Mac-T Cell Line

Brief Introduction
Product List

General Information
Organism	Bos taurus, bovine (cattle)
Cell Line Description	MAC-T is an immortalized bovine mammary alveolar epithelial cell line established in 1991 by Hung The Huynh and Jeffrey D. Turner at McGill University. This cell line was generated by the stable transfection of primary bovine mammary alveolar epithelial cells—isolated from lactating Holstein cows—with a plasmid encoding the Simian Virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen (specifically, the pSV3neo construct carrying the SV40 early region and the neo resistance marker). MAC-T cells grow as an adherent monolayer and exhibit a polygonal morphology, displaying the characteristic "cobblestone" appearance of epithelial cells. In the fields of veterinary medicine, dairy biotechnology, and agricultural research, MAC-T is globally recognized as the preferred in vitro model for studying bovine lactation and mammary gland biology. Upon stimulation with lactogenic hormones, the cell line retains the innate ability to synthesize and secrete milk-specific components (such as αs1-casein, β-casein, and lipid droplets), serving as a vital alternative model to primary tissue cultures.
Tissue	Mammary Gland; derived from secretory alveolar tissue
Cell Type	Mammary Alveolar Epithelial Cell (MEC)
Breed	Holstein
Disease	Normal / Non-malignant tissue origin (Immortalized engineered line)
Morphology	Epithelial-like; cobblestone polygonal appearance
Gender	Female
Age	Adult
Growth Mode	Adherent
Biosafety Level	1 or 2 (Depends on regional regulatory guidelines regarding integrated SV40 large T-antigen sequences; contains integrated viral DNA but is replication-incompetent)
Applications	1. An in vitro "gold standard" model for studying dairy cow lactation, milk protein synthesis, and lipid/fatty acid synthesis pathways; 2. A standard target model for mastitis research, used to investigate interactions between the host and major mastitis-causing pathogens; 3. Elucidation of molecular, transcriptomic, and proteomic signaling mechanisms associated with lactogenic hormones; 4. Investigation of drug and heavy metal transport across mammary cell membranes, cellular secretion kinetics, and lipid efflux mechanisms; 5. High-throughput screening of nutritional additives, vitamins, and therapeutic agents for dairy cow mammary gland health.
Shipped In	Dry ice
Storage Temperature	−196°C
Characteristics
Tumorigenic	No, non-tumorigenic under standard physiological baselines; does not form tumors when injected into immunocompromised mice.
Transformant	Simian virus 40 (SV40) large T-antigen (via stable transfection of the pSV3neo vector, selecting clones under G418/Neomycin pressure).
Secretory & Differentiation Potential	They exhibit a highly inducible lactogenic phenotype. When cultured on the surface of plastic dishes under standard conditions, the cells proliferate; however, when cultured on floating collagen gels in the presence of lactogenic hormones—specifically prolactin (PRL), insulin (I), and hydrocortisone (HC)—MAC-T cells undergo differentiation, characterized by the massive accumulation of intracellular casein-secreting vesicles and the active secretion of αs1-casein and β-casein.
Phenotypic Markers	Natively positive for Cytokeratin-18 (CK18), confirming its pure epithelial lineage and the complete absence of fibroblastic or myoepithelial contamination.
Mycoplasma Test	Negative
Culture Conditions and Handling
Subculturing	1. Remove and discard all used complete culture medium from the culture dish. 2. Briefly rinse the cell monolayer with sterile, Ca2+/Mg2+-free PBS buffer to remove residual serum containing trypsin inhibitors. 3. Add 1.0 to 2.5 mL of pre-warmed 0.25% trypsin-0.53 mM (0.03%) EDTA solution to cover the cell layer. 4. Incubate at 37°C for 2 to 5 minutes; observe under an inverted microscope until the cells become rounded, loosen, and completely detach. 5. Immediately add an equal volume of pre-warmed complete culture medium to neutralize trypsin activity. 6. Gently pipette the suspension up and down to achieve a uniform single-cell suspension. Centrifuge at approximately 125 × g (approx. 1000–1100 rpm) for 5 minutes. 7. Carefully aspirate the supernatant, gently resuspend the cell pellet in fresh complete culture medium, and distribute the cells into new culture dishes.
Thawing Protocol Note	MAC-T cells are sensitive to pH levels and mechanical agitation during the thawing and recovery process. Before inoculating the thawed cell suspension, the culture vessel containing fresh complete growth medium should be placed in a 5% CO2 incubator for at least 15 minutes to allow the medium to reach and equilibrate within the normal physiological pH range (7.0 to 7.6).
Medium Renewal	Every 2 to 3 days
Subcultivation Ratio	Split confluent cultures (80% density) at a standard ratio of 1:3 to 1:8.
Culture Conditions	Atmosphere: Air, 95%; CO2, 5%; Temperature: 37°C
Cryopreservation	90% Complete culture growth medium + 10% DMSO (or 60% Basal medium + 30% FBS + 10% DMSO)

Cat.No.	Product Name	Price
CSC-RO02575	Cas9 Stable Cell Line - Mac-T	Inquiry
CSC-RR00877	GFP Reporter Cell Line - Mac-T	Inquiry
CSC-RR00926	Luciferase Reporter Cell Line - Mac-T	Inquiry

The above is only part of a part of cell line products. If you don't find the cell line you want, Creative Biogene can also provide stable cell line generation service with the best prices and fastest turnaround time for you! Contact us for more information or to request a quote.

* For research use only. Not intended for any clinical use.

Quick Inquiry