Application of 3D Culture Assays to Study Breast Morphogenesis, Epithelial Plasticity, and Cellular Interactions in an Epithelial Progenitor Cell Line.

Capturing breast morphogenesis and cancer progression in 3D culture using cell lines with stem cell properties can greatly increase understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in these processes, highlighting the importance of the culture method. D492 is a breast epithelial progenitor cell line that provides a model for branching morphogenesis when cultured in 3D reconstituted basement membrane matrix (rBM). Along with its derivate cell lines D492M and D492HER2, D492 also serves as a robust model for epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumorigenicity, respectively. Here, we describe the routine maintenance and application of the D492 cell lines in 3D culture for the study of branching morphogenesis, EMT and epithelial-endothelial interaction.