Role of the macrophage-derived hybridoma growth factor in the in vitro and in vivo proliferation of newly formed B cell hybridomas.

It has been shown recently that monocyte-macrophage cells produce a growth factor (HGF) active on newly formed B cell hybridomas. We have studied the effect of HGF on the proliferation of an HGF-sensitive clone of B cell hybridoma. Results obtained showed that the murine P388D1 cell-derived HGF has a m.w. of 29,000 and an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.2 whereas the human monocyte-derived HGF has a m.w. of 34,000 and a pI of 4.9. The HGF activity was not mediated by interleukin 1 because the two activities could be completely separated by gel filtration. Results obtained in in vivo experiments showed that HGF-sensitive cells are tumorigenic in mice. The finding that the HGF biochemical parameters (m.w. and pI) are similar to the ones of a recently described plasmacytoma growth factor suggests that HGF and the plasmacytoma growth factor are similar and that the HGF sensitivity of SP 2/O myeloma cells is reactivated after fusion with normal B lymphocytes.