Establishment of rat-mouse T cell hybridomas that constitutively produce a soluble factor that is needed for the generation of cytotoxic cells: biochemical and functional characterization.

Spleen cells from Lewis rats were cultured with 4 micrograms/ml Con A. These cells were then fused with BW 5147 mouse T lymphoma cells. Two hybrid clones (6B2-B8 and 6B2-E6) obtained by fusion formed CGF effectively. It was found that hybrid cells can be boosted to produce higher levels of CGF upon stimulation with Con A. 6B2-B8 express rat T cell markers. CGF formed by 6B2-B8 had a m.w. of 23,000 and 40,000. CGF was eluted from a Mono Q anion-exchange column with an FPLC system at 0.4 to 0.6 M NaCl as a major peak and at 0.8 M NaCl as a minor peak. CGF was eluted as three peaks with pH 4.1, 4.8, and 5.2 from a Mono P chromatofocusing column. CGF from 6B2-B8 does not contain IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, or CSF.