Selection of Cell Lines in Tissue Culture by the Use of Cytotoxic Antisera

Abstract

THE cytotoxic action of antisera against nucleoproteins isolated from HeLa, H.Ep. No. 1 and MCN cells has been previously reported from this laboratory^1,2. Of particular significance was the observation that only cell lines exhibiting epithelial-like morphology (Ep. L) were destroyed by the HeLa and H.Ep. No. 1 antisera, while cells with fibroblast-like morphology (Fb. L) were affected only by the MCN antisera. Consistently, cultures of susceptible cells were completely destroyed by a 1 : 50 dilution of cytotoxic antisera in the presence of guinea pig complement. During the course of these investigations, an established strain of human amnion cells was encountered the behaviour of which toward HeLa and MCN antisera was different from that of cell lines previously examined. A fraction of the cell population was resistant to the MCN antiserum and a fraction was resistant to the HeLa antiserum, even when the antisera were employed at 1 : 4 dilution. It is the purpose of this communication to report the selection of two cell lines from the human amnion strain. These two sublines can be distinguished on the basis of their morphological characteristics, their capacity to support virus multiplication, and their sensitivity to the HeLa and MCN antisera.