Re: Sorting Hybridoma Cells

Michael Weaver (weaver@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca)
Tue, 25 Jul 1995 12:11:21 -0700 (PDT)

As far as I know, most immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells have a
very low density of surface immunoglobulin. This appears to be due to
the fact that they have stopped producing the extra transmembrane domain
of the Fc potion of the Ig heavy chain and switched over to synthesis of
the secreted form of the molecule. In effect, they have become little
immunoglobulin factories. I would expect true plasma cells to be
difficult to detect by surface immunoglobulin alone, therefore. Such is
the case with human plasma cell disorders such as multiple myeloma.

I'm not certain whether the same would be true of hybridomas as these
are a manipulated cell line and their differentiation patterns may differ
from those normally found in bone marrow. Just for interest's sake, I
was wondering whether anyone could comment on the phenotype of hybridoma
cell lines and how they compare to plasma cells (which we would expect to
be CD38+, CD56+, PCA-1+, Ig-).

Thanks,

Michael Weaver
6731 Steveston Highway
Richmond, B.C.,
Canada