Biochemical and genetic characterization of the HBA71 Ewing's sarcoma cell surface antigen

Monoclonal antibody HBA71 detects a cell surface antigen of human Ewing's sarcomas and peripheral neuroepitheliomas that distinguishes these tumors from other small round cell tumors of childhood and adolescence. In the present study, we show that monoclonal antibody HBA71 reacts with polypeptides of Mr 32,000 and 30,000 and that the HBA71-coding gene segregates with human chromosomes X and Y in rodent-human hybrids. Therefore, we compared HBA71 to the T-cell leukemia antigen 12E7, which is encoded by the pseudoautosomal region of chromosomes X and Y. We show that monoclonal antibodies HBA71 and 12E7 (a) detect polypeptides of identical size, (b) react with mouse cells transfected with complementary DNA corresponding to the 12E7-coding gene, MIC2, and (c) give similar patterns of reactivity with human tumor cell lines and small round cell tumor tissues. Thus, HBA71 and 12E7 are identical or closely related antigens and the available MIC2 probes will facilitate analysis of the molecular mechanisms that determine differential HBA71 expression in small round cell tumors of childhood and adolescence.