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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1964 July; 12(4): 316-320
Copyright © 1964 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Assay of Vitamins and Amino Acids With Cultured Tissue Cells and Antimetabolites

Division of Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Washington, D.C.

ABSTRACT

A survey of growth responses of tissue-culture cells to vitamins and amino acids was undertaken to explore the potentialities of tissue culture in the assay of growth factors. An antagonist of the nutrient was included in each test system to improve its sensitivity. Addition of an antimetabolite was advantageous in the thiamine and phenylalanine assays. Tissue-culture assays of tryptophan and of phenylalanine supplemented with ß-2-thienylalanine compared favorably with microbial assays, and may serve as confirmatory or supplementary test systems. The sensitivity of cultured tissue cells to minute amounts of a variety of physiologically active substances suggests their employment in hormone and toxic compound assays.

¹ Present address: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.