Production of acetylcholine receptors from TE671 cells grown on microcarriers

When grown in DMEM supplemented with 10 % fetal calf serum and using Cytodex 3® as microcarriers, TE671 cells entering the stationary phase optimally expressed acetylcholine receptors. These, receptors could be conveniently extracted from cell-saturated, microbeads or monodispersed cells obtained by trypsinization of microbeads. Typically, a 500 ml-batch gave 6–7 pmol of receptors which could be used as antigen to assay anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in the sera of myasthenic patients.