Gene expression of differentiated parent in teratocarcinoma cell hybrids. Repression or reprogramming?

The hybrid cell line H422 was constructed by fusing embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells of the PCC4AzaRCapR cell line with lymphocytes from a 129-tw32 mouse inbred strain female. An apparently complete extinction of stage-specific gene products of the lymphocyte parent was inferred from comparison of protein maps in two-dimensional PAGE of parental and hybrid cells, and from the reactivity patterns of monoclonal antibodies in radioimmunobinding assays. Furthermore, the hybrid cells display a true EC phenotype and EC functions, tumorigenicity and pluripotency. Taken together, the available evidence suggests either that the lymphocyte genome is a 'silent passenger' as far as the differentiated functions of hybrid cells are concerned, or that the developmentally restricted lymphocyte genome is reprogrammed in the hybrid cells back to a non-determined stage and both genomes thus act in a concerted manner.