Measuring Survival of Adherent Cells with the Colony-Forming Assay
- 1Apoptosis and Cytotoxicity Laboratory, Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia;
- 2Flow Cytometry and Imaging, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia;
- 3Division of Immunology, Mater Pathology, Mater Adult Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia;
- 4School of Medicine, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
Abstract
Measuring cell death with colorimetric or fluorimetric dyes such as trypan blue and propidium iodide (PI) can provide an accurate measure of the number of dead cells in a population at a specific time; however, these assays cannot be used to distinguish cells that are dying or marked for future death. In many cases it is essential to measure the proliferative capacity of treated cells to provide an indirect measurement of cell death. This can be achieved using the colony-forming assay described here. This protocol specifically applies to measurement of HeLa cells but can be used for most adherent cell lines with limited motility.
Footnotes
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↵5 Correspondence: nigel.waterhouse{at}QIMRBerghofer.edu.au
- © 2016 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
