Question

Hybridoma technique is generally used for the production of

• A. Monoclonal antibody
• B. Bt Toxin
• C. Herbicide Glyphosate
• D. Hybrids micropropagation

Hint:

Hybridoma cells are selected using HAT (Hypoxanthine-Aminopterin-Thymidine) medium. Aminopterin blocks the de novo synthesis of nucleotides, forcing the cells to rely on the salvage pathway. Unfused myeloma cells lack the necessary HGPRT enzyme, while unfused B-cells die naturally, leaving only the fused hybridoma cells to survive.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Antibodies are proteins produced by B-lymphocytes in response to foreign antigens.
While natural immune responses produce a mixture of different antibodies (polyclonal), diagnostic and therapeutic applications require highly uniform, specific antibodies that target a single antigen epitope (monoclonal antibodies).

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The hybridoma technique was developed by Georges Köhler and César Milstein in 1975, earning them a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1984.
This technique is used to produce large quantities of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).
The process involves:
1. Immunizing an animal (such as a mouse) with a target antigen to stimulate its B-lymphocytes to produce antibodies.
2. Extracting these antibody-producing B-cells from the mouse's spleen.
3. Fusing these short-lived B-cells with immortal myeloma cancer cells (which can divide indefinitely in culture) using polyethylene glycol (PEG) to form hybrid cells called hybridomas.
4. Selecting the hybridoma cells using a specialized medium (HAT medium), screening them for the production of the desired antibody, and cloning the selected cells to produce a continuous supply of identical monoclonal antibodies.
The other options are incorrect: Bt toxin is produced by the bacterium *Bacillus thuringiensis*, glyphosate is a synthetic chemical herbicide, and micropropagation is a vegetative plant tissue culture technique.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The hybridoma technique is used for the production of monoclonal antibodies, corresponding to option (A).