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Common cell lines

“Common Cell Lines” are typically established cell lines that are immortal or immortalized. These cell lines included HeLa, HEK293, HepG2 cells models among others. Most of these cell lines are available via the ATCC.

Ancestry annotation for common cell lines

The ATCC provides for ~50% of their cells an ancestral annotation. This is typically self reported (although this is not confirmed on the website).

Genetic analysis

Julie Dutil and colleagues genotyped and analysed common cell lines for their genetic ancestries. She created an Excel spreadsheet listing all ancestries:

Genetic ancestries “common cell lines” (Dutil, 2019) - check out the Supplemental Data Table: LINK

Easy Search for comprehensive cell line information

Cellosausus is a comprehensive database listing cell line metadata among others. They imported the data of Dutil.

This database is a convenient way to quickly verify.

(Current) “Rule of Thumb”: self-reported vs. genetic ancestry

If ancestry is indicated as “black”, “white”, “African”, “African-American”, it is most likely self-reported.

If ancestry is given as annotated percentages of major human population groups as defined by the 1000 genomes project (see screenshot) it is likely inferred using genetic analysis of Whole-Genome-Sequencing (WGS) data or SNP array data.