Comprehensive genetic and molecular characterization of the H9c2 rat myoblast cell line revealed chromosomal instability and sarcoma-like genetic alterations alongside cardiac-relevant gene expression.
The H9c2 cell line exhibits chromosomal instability but remains a reliable model for studying cardiac myoblast biology, with newly established STR and transcriptomic profiles to aid future research.
This study presents a comprehensive genetic characterization of the H9c2 cell line, a widely used model for cardiac myoblast research. We established a short tandem repeat (STR) profile for H9c2 that is useful to confirm the identity and stability of the cell line. Additionally, we prepared H9c2 metaphase chromosomes and performed karyotyping and molecular cytogenetics to further investigate chromosomal characteristics. The genetic analysis showed that H9c2 cells exhibit chromosomal instability, which may impact experimental reproducibility and data interpretation. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to analyze the transcriptome, revealing gene expression patterns relevant to cardiac biology. Western blot analysis further validated the expression levels of selected cardiac genes identified through NGS. Additionally, Phalloidin staining was used to visualize cytoskeletal organization, highlighting the morphological features of these cardiac myoblasts. Our findings collectively support that H9c2 cells are a reliable model for studying cardiac myoblast biology, despite some genetic alterations identified resembling sarcoma cells. The list of genes identified through NGS analysis, coupled with our comprehensive genetic analysis, will serve as a valuable resource for future studies utilizing this cell line in cardiovascular medicine.
Liehr et al. (Fri,) conducted a other in Cardiac myoblast research. H9c2 cell line characterization was evaluated on Genetic and molecular characteristics (STR profile, karyotyping, NGS transcriptome). Comprehensive genetic and molecular characterization of the H9c2 rat myoblast cell line revealed chromosomal instability and sarcoma-like genetic alterations alongside cardiac-relevant gene expression.