High frequencies of antigen-specific hybridomas: dependence on immunization parameters and prediction by spleen cell analysis

J Immunol Methods. 1980;32(3):297-304. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(80)90194-5.

Abstract

Hybridomas producing antibodies against soluble antigens have in most cases been difficult to establish. After fusion of myeloma cells with spleen cells obtained from mice immunized with a soluble protein, hybridomas secreting specific antibodies have been observed to occur very rarely among non-specific hybridomas. We found that the frequency of specific hybridomas correlates directly with the increase over background of the frequency of blast and/or plasma cells in the spleen (measured by cell size analysis) after antigenic stimulation. High yields of specific hybridomas were obtained simply by following a novel immunization technique consisting of several conventional preimmunization courses followed by 4 very high doses of antigen in saline on each of the last 4 days before fusion.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibody-Producing Cells / immunology
  • Cell Fusion
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin / immunology
  • Epitopes*
  • Female
  • Immunization*
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Plasmacytoma / immunology
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • Spleen / immunology*

Substances

  • Chorionic Gonadotropin
  • Epitopes