Role of iron chelators in growth-promoting effect on mouse hybridoma cells in a chemically defined medium

Summary The role of various iron chelators on the multiplication of mouse hybridoma cells in an albumin-free, transferrin-deficient defined medium was investigated. Fe(III)-dihydroxyethylglycine, Fe(III)-glycylglycine, Fe(III)-ethylenediamine-N,N′-dipropionic acid, or Fe(III)-iminodiacetic acid supported the excellent growth of the cells. In addition, the growth of the iron-starved cells, which had been preincubated in a protein-, iron- and chelator-free defined medium, restored rapidly when the medium was supplemented with holotransfeerrin, ferric iron, and chelator compared to that when supplemented with holotransferin, but without iron and chelator. The results suggest that such chelators modulate a progression of transferrn cycle in the presence of transferin and ferric iron. An alternative explantation is that there is a decrease in generation of iron-catalyzed free radicals.