Gene transfection of the HuLy-m2 (Leu-9) antigen into mouse L cells

Human DNA was transfected into mouse L cells and tk+ HuLy-m2+ (= CD7+) transfectants isolated after growth in hypoxanthine, aminopterin, thymidine medium and repeated cloning. After several cycles of transfection, greater than 90% of HuLy-m2+ L cells could be detected, by rosetting and by cytofluorography, which showed the transfectants to have a density of CD7 two to five times that found on peripheral blood lymphocytes. Despite this, the 37 kd CD7+ dimer could only be identified with difficulty using cell-surface radioiodination and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis techniques. An antiserum was produced (C3H anti-HuLy-m2+ L cells) which, after absorption, was shown to react with HuLy-m2+ antigens present on human thymocytes and lymphocytes and on CD7+ transfected L cells.