Sheep erythrocytes binding ability on a mouse renal adenocarcinoma cell line and its hybrid with human lymphocytes

A mouse renal adenocarcinoma (Rag) cell line, not related to L cells, rosette with erythrocytes from sheep and mice. The Rag-cell rosettes are performed in suspension and on coverslips. Microscopically they rosette like human T cell. No virus-like particles thus far have been found between the rosetted cells. However, the sheep erythrocyte binding ability of Rag cells are very different as compared to human T cells. The former cannot be impaired by trypsin-EDTA treatment nor inhibited by rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin, sodium azide or sodium iodoacetate. Two hybrid clones isolated between Rag-human lymphocytes show similar rosette characteristics as the Rag cells.