Q.39 Match the item (Column I) with its corresponding use (Column II).
Column I Column II
P. Glutamine 1. Detachment of adherent cells
Q. Trypsin 2. Selection of transfected mammalian cell lines
R. Hypoxanthine 3. Source of carbon and nitrogen in animal cell culture media
S. Neomycin 4. A component of medium for selection of hybridoma in monoclonal antibody production
(A) P-3; Q-1; R-4; S-2
(B) P-1; Q-2; R-4; S-3
(C) P-3; Q-1; R-2; S-4
(D) P-2; Q-3; R-1; S-4
Glutamine serves as a key nutrient in cell culture media, while trypsin detaches adherent cells. The correct matching identifies these roles precisely in biotechnology contexts like hybridoma production.
Correct Answer
Option (A) P-3; Q-1; R-4; S-2 is correct. This aligns glutamine with its role as a carbon and nitrogen source, trypsin for cell detachment, hypoxanthine in hybridoma selection media, and neomycin for selecting transfected mammalian cells.
Glutamine (P) Role
Glutamine acts as the primary source of carbon and nitrogen in animal cell culture media, supporting energy metabolism, protein synthesis, and nucleotide production essential for cell proliferation. Its supplementation is critical in serum-free media for hybridoma and recombinant cell lines, preventing growth limitations from glutamine instability.
Trypsin (Q) Function
Trypsin, a proteolytic enzyme, enables detachment of adherent cells from culture vessels by digesting extracellular matrix and cell adhesion proteins during subculturing. This dissociation technique is standard in primary and secondary cell cultures, often neutralized post-incubation to protect cells.
Hypoxanthine (R) Application
Hypoxanthine forms part of HAT medium (hypoxanthine, aminopterin, thymidine) used for hybridoma selection in monoclonal antibody production, where unfused myeloma cells lacking HGPRT die due to blocked salvage pathways.
Neomycin (S) Purpose
Neomycin, via its analog G418, selects transfected mammalian cell lines by inhibiting protein synthesis in non-resistant cells through binding to the 80S ribosome, allowing growth of antibiotic-resistant transfectants.
Option Analysis
| Option | P (Glutamine) | Q (Trypsin) | R (Hypoxanthine) | S (Neomycin) | Correct? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (A) | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | Yes |
| (B) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | No |
| (C) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | No |
| (D) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | No |
Options (B), (C), and (D) mismatch roles, such as assigning glutamine to detachment or selection, which contradicts standard cell culture protocols.


