Somatic cell genetics, immunogenetics and gene mapping

The use of immunological techniques to study genetics and the reciprocal use of genetic analysis to study immunology has proved to be a very powerful combination resulting in the definition of many systems including the major histocompatibility complex. The production of monoclonal antibodies by somatic cell hybrids (usually known as 'hybridomas') provides a more recent example of the exploitation of a genetic techniquefor the benefit of immunology. The reciprocal to the hybridoma technique is to use antibodies to analyse somatic cell hybrids. In this review Alan Tunnaclie and colleagues describe the analysis of the human cell surface using somatic cell genetics in conjunction with monoclonal antibodies, and suggest that this is a powerful approach which should be applied more specifically to cells of the lymphoid system.