MLC — A Micro‐Modification of the Mixed Leucocyte Culture Technique

Abstract

A micro‐modification of the MLC technique is described, using 5 × 10 4 responding cells per single culture in round bottomed microtiter plates. Over a wide range, there is a linear relation between the number of cells grown per well and the obtained response; and with the number of responding cells chosen, there is a linearity between log dose stimulating cells and response in linear scale. The system normally allows log phase growth (or near to this) for 120 h. The system has primarily been designed for large scale population genetic investigations using X‐rayed stimulator cells stored frozen in the irradiated state. It suits this purpose well, and is comparable with other systems in discrimination between zero, one and two haplotype differences in families. The more refined discriminative power between low and no stimulation remains to be evaluated.