Growth-Stimulating Effect of Ferric Citrate on Hybridoma Cells: Characterization and Relation to Transferrin Function

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Abstract
The growth of mouse hybridomas in the defined medium with ferric citrate at the optimum growth-stimulating concentration of 500 μM in place of transferrin is fully comparable with the growth in the medium with transferrin at the optimum concentration of 5 μg/ml. Experiments with monoclonal antibody to mouse transferrin receptor demonstrate that the growth-stimulating effect of ferric citrate is not based on the action of residual transferrin or the action of transferrin secreted by hybridoma cells. Such growth-stimulating effect is specific for iron compounds while other metal trace elements are ineffective. Hybridoma cells can absorb iron from medium containing iron salt without the presence of transferrin.