Fusion of T and B cells

Hybrid cells were prepared by fusin an immunoglobulin-secreting mouse myeloma lin e (B cell) with an allogenic T-cell lymphoma which expresses the surface antigen Thy 1. The resulting hybrids expressed H2 antigens of both parental cells and secreted the immunoblobulin of the myeloma parent but did not express the Thy 1 antigen of the lymphoma parent. Twenty-one hybrids were formed from fusion of the same myeloma line with TNP-SRBC-primed spleen cells. Most of the hybrid lines exhibited characteristics expected for the fusion of the myeloma to B lymphocytes. No hybrids between the myeloma line and spleen T cells were identified as none of the hybrids expressed the T-cell-specific antigen Thy 1. We discuss possible reasons for failure to produce hybrids with T-cell characteristics in these types of fusion.