Adaptation of hybridoma cells to higher ammonia concentration.

Using two mouse-mouse hybridoma cell lines, the response to ammonia step and serial changes was investigated in batch and continuous cultures with serum-free medium. The inhibitory effect of ammonia on cell growth depended on the cultivation mode, and differed markedly between cell lines. The cell line, 4C10B6 producing IgG monoclonal antibody against Pseudomonas, showed a high adaptation ability to ammonia. The 4C10B6 cells could grow under ammonia concentration as high as 21 mmol/l NH4Cl with a viability of 80% in the continuous culture with serial increase in ammonia concentration. Whereas, in the batch culture with ammonia step change the cell growth completely ceased at 12 mmol/l NH4Cl. The other cell line, TO-405 producing IgG monoclonal antibody against hepatitis B surface antigen, could not adapt to ammonia, and the cell growth did not occur at 9 mmol/l NH4Cl even under the ammonia serial change.