Establishment and characterization of hybrid rat mast cells

Rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) and rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells are representative of connective tissue-type (CTMC) and mucosal-type (MMC) mast cells, respectively. Using polyethylene glycol, we have fused RPMC with 6-thioguanine resistant, HAT (hypoxanthine, aminopterin, thymidine) sensitive RBL-CA10.7 or RBL-CK2 cells, yielding several hybrid rat mast cell lines (HRMC). The hybridomas exhibited different size and cytoplasmic granularity when compared with parental cell lines. Analysis of both high (Fc epsilon RI) and low affinity (Fc epsilon RL) receptors for IgE revealed that the hybrid lines had more variable receptor patterns than the parent lines. Three hybridoma lines were chosen for further study. Differential histochemical staining with alcian blue and safranin O dyes indicated the hybrids to be predominantly of the MMC type: however, a few cells of one of these uncloned hybridomas were found to be of the CTMC type. Attempts to isolate the CTMC hybridomas yielded one culture which was predominantly of the CTMC phenotype and in a number of other cultures, cells were found expressing simultaneously both the CTMC and the MMC phenotype. After 3 weeks in culture, however, all hybridomas, including those which were cloned further, expressed only the MMC histochemical phenotype. This was found to correlate with the presence of rat mast cell protease II (RMCPII) and the absence of RMCPI in all hybridomas, as detected by Western blot analysis. In addition, the histamine content of all cells was significantly lower than that of the parent RPMC. Most hybrid mast cells expressed both Fc epsilon RI and Fc epsilon RL which in some cases exhibited significant variations in the Mr. These results indicate that somatic cell hybrids expressing the MMC and CTMC phenotype can be produced by the fusion of RBL and RPMC. The CTMC phenotype, however, is unstable, and possible reasons for this are discussed.