The A549 line was initiated in 1972 by D. J. Giard et al. (J. Natl. Cancer Inst. [Bethesda] 51: 1417-1423, 1973) through explant culture of lung carcinomatous tissue from a 58-year-old male. Further studies by M. Lieber et al. (Int. J. Cancer 17: 62-70, 1976) revealed that A549 cells could synthesize lecithin with a high percentage of desaturated fatty acids using the cytidine diphosphocholine pathway. Multilamellar inclusion bodies were located by transmission electron microscopy. The utility of A549 cell for isolating herpes viruses and adenoviruses was demonstrated by Smith et al. (J. Clin. Microbiol. 24: 265, 1986).

Culture Medium
Leibovitz-15 medium with 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum.

Growth Characteristics
Cells seeded at a concentration of 2x10⁴ cells/cm² in the above culture medium will be100% confluent in 5 days.

Plating Efficiency
Approximately 48%.

Morphology
Epithelial-like.

Karyology
Chromosome Frequency Distribution 40 Cells: 2n = 46.

Species
Confirmed as human by immunofluorescence and isoenzymology.

Common Utilization
Isolation of Adenoviruses; Herpes simplex Virus; and Varicella Zoster Virus.