Immortalized Mouse Macrophage Cells (BMA3.1A7)

The Immortalized Mouse Macrophage Cells (BMA3.1A7) are derived the bone marrow of adult female C57BL/6 mice. These cells are spontaneously immortalized via over expression of raf and myc oncogenes and posses a “fried egg” morphology, characterized by a rounded appearance with a high number of vesicles. In addition, BMA3.1A7 has been shown to possess similar surface marker expression as bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) such as iNOS, Arginase-1, CD86, MHC I, MHC II and CD206, which contribute to its use as a substitute for primary cells. Their similarity to these macrophages is very useful given that the plasticity of macrophages contributes to their varied pathogen response. In addition, the polarization that BMA3.1A7 undergoes allows it to alter its susceptibility to viral infection, making it a useful model to study the effects of polarization on viruses.