Growth of human diploid cells (strain MRC-5) in defined medium; replacement of serum by a fraction of serum ultrafiltrate.

A calf serum ultrafiltrate fraction permitted growth for at least 3.5 generations, including one subculture, of MRC-5 cells in defined medium in the absence of whole serum. The active material has a molecular weight of 10 000 Daltons or less. This suggests that there may be no requirement for a large macromolecular component of serum. The ultrafiltrate was assayed by maximum cell yield from a serum-limited inoculum in a defined medium containing non-limiting amounts of vitamins, amino acids, glucose, a 68-component supplement, iron and methylcellulose. The levels of vitamins, amino acids and glucose were based on quantitative measurements of uptake and the levels of the other components by minimum amount required for maximum yield in defined medium without ultrafiltrate or serum. With excess ultrafiltrate maximum cell yield was limited by the defined part of the medium, probably the supplement. The cell doubling time in defined medium with ultrafiltrate fractions was 70 h compared with 27 h in the medium with serum. Excess ultrafiltrate did not inhibit growth. The lowered growth rate is attributed to a nutritional deficiency in the supplement.