Use of somatic cell genetics to study chromosomes contributing to antigen plus I recognition by T cell hybridomas

Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)/I region-specific T cell hybridomas have been prepared by fusing KLH/I-specific T cell blasts from mice with single pairs of metacentric chromosomes to the inducible, interleukin 2 (IL-2)-secreting T cell hybridoma FS6-14.13.AG2.1. T cell hybridomas with KLH/I receptors were identified by their ability to secrete IL-2 in response to KLH and the appropriate antigen-presenting cells. After cloning and subcloning, KLH/I reactivity was correlated with the presence or absence of metacentric chromosomes derived from the KLH/I-specific T cell blast parent. Hybridomas were identified that had lost all chromosomes 4 and 6 or 16 and 17 derived from their normal T cell parent, but retained the ability to respond to KLH/I. This suggested that products of genes on these chromosomes did not contribute to the specific portions of T cell Ag/I receptors. These gene products would include, of course, kappa and lambda chains and H-2. We did not obtain any T cell hybridomas that had lost both metacentric (8.12) chromosomes derived from T cells of the Robertsonian mouse strain Rb(8.12)5, so we could not draw any conclusions about the contributions of products of genes on these chromosomes. T cell hybridomas with KLH/I reactivity were found that contained only one metacentric (8.12) chromosome derived from this strain. Moreover, a T cell hybridoma was found that retained both metacentric (8.12) chromosomes from its normal T cell parent, but had lost KLH/I reactivity. These results suggested that neither two chromosomes 8 nor two chromosomes 12 were required for antigen/I reactivity in normal T cells and that antigen/I reactivity was controlled, at least in part, by genes mapping on chromosomes other than 8 or 12.