University of Toronto, Mississauga

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Biology

A Functional Assay for Gap Junctional Examination; Electroporation of Adherent Cells on Indium-Tin Oxide

Mulu Geletu¹, Stephanie Guy¹, Kevin Firth², Leda Raptis¹

¹Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Department of Pathology, Queen's University, ²Ask Science Products Inc.

This presentation demonstrates a method whereby electroporation of adherent, cultured cells is used for the study of intercellular, junctional communication, while the cells grow on a slide coated with conductive and transparent indium-tin oxide.

Cancer Research

Differentiation of Mouse Breast Epithelial HC11 and EpH4 Cells

Mulu Geletu^*1,2, Victoria Hoskin^*1, Blerta Starova^*1,3, Maximilian Niit^1,4, Hanad Adan¹, Bruce Elliott¹, Patrick Gunning², Leda Raptis¹

¹Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ²Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ³Department of Laboratory Medicine, Brampton Civic Hospital Campus, William Osler Health System, ⁴Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories

We describe techniques for differentiation induction of two breast epithelial lines, HC11 and EpH4. While both require fetal calf serum, insulin, and prolactin to produce milk proteins, EpH4 cells can fully differentiate into mammospheres in three-dimensional culture. These complementary models are useful for signal transduction studies of differentiation and neoplasia.