Live-Cell Imaging: Cell Motility

Normal African Green Monkey Kidney Epithelial Cells (CV-1 Line)

The CV-1 cell line was initiated in March of 1964 with a tissue section excised from the kidney of an adult male African green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops). The fibroblast line was originally utilized in research focusing on the transformation of the cancer-causing Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), but now is popular as a host for acquired immunodeficiency disease (AIDS) research, as well as transfection experiments with simian virus 40 (SV40) and recombinant plasmid vectors. CV-1 cells exhibit fibroblast morphology, grow adherently to glass or plastic surfaces, and are negative for reverse transcriptase. The cells are known to be susceptible to several viruses, including poliovirus 1, herpes simplex, simian virus 40, California encephalitis, and both Eastern and Western equine encephalitis. The cells exhibit rapid growth and chromosome number shifts have been reported to occur at high passage levels.

CV-1 Video No. 1 - As if they were enjoying a slow dance with one another, a pair of CV-1 epithelial cells spins around the field of view in a lingering manner. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (18.3 hour time-lapse sequence; 55 seconds - 23.2 MB).

CV-1 Video No. 2 - Three small CV-1 cells are linked together like train cars to a much larger binucleated kidney cell. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (21.0 hour time-lapse sequence; 63 seconds - 26.4 MB).

CV-1 Video No. 3 - A full skirt of flattened lamellipodia encircles a single CV-1 African green monkey kidney epithelial cell. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (12.0 hour time-lapse sequence; 36 seconds - 15.4 MB).

CV-1 Video No. 4 - Mitochondria, which are usually depicted in textbooks simply as inert oblong organelles, are revealed to be extremely flexible and motile in the cells they inhabit during the high speed playback of time-lapse sequences. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL (RealPlayer), or T1/Cable/DSL (Windows Media), or download this video clip in MPEG format (3.6 hour time-lapse sequence; 11 seconds - 4.83 MB).