Identification of macrophage-like characteristics in a cultured murine tumor line.

A mouse tumor line P388D1 passaged in tissue culture for many years has been characterized morphologically and functionally as a macrophage like cell. P388D1 cells phagocytize latex particles and firmly adhere to glass and plastics. In addition they have been shown to carry cellbound receptors for immunoglobulin (Fc) and complement (C3). They fail to stain with fluorescent anti-mouse Ig or heterologous anti-mouse. Functionally, these cells exhibited high effector activity in an antibody-dependent, cell-mediated cytotoxic system. The accessibility of well characterized and pure macrophage-like cell lines, such as P388D1, will facilitate studies where cell purity is essential.