Separation and characterization of two component tumor lines within the AKR lymphoma, AKTB-1, by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and flow microfluorometry analysis. I. the coexistence of sIg+ and sIg- sublines.

The AKTB-1 tumor line, previously described as having both T and B cell characteristics, was separated by electronic cell sorting (ECS) on a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) on the basis of surface immunoglobulin (sIg). This resulted in 2 distinct sIg+ and sIg- subpopulations, which were transferred in graded doses (10(1) to 10(3)) into groups of normal AKR animals. The resulting splenic tumor cells were analyzed at several time points by flow microfluorometry for surface characteristics (sIg, Thy 1, Lyt 2, and Ly9) and by erythrocyte-antibody rosetting for FcR. Two distinct sublines were identifiable--one of which was sIg+, FcR-, Thy 1.1+, Lyt 2.1+, PNA+, Ly9+ and the other of which was sIg+, FcR+, Thy 1.1-, Lyt 2.1-, PNA-, Ly 9+. When these 2 sublines, generated by ECS fractionation and high dilution transfer, were serially transferred at high doses (10(5)), they maintained their unique characteristics as distinct sublines, now designated AKTB-1t and AKTB-1b.