Spontaneous release of a factor with properties of T cell growth factor from a continuous line of primate tumor T cells.

A continuous lymphoid cell line had been previously established from a gibbon with spontaneous lymphosarcoma. This cell line, designated as MLA144, when tested after several years in culture was shown to release spontaneously a factor biologically and biochemically similar to human T cell growth factor (TCGF). Conditioned media (CM) from MLA144 cells support growth and DNA synthesis of T cells from humans, several other species of primates, and also from mice and rabbits. The activity in the MLA144 CM is resistant to 60 degrees C and to low and high pH, has a m.w., as determined by gel filtration, of 21,500, elutes from DEAE-cellulose at 0.04 to 0.06 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.6, and has an isoelectric point of about 6.45. Surface-marker analysis of MLA144 cells by rosetting techniques indicates that they are T cells lacking in the receptor for the Fc portion of IgG. The release of TCGF by MLA144 cells should have practical value in terms of ease of TCGF production and should be of great help in the facilitation of studies on the cell biology and molecular biology of TCGF production.