Properties of teratocarcinoma-thymus somatic cell hybrids.

A series of teratocarcinoma-thymus hybrid cells (PCT hybrids), which had been shown previously to give rise to multidifferentiated tumors and hence to be pluripotent, was tested to see whether these cells resembled their embryonal carcinoma parent in other ways as well. PCT hybrid cells looked like embryonal carcinoma parent in other ways as well. PCT hybrid cells looked like embryonal carcinoma cells by phase contrast and electron microscopy, have high levels of alkaline phosphatase, and fail to express Thy 1 alloantigen (which is present on thymocyte parental cells, but not on embryonal carcinoma cells). PCT hybrids do, however, exhibit H2 antigens, which are present only at very low levels, if at all, on embryonal carcinoma cells.