Lipid Requirements of a Recombinant Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Line (CHO)

We have tested the effect of a wide variety of lipid supplements and precursors on the growth of a recombinant Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line. This cell line is adapted to grow in protein-free media and grows slowly in the absence of any exogenous lipid source. Several exogenous lipid sources stimulated robust growth including Intralipids. Intralipid (Kabi Pharmacia) is a filterable lipid emulsion consisting of 10% soybean oil, 1.2% egg yolk phospholipids, and 2.25% glycerin in water. Soybean oil consists of a mixture of neutral triglycerides. In order to determine if the growth promoting activity could be due to one of these components, purified triglycerides and phospholipids were tested alone and in combination. We found that the growth promoting activity required both triglycerides and phospholipids. We also found that the phospholipid growth factor lysophosphatidic acid stimulated CHO cell growth.