Characterization of rat schwannoma-Schwann cell hybrids

Sciatic nerve Schwann cells from strain LEC rats, homozygous for the c form of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD), and RN22 rat Schwannoma cells, a subclone of RN2 deficient in hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase and expressing the s form of 6-PGD, were fused to produce 'RNS' hybrid clones which proliferate rapidly in a medium containing hypoxanthine, aminopterin and thymidine (HAT) and express c, s and c/s heterodimeric forms of 6-PGD. RNS cells, like both parents, maintain a high baseline activity of 2', 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase and, as in RN22, activity of this enzyme is further inducible by 1 mM N6, O2'-dibutyryl 3', 5'-cyclic AMP. The RNS clones resemble normal Schwann cells in the capacity to bind radioiodinated axolemmal fragments to their plasma membranes.