Ability of Human Hematopoietic Cell Lines to Form Colonies in Soft Agar

Abstract

Summary The ability of human hematopoietic cell lines to form colonies in semisolid agar has been studied. Cloning efficiencies were as follows: 2 Burkitt lymphoma cell lines, over 70%, and a third, 18%; 2 myeloma cell lines, 40% and 11%, respectively; and 2 leukemia cell lines, 20% and 18%, respectively. In contrast, 6 cell lines derived from normal persons and 1 from a patient with Wegener's granulomatosis had cloning efficiencies below 4.5%. Doubling time and the presence or absence of the “leukovirus” (a herpes-type virus) did not affect cloning efficiencies. There was some evidence that abnormal chromosome constitution and the synthesis of an abnormal end product were correlated with a greater cloning efficiency. Cloning efficiency may be useful in distinguishing between “normal” and “abnormal” human hematopoietic cell lines.