Inflammatory response induced with an isolated syngeneic activation antigen shared by normal lymphoblasts and YAC...

An immunogenic protein with an identical Mr (64 kDa) was isolated from syngeneic concanavalin A-induced lymