Purification and characterization of a monoclonal T-cell suppressor factor specific for poly(LGlu60LAla30LTyr10).

Abstract
A monoclonal T cell-derived suppressor factor specific for the terpolymer poly(LGlu60LAla30LTyr10) [L-glutamic acid60, L-alanine30, L-tyrosine10] produced by the [mouse] T-cell hybridoma 258 C4.4, was purified to homogeneity. This was accomplished by fractionation of the culture medium by using a combination of affinity chromatography and reverse-phase and ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. The purified factor is composed of a single MW 24,000 polypeptide chain, and the homogeneous protein maintains the ability to suppress antibody and T-cell proliferative responses to poly(LGlu60LAla30LTyr10) specifically. The specific activity of pure suppressor factor is calculated to be 8 .times. 107 units/.mu.g.