Co-expression of mouse and rat haemoglobins in interspecific hybrids of mouse and at erythroleukemia cells

Abstract

A modified technique for cell fusion with lysolecithin-lipid emulsions was used to generate hybrid erythroleukemia cell lines from Friend leukemia mouse cells (FLC) and chemically transformed rat erythroleukemia cells. Chromosome analysis of the hybrid cells showed the presence of both parental genomes even after long culture periods. The hybrids were still able to undergo erythroid differentiation after dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) stimulation. Analysis of the globin chains from the DMSO-stimulated cells showed that both the rat and the mouse erythroid phenotypes were expressed. This demonstrates the compatibility of the regulatory genetic elements for the control of erythroid differentiation in cell hybrids of erythroleukemic populations from different species.