Walter Nelson-Rees
Encyclopedia
Walter Nelson-Rees was a cell culture
worker and cytogeneticist who helped expose the problem of cross-contamination of cell lines. Nelson-Rees used chromosome banding to show that many immortal cell lines, previously thought to be unique, were actually HeLa
cell lines. The HeLa cells had contaminated and overgrown the other cell lines.
at the University of Washington
used an X-linked biochemical polymorphism
to distinguish individual cell lines. Some proteins have a number of different forms, called isoenzymes, and the forms can differ genetically among individuals. The American Type Culture Collection
(ATCC) supplied Gartler with what was thought to be 18 unique human cell lines, and he found that all these cell lines had the less common A form of the X-linked enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
(G6PD), the form found in HeLa
cells, and a form common in people of African descent and rare in people of European descent.
Walter Nelson-Rees confirmed and extended Stan Gartler's findings. At the time Nelson-Rees was co-director of the Cell Culture Laboratory at the Naval Biosciences Laboratory in Oakland, California
. This laboratory was part of the University of California, Berkeley
and was funded by NIH. Nelson-Rees used Giemsa banding of chromosome
s and he found that the HeLa cell line had several marker chromosomes not found in the normal complement of human chromosomes. He identified these marker chromosomes in over 40 cell lines. In each of these lines, only the A form of G6PD was present, even though the majority of the donors of origin were Caucasian and would be expected to have the B, not the A, type of G6PD. Nelson-Rees's work was published in a series of 11 papers, including 5 in the journal Science
.
Nelson-Rees retired in 1980-1981. In 2005 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor given by the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB).http://www.sivb.org/InVitroReport/39-1/lifetime.htm
He died on January 23, 2009.
Cell culture
Cell culture is the complex process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions. In practice, the term "cell culture" has come to refer to the culturing of cells derived from singlecellular eukaryotes, especially animal cells. However, there are also cultures of plants, fungi and microbes,...
worker and cytogeneticist who helped expose the problem of cross-contamination of cell lines. Nelson-Rees used chromosome banding to show that many immortal cell lines, previously thought to be unique, were actually HeLa
HeLa
A HeLa cell is a cell type in an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line was derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951 from Henrietta Lacks, a patient who eventually died of her cancer on October 4, 1951...
cell lines. The HeLa cells had contaminated and overgrown the other cell lines.
Biography
In 1967 Stanley GartlerStanley Gartler
Stanley Michael Gartler is a cell and molecular biologist and human geneticist. He was the first scientist to offer conclusive evidence for the clonality of human cancers. He and Walter Nelson-Rees identified that HeLa cells had contaminated many cell lines thought to be unique...
at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
used an X-linked biochemical polymorphism
Polymorphism (biology)
Polymorphism in biology occurs when two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species — in other words, the occurrence of more than one form or morph...
to distinguish individual cell lines. Some proteins have a number of different forms, called isoenzymes, and the forms can differ genetically among individuals. The American Type Culture Collection
American Type Culture Collection
The American Type Culture Collection is a private, not-for-profit biological resource center whose mission focuses on the acquisition, authentication, production, preservation, development and distribution of standard reference microorganisms, cell lines and other materials for research in the...
(ATCC) supplied Gartler with what was thought to be 18 unique human cell lines, and he found that all these cell lines had the less common A form of the X-linked enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is a cytosolic enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway , a metabolic pathway that supplies reducing energy to cells by maintaining the level of the co-enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate...
(G6PD), the form found in HeLa
HeLa
A HeLa cell is a cell type in an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line was derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951 from Henrietta Lacks, a patient who eventually died of her cancer on October 4, 1951...
cells, and a form common in people of African descent and rare in people of European descent.
Walter Nelson-Rees confirmed and extended Stan Gartler's findings. At the time Nelson-Rees was co-director of the Cell Culture Laboratory at the Naval Biosciences Laboratory in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. This laboratory was part of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and was funded by NIH. Nelson-Rees used Giemsa banding of chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
s and he found that the HeLa cell line had several marker chromosomes not found in the normal complement of human chromosomes. He identified these marker chromosomes in over 40 cell lines. In each of these lines, only the A form of G6PD was present, even though the majority of the donors of origin were Caucasian and would be expected to have the B, not the A, type of G6PD. Nelson-Rees's work was published in a series of 11 papers, including 5 in the journal Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
.
Nelson-Rees retired in 1980-1981. In 2005 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor given by the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB).http://www.sivb.org/InVitroReport/39-1/lifetime.htm
He died on January 23, 2009.