Somatic hybrid of thymus leukemia (.

A somatic hybrid of ASL-1 leukemia cells [H-2a, thymus leukemia (TL)1,2,3, Thy-1b] and LM(TK)-cells [H-2-k, TL(-), Thy-1 (-), thymidine kinase deficient] was formed with the aid of inactivated Sendai virus. The selection of hybrid cell clones was facilitated by the inability of ASL-1 cells to grow in vitro and of LM(TK)-cells to survive in hypoxanthine/amethopterin/thymidine medium. The H-2 antigens of both parental cells were formed in approximately equivalent amounts by the hybrid cells, and they possessed a hybrid karyotype. As determined by five independent experimental procedures (antibody and complement-mediated cytotoxicity tests, the reduction of specific antibody activity of antiserum of known titer, immunofluorescent tests, mixed hemagglutination tests, and their direct isolation), TL antigens but not Thy-1 antigens were formed by the hybrid cells. TL antigens of the hybrids failed to undergo modulation under conditions leading to the modulation of TL antigens of parental ASL-1 cells. Modulation was attempted with TL 1,3, TL 2, or TL 1,2,3 antisera of high titer. thybrid cells were incubated for up to 30 hr in medium with TL antisera. Both direct and indirect immune methods were attempted. These results indicate that cellular mechanisms controlling the expression of TL antigens may be distinguished from the capacity of the cells to undergo modulation.