Resistance to murine leukemia in mice receiving simultaneous injections of syngeneic hybrid and parental neoplastic cells

(A/J x C3H/HeJ)F1 mice (H-2a/k) exhibit no apparent resistance to the malignant proliferation of ASL-1 leukemia cells (H-2a), a spontaneously occurring neoplasm of A/J mouse origin. The period of survival after injections of ASL-1 cells is related to the number of cells introduced into the susceptible host. (A/J x C3H/HeJ)F1 mice receiving viable ASL-1 cells along with ASL-1 x LM(TK)- somatic hybrid cells (H-2a/k), syngeneic with the recipients, survived for statistically significant (p less than 0.001), longer periods than did mice receiving ASL-1 cells alone. Mice receiving ASL-1 and ASL-1 x LM(TK)- hybrid cells together survived for approximately twice as long as animals receiving ASL-1 cells alone. Mice receiving ASL-1 cells followed by hybrid cells survived for longer periods as well, but the therapeutic effects were less successful. ASL-1 x LM(TK)- hybrid cells are rejected after forming localized tumors by the immunocompetent F1 mice. In some instances, F1 animals previously rejecting hybrid cells and challenged subsequently with ASL-1 cells along with a second injection of hybrid cells survived indefinitely. The passive transfer of partial immunity to the leukemic cells could be achieved by injections of spleen cells from F1 mice that had rejected hybrid cells previously. Similar results were obtained for (A/J x C3H/HeJ)F1 mice receiving RADA-1 cells (H-2a), a radiation-induced leukemic line of A/J origin, along with RADA-1 x LM(TK)- hybrid cells (H-2a/k). The partial immunity induced by these lines of hybrid cells was cross-reactive: mice injected with ASL-1 cells and RADA-1 x LM(TK)- hybrid cells survived for prolonged periods, and vice versa.

The effect of specific antiserum on the metabolism of three membrane-associated antigens of ASL-1 x LM(TK)- hybrid cells

Fusion of ASL-1 cells, a murine leukemia forming thymus leukemia (TL) antigens, with LM(TK)- cells, a TL(--) murine cell line, resulted in a stable hybrid forming TL antigens. The hybrids failed to undergo modulation, the reversible dissappearance of TL antigens from the surfaces of the cells, stimulated by TL antiserum. Unlike ASL-1 cells, the rate of disappearance of the antigens from modulation negative hydrid cells was unaffected by TL antiserum. The t 1/2 of TL antigens of the hybrid was approximately 30 h. The t 1/2 of TL antigens of ASL-1 cells was 10 h in the presence of TL antiserum, 18 h in the absence of TL antiserum. The rate of metabolism of a putative tumor-associated antigen of ASL-1 cells formed by the hybrid was unaffected by exposure to specific antiserum, as was the metabolism of H-2 antigens formed by the cell types.

Resistance to murine leukemia in mice rejecting syngeneic somatic hybrid cells

(A/J X C3H/HeJ) F1 mice reject somatic cell hybrids of ASL-1 cells (A origin) and LM(TK)- cells (C3H origin), but die from leukemia within 10 days after the inoculation of approximately 10(6) viable ASL-1 cells. Mice rejecting hybrid cells survive for prolonged periods after challenge with otherwise lethal numbers of ASL-1 cells. The hybrid cells, rejected by syngeneic F1 recipients, retained their oncogenic potential as determined by the appearance and progressive growth of tumors in immunologically deficient nu/nu mice injected with the cells. Similar results were obtained using hybrids of a radiation-induced cell line (RADA-1), maintained by serial transfer in strain A mice and LM(TK)- cells. Syngeneic mice injected with RADA-1 X LM(TK)- cells failed to form tumors. Mice rejecting RADA-1 X LM(TK)- hybrid cells survived for prolonged periods after challenge with otherwise lethal numbers of RADA-1 cells.

