Human thyroid cells transfected with SV40 DNA retain the TSH receptor

Human thyroid cells were transfected with SV40 DNA using the calcium phosphate co-precipitation technique. The transfected cells grew rapidly and could be passaged readily. TSH and the immunoglobulin fraction from a patient with hyperthyroid Graves' disease stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in the transfected cells. These cells could potentially be used in clinical assays of patients' immunoglobulins without concern for species incompatibilities. On immunoblot analysis, extracts from SV40-transfected human thyroid cells, from sheep thyroid cells and from rat FRTL5 cells reacted with the immunoglobulin fraction from the patient with hyperthyroid Graves' disease but not with the immunoglobulin fraction from a pool of serum from normal subjects. Proteins of molecular weights 77,000, 70,000 and 54,000 were identified by the patient's immunoglobulin fraction in the three thyroid-derived cell types.