GENETIC AND BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF A MURINE HYBRIDOMA IN LONG-TERM CONTINUOUS CULTURE

Abstract Multilocus DNA-fingerprinting was used to monitor the genomic stability of a murine hybridoma grown in a CSTR for 83 days. Minor changes in the fingerprint were observed by day 20 with additional changes seen by day 83. The values of Qs mAb at the beginning and end of the culture were not significantly different, neither was there a change in product heterogeneity as shown by IEF affinity immunoblot analysis. There was no change in either the isotype or specificity of the mAb during the culture. Therefore the genetic drift was not associated with marked changes in the product. The minor genetic drift observed by DNA-fingerprinting in long-term continuous cultures is therefore probably not significant.