Concanavalin A-inducible, interleukin-2-producing T cell hybridoma.

The fusion of an AKR T cell tumor line to normal B6D2F1, T cells resulted in the production of a cloned T cell hybridoma (FS6-14.13) inducible with the mitogen concanavalin A (Con A). The supernate from Con A-stimulated hybridoma cells was active both in the stimulation of an anti-sheep red blood cell response by partially T cell-depleted B cells and in the stimulation of the growth of antigen-specific T cell blasts. The active principle in both assays had a molecular weight of approximately 30-40,000. These results indicated the presence of interleukin 2 (IL2) in the hybridoma supernate. The activity of the hybridoma supernate in B cell responses was dependent on the presence of adherent cells and a few contaminating T cells. On the other hand, Con A-stimulated supernates from normal spleen cells were active after either adherent cell removal or severe T cell depletion. These results suggested that IL2 was the only active helper factor in the hybridoma supernate, but that additional helper factors were present in supernates from Con A-stimulated normal spleen cells.