Transport of osmoprotective compounds in hybridoma cells exposed to hyperosmotic stress

Addition of osmoprotective compounds has a positive effect on growth and monoclonal antibody production in hyperosmotic hybridoma cell cultures. In order to better understand the processes involved in the osmoprotective response, uptake of the osmoprotective compounds glycine betaine, proline, sarcosine and glycine in mouse hybridoma cell line 6H11 during exposure to hyperosmotic stress was studied. Hyperosmotic stress (510 mOsmol/kg) was introduced through the addition of NaCl (100 mM) to the growth medium, and amino acid transport activity was measured immediately after transfer of the cells to the hyperosmotic medium. The osmoprotective capability of the four osmoprotectants tested was negatively affected if methylaminosobutyric acid (MeAiB), a specific substrate for amino acid transport system A, was simultaneously included in the hyperosmotic medium in equimolar amounts with one of the osmoprotective compounds. This was due to accumulation of MeAiB in the stressed cells, giving a significant reduction in the concentration of the osmoprotective compound inside the cells. Furthermore, addition of excess meAiB gave approx. 905 reduction in the initial rate of uptake of glycine betaine, while 40–50% reduction in the initial rate of uptake of proline, glycine and sarcosine. Similarly, addition of proline, glycine or sarcosine also gave a significant reduction in the initial rate of glycine betaine uptake. These results suggest that the four osmoprotective compounds share, at least in part, a common, MeAiB inhibitable carrier for transport into osmotically stressed hybridoma cells. This carrier is probably equal to amino acid transport system A.