Addition of intact erythrocytes to semisolid agar cultures of murine B cells dramatically improves cloning efficiency and affects colony morphology. In this study, we investigated possible mechanisms through which this might occur. Specific modification of sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) membranes by treatment with trypsin but not other enzymes improved colony potentiation and erythrocytes from rats, mice, and humans were also effective after trypsin treatment. In addition, autoantibody-coated murine erythrocytes were superior to normal cells in this regard. These observations suggest that erythrocytes enhance lymphocyte survival and/or proliferation by means of particular membrane-mediated processes. The possible importance of erythrocytes as scavengers of toxic hydroxyl radicals was also investigated. Deliberately generated radicals formed by addition of dihydroxyfumaric acid and iron were effectively countered by addition of SRBC. More detailed analyses revealed that of several endogenously produced toxic species, hydrogen peroxide may be the most important under ordinary culture conditions. That is, addition of catalase but not superoxide dismutase or mannitol improved cloning efficiency in cultures lacking SRBC. These studies suggest that erythrocytes have a beneficial effect on lymphocyte survival and function in culture through at least two mechanisms.