I'm running some muscle cell culture studies using L6 and C2C12 cell lines. I am using Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium with 10% fetal bovine serum as a growth medium and DMEM with 2% Horse serum as a differentiation medium.
Since I would like to treat the cells only after they are fully differentiated, but as soon as possible post differentiation, I am looking for an easy marker of differentiation to optimise my protocol.
The markers I have already come across are:
1. myotube formation: microscopy (too subjective)
2. creatine phosphokinase activity: using activity assay kit ($$$)
3. sarcomeric actin production: using dot blots (time consuming)
Anyone know of any specific staining method or a faster ATM assay for determination of differentiation status?
Since I would like to treat the cells only after they are fully differentiated, but as soon as possible post differentiation, I am looking for an easy marker of differentiation to optimise my protocol.
The markers I have already come across are:
1. myotube formation: microscopy (too subjective)
2. creatine phosphokinase activity: using activity assay kit ($$$)
3. sarcomeric actin production: using dot blots (time consuming)
Anyone know of any specific staining method or a faster ATM assay for determination of differentiation status?