The isolation of hybrid cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies against the p15(E) protein of ecotropic murine leukemia viruses

Abstract

Hybrid cell lines were prepared by the fusion of mouse myeloma cells with the spleen cells of C57BL/6 mice that were immunized with the AKR leukemia K36. Approximately 10% of the hybrid cells produced immunoglobulins that reacted in antibody binding assays with AKR MuLV. By the combined use of low-density passage and cloning, seven independent cell lines were isolated. These cells produced antiviral antibodies at a level of 3–15 μg/ml of culture fluid. Inoculation of the hybrid cells into syngeneic mice resulted in the formation of tumors (hybridomas) that secreted extremely high levels of monoclonal antibodies (5–15 mg/ml) into the serum or ascites fluid. Five of the hybrid cell lines produced immunoglobulins of the IgM subclass, one produced IgG 2a, and one produced IgG 2b. In high-resolution two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels, these immunoglobulins showed the limited heterogeneity in heavy and light chains that would be expected for monoclonal products. Radioimmune precipitation assays demonstrated that the monoclonal antiviral antibodies reacted with the p15(E) protein of ecotropic MuLV; these antibodies did not react with the p15(E) protein of xenotropic MuLV. In contrast, rabbit antiserum prepared against purified p15(E) reacted equally well with ecotropic and xenotropic MuLV. The sera or ascites fluids from hybridoma-bearing mice had antibody titers 75- to 100-fold higher than the sera from conventionally immunized mice or rabbits. Serological analysis demonstrated that the monoclonal antibodies reacted with the cell surface of virus-producing leukemia cells, but not with normal thymocytes. Furthermore, monoclonal anti-pl5(E) antibodies of the IgG 2a subclass mediated lysis of the virion of ecotropic MuLV in the presence of complement.