Abstract
The monoclonal antibody productivity of cell culture systems is strongly dependent on the maintenance of hybridoma cell viability. We report that partial (<50%) and transient (3 h) inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide or deprivation of an essential amino acid induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in B cell hybridomas. This unusual mechanism of apoptosis induction is likely to play a significant role in limiting cell viability in batch and perfusion cultures of hybridomas and emphasizes the importance of constantly maintaining a near optimal rate of macromolecular synthesis by optimization of all culture parameters. Inhibition of apoptosis in hybridomas by cell engineering and other technologies should permit, in the near future, a significant increase in the antibody productivity of existing cell culture systems.
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Abbreviations
- CHX:
-
cycloheximide
- EDTA:
-
ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- FBS:
-
fetal bovine serum
- MEM:
-
minimum essential medium
- PBS:
-
phosphate buffered saline
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Perreault, J., Lemieux, R. Essential role of optimal protein synthesis in preventing the apoptotic death of cultured B cell hybridomas. Cytotechnology 13, 99–105 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00749936
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00749936