title: High frequency of loss of human kappa light chain expression in mouse-human heterohybridomas.
abstract: The expression of human immunoglobulin (Ig) chains in human-mouse heterohybridomas was investigated on the days after cell fusion. Heterohybridomas were made by fusion of mediastinal lymphocytes from lung carcinoma patients and murine (BALB/c) myeloma P3U1. Most (more than 76%) of heterohybridomas easily lost the light chain rather than the heavy chain expression in the early stages after cell fusion. Frequency of loss of kappa-chain expression was predominant, whereas the expression of heavy chain and lambda-chain was rather stable in comparison with that of kappa-chain. These were also confirmed at the clonal level, demonstrating that only lambda-chain but not kappa-chain producers were successfully enriched. In fact some heterohybridomas producing human Ig of lambda-chain type established were found to be quite stable for more than 2 years without any recloning procedures.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology*; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains