Huh7.5.1-8 or mutations with higher frequency in Huh7.5.1-8. These mutations might be relevant to phenotypic differences between the two cell lines and may also serve as genetic markers to distinguish Huh7.5.1-8 cells from the ancestral HuH-7 cells.</p>