Growth and protein production kinetics of a murine myeloma cell line transfected with the human growth hormone gene.

A model mammalian cell system for the production of recombinant proteins was investigated. Murine myeloma cells which had lost the ability to produce both heavy and light chain immunoglobulin molecules were transfected with a vector containing the immunoglobulin heavy chain promoter and enhancer elements linked to the human growth hormone gene. The growth kinetics of G32, a clonal isolate, were found to be similar to both the parent myeloma and hybridomas. However, production of hGH by G32 was growth associated, rather than as a secondary metabolite as is the case for hybridomas. In addition, G32 produced hGH at molar levels greater than most hybridomas.