COS cell transfection...

[James Gibbs]

wetsel_r at msgcg.wustl.edu writes:

>Hi Netters:

>The majority of papers using expression libraries employ COS-7 cells.  When
>I look in the ATCC catalog both COS-1 and COS-7 are derived from CV-1
>fibroblasts.  THE only difference between them I can find is that COS-1
>appears to have an integrated copy of the complete SV-40 early region.  Both
>say they are suitable for transfection especially if ones vector requires
>the large T antigen (pCMD8, PRC/CMV, and any other vector using the SV40
>origin of replication).  Has anyone found a fundamental difference in
>in transfection effeciency between these two cells?  We have COS-1 and they
>transfect just fine, but can anyone tell me why most expression libraries
>use COS-7?

>Thanks in advance,
>David
>haviland at kids.wustl.edu

A postdoc in the lab I work in tried COS-1 and COS-7 side by side. He
didn't get any difference. The plasmids he was using did not contain the
SV40 promoter. But the reason he tried COS-7 in the first place was
because someone told him they work better. Sorry I can't be any more
informative than this.

Jim
gibbs at husc4.harvard.edu