Independent Hybrid Clones Research Articles

Lambda-Chain Production in Human Lymphoblast-Mouse Fibroblast Hybrids

Mutant human lymphoblast cells deficient in hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.8) activity were hybridized with thymidine kinase (EC 2.7.1.21)-deficient mouse fibroblasts. Hybrid cells were readily selected, as both parental lines were nonreverting and eliminated by hypoxanthine-amethopterinthymidine medium. Human lambda (lambda) chain was the only immunoglobulin chain produced by the lymphoblast parent, as determined by immunofluorescent techniques. Two independent hybrid clones chosen for detailed study synthesized human lambda chain, and continued to do so after prolonged culture. As in both parental lines, no human immunoglobulin heavy chains, complements C3 or C4, or alpha(1)-antitrypsin, or mouse immunoglobulin chains or complement C5 were detectable in the hybrids. Selection against thymidine kinase-containing hybrid cells with 5-bromodeoxyuridine did not eliminate positive lambda-chain reactivity, suggesting that the kinase and lambda-chain loci are not linked. The continued production of an immunoglobulin chain by human lymphoblast-mouse fibroblast hybrids contrasts with the extinction of other differentiated functions in several hybrid systems, and indicates that gene localization and linkage analysis for human immunoglobulin chains should be feasible with this system.

THE LINKAGE OF GENES FOR THE HUMAN INTERFERON-INDUCED ANTIVIRAL PROTEIN AND INDOPHENOL OXIDASE-B TRAITS TO CHROMOSOME G-21

13 independent mouse-human somatic cell hybrid clones derived from beta-propiolactone-inactivated Sendai stimulated cell fusion of human cells with mouse cells were tested for their sensitivities to human and mouse interferon. All of them were protected by mouse interferon and only six of the clones were protected by both human and mouse interferon. Only the six that were protected by human interferon were shown to express the human dimeric form of indophenol oxidase. Complete chromosomal analysis of the clones indicated human chromosome G-21 to be the only human chromosome in common for the six clones which had both phenotypes present. Nine subclones were derived from one of the clones expressing both phenotypes. Eight of the nine subclones were shown to retain both phenotypes, whereas one subclone lost both. Chromosomal analysis of the subclones indicated the loss of chromosome G-21 from the subclone which lost both phenotypes. It is apparent from these findings that the gene(s) for indophenol oxidase (IPO-B) and the gene(s) for the antiviral protein are syntenic and that they are linked to human chromosome G-21.