Cloning of murine splenic T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells on filter paper discs: detection of a novel NK/T phenotype.

Discrete colonies of splenocytes were grown on filter paper discs in the presence of concanavalin A and interleukin 2. Phenotypic analysis of the colonies indicated that the majority expressed the Thy-1.2 marker and 72% of these co-expressed the CD3 molecule. Of the colonies 20%-25% were NK 1.1+ and they developed regardless of the presence of Con A in the culture medium, a property of the NK lineage. In addition, Thy-1.2+ colonies developed when splenocytes from scid mice, which lack mature T and B cells, were grown both in the presence and absence of concanavalin A. These results demonstrate that colonies of murine splenic T lymphocytes and NK cells could be successfully grown on filter paper discs and phenotypically characterized. With this colonies technique, it was possible to identify a novel subset of NK 1.1+ colonies that co-expresses CD3 and shares growth properties with T cell colonies.