Complement sensitivity of somatic hybrids of a complement-resistant murine leukemia cell line

RADA-1 cells (H-2a), a murine leukemia cell line maintained by serial transfer in histocompatible recipients expressing thymus-leukemia (TL) 1, 2, 3 antigenic determinants, resisted the cytotoxic effects of guinea pig complement (GPC) and TL antiserum. The cells expressed a lower density of TL antigens than did ASL-1 cells, another TL(+) leukemia cell line expressing the same determinants and susceptible to complement (C)-mediated lysis. Stable somatic cell hybrids of RADA-1 cells and LM(TK)- cells (H2k), a TL(minus) thymidine kinase-deficient mutant of mouse L cells, were selected in hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine medium. The hybrid cells expressed the H-2 antigens of both parents and shared a hybrid karyotype. They formed TL 1, 2, 3 antigens as determined by immunofluorescence, mixed hemagglutination methods, the direct isolation of TL antigens from Nonidet P40 extracts of the cells, and the capacity of the cells to reduce by absorption the known titers of TL antiserum. These hybrid cells lost the capacity to resist lysis by TL antiserum and GPC. They were susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of TL 1, 2, 3; TL 2; OR TL 1, 3 antiserum and GPC, even though the density of TL antigens associated with the cells was approximately 25% of their resistant RADA-1 parental cells. These results indicated that the mechanism of resistance to C-mediated lysis was genetically separable from the expression of TL antigens by the cells and that the susceptibility of the cells to the cytotoxic effects of antiserum was related only in part to the density of TL antigens expressed by the cells.

Detection of a TL(+) murine leukemia cell line that resists the cytotoxic effects of guinea pig complement and specific antiserum

RADA-1 cells [H-2a thy-1b; thymus-leukemia (TL) 1, 2, 3], a radiation-induced murine leukemia cell line maintained by serial transfer in histocompatible recipients, resisted lysis by guinea pig complement (GPC) and TL 1, 3; TL 2; or TL 1, 2, 3 antiserum. The cells expressed TL antigenic specificities as determined by indirect fluorescent antibody methods, the direct isolation of TL antigens from the cells, and the capacity of the cells to reduce known titers of TL antisera. GPC was consumed to the same extent during the reaction of resistant cells and TL antisera as occurred in the reaction of sensitive cells (killed under similar conditions) and TL antisera. RADA-1 cells were not nonspecifically resistant to complement (C)-mediated lysis; they were killed in the presence of H-2a antiserum and GPC. The TL antisera contained antibodies for TL determinants. They stimulated the C-mediated lysis of ASL-1 cells (TL 1, 2, 3) and thymocytes from strain A mice (TL 1, 2, 3). The TL antigens of resistant RADA-1 cells underwent antigenic modulation, the reversible disappearance of TL antigens from the cells stimulated by specific antiserum. After the cells were treated with neuraminidase, they became susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of aliquots of the same TL antisera and GPC used previously.

Somatic hybrid of thymus leukemia (

A somatic hybrid of ASL-1 leukemia cells [H-2a, thymus leukemia (TL)1,2,3, Thy-1b] and LM(TK)-cells [H-2-k, TL(-), Thy-1 (-), thymidine kinase deficient] was formed with the aid of inactivated Sendai virus. The selection of hybrid cell clones was facilitated by the inability of ASL-1 cells to grow in vitro and of LM(TK)-cells to survive in hypoxanthine/amethopterin/thymidine medium. The H-2 antigens of both parental cells were formed in approximately equivalent amounts by the hybrid cells, and they possessed a hybrid karyotype. As determined by five independent experimental procedures (antibody and complement-mediated cytotoxicity tests, the reduction of specific antibody activity of antiserum of known titer, immunofluorescent tests, mixed hemagglutination tests, and their direct isolation), TL antigens but not Thy-1 antigens were formed by the hybrid cells. TL antigens of the hybrids failed to undergo modulation under conditions leading to the modulation of TL antigens of parental ASL-1 cells. Modulation was attempted with TL 1,3, TL 2, or TL 1,2,3 antisera of high titer. thybrid cells were incubated for up to 30 hr in medium with TL antisera. Both direct and indirect immune methods were attempted. These results indicate that cellular mechanisms controlling the expression of TL antigens may be distinguished from the capacity of the cells to undergo modulation.