Cell Line Reference
XF Assays have been used to measure normal and pathophysiological bioenergetics in a wide variety of primary and immortalized cell types.
Although potentially any cell type can be measured in an XF assay, good cell culture practice and optimization of media components and environment are keys to ensuring relevant and robust cellular bioenergetic measurements.
The following database identifies cell types that have been successfully analyzed in XF assays:
| Cell/Tissue/Organelle | Species | Assay/Area of Study |
|---|---|---|
| Primary muscle | human, murine | Substrate utilization, mitochondrial function / metabolic diseases and aging |
| Primary adipocytes | human, murine | Substrate utilization, mitochondrial function / metabolic diseases |
| Primary cardiomyocytes | murine, feline | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / ischemia-reperfusion injury and repair, cardiovascular disease |
| Primary hepatocytes | human, murine, rat | Substrate utilization, mitochondria toxicity, insulin action / metabolic diseases, in vitro toxicity |
| Pancreatic islet | murine | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / insulin secretion, metabolic diseases |
| Primary cortical neurons | murine, rat | Mitochondria function / neurodegenerative disease & aging |
| Primary embryonic fibroblasts | human, murine | Substrate utilization, mitochondria function / metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, drug screening |
| Primary lymphocytes | human, murine | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / diabetes, signaling, autoimmune disease |
| Glomeruli | rat | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / renal function, ischemia-reperfusion injury and repair, cardiovascular disease |
| Primary glomerular podocytes | murine | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / renal function, ischemia-reperfusion injury and repair, cardiovascular disease |
| Primary proximal tubule cells | rabbit | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / renal function, ischemia-reperfusion injury and repair, cardiovascular disease |
| Primary umbilical vein endothelial cells | human | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / angiogenesis, metabolic diseases |
| Primary retina (tissue punch) | bovine | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / retinitis pigmentosa, age related macular degeneration |
| Primary stomach epithelia (tissue punch) | murine | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / secretory function |
| Cybrids and cybrid Rho0 | human | Mitochondrial dysfunction / metabolic diseases |
| Glioma neurospheres | human | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| C2C12 muscle cell line, blasts and tubes | murine | Substrate utilization, mitochondrial function / metabolic diseases, insulin action |
| L6 myoblasts (skeletal muscle) | rat | Substrate utilization, mitochondrial function / metabolic diseases |
| 3T3 L1 differentiated to adipose-like | murine | Substrate utilization, mitochondrial function / metabolic diseases |
| HUVEC umbilical vein endothelial cell line | human | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / cardiovascular disease, angiogenesis, metabolic diseases |
| CHO ovary cell line | Chinese hamster | Energy expenditure, cell signaling / bioprocessing, engineered cell line development, receptor overexpression studies, drug screening |
| HEK293 transformed embryonic kidney cell line | human | Cell signaling / receptor overexpression studies, drug screening |
| RMS-13 muscle rhabdomyosarcoma cell line | human | Substrate utilization, mitochondrial function / metabolic diseases |
| INS-1 insulinoma | rat | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / insulin secretion, metabolic diseases |
| LN18 glioblastoma cell line | human | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| K562, Jurkat leukemia cell lines | human, rat | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| MCF-7, MD-MB-231, MDMB-431 breast cancer cell lines | human | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| HCT116 , SW480 colon carcinoma cell line | human | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| UMRC-2 renal carcinoma cell line | human | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| HepG2, H4II-E hepatoma cell line | Human, rat | Substrate utilization, mitochondrial function / metabolic diseases, in vitro toxicity, cancer, drug screening |
| PC-3, LnCap prostate cancer cell line | human | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| H460, A549 NSCLC cell line | human | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| Hela cervical cancer cell line | human | Energy expenditure / cancer, drug screening |
| L929 embryonic fibroblast cell line | murine | Mitochondrial function, energy expenditure / inflammation |
| CH27, A20, BW1349 B-cell hybridomas | murine | Substrate utilization, energy expenditure / cell growth, protein production |
| Permeabilized neonatal cardiomyocytes | murine | Substrate utilization, mitochondrial function / ischemia-reperfusion injury and repair, cardiovascular disease |
- Overview
- Webinars
- Video Library
- App Notes & Tech Briefs
- Product Documentation & Literature
- Protocols & Best Practices
- Publications
- Technical Posters
- Cell Line Reference
- Core Facilities
- XF Instrument Map
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Image Library
- Useful Links
Next Seahorse Webinar
Metabolic Adaptations in Fumarate Hydratase Deficient Cells

Christian Frezza, PhD,
Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
May 29, 2013
Advanced XF Training
Understanding When and How to Use Intact Cells and Isolated Mitochondria in Investigating Bioenergetics
Learn More
XF Stress Test Kits
XF Glycolysis Stress Test Kit
Now it's easy to measure glycolytic function in cells.
Learn MoreXF Cell Mito Stress Test Kit
Everything you need to measure mitochondrial function in cells.
Learn More
