Optimal conditions for the fusion of lymphoid cell lines

A series of hydrolytic enzymes were compared with lysolecithin, glycerol monooleate, and inactivated Sendai virus for their ability to bring about the fusion of several human and mouse lymphoid cell lines. The agents were tried alone and in various combinations, and a variety of incubation conditions were tested to determine those optimal for fusion. Sendai virus was found to produce the best results with the mouse lymphoid cells; lysolecithin plus glycerol monooleate was slightly superior with the human lymphoid cells. A mixture of hyaluronidase plus collagenase produced low (2 to 6%), but significant, fusion of the human lymphoid cells; both the human and mouse lymphoid cell lines were found to contain relatively high amounts of prolyl hydroxylase, the enzyme which forms collagen from protocollagen. The maximum fusion obtained with the human cells was 16%; with a mouse plasmacytoma line, the maximum was 7.5%; and with a mouse leukemic line derived from L5178Y, the maximum was 60%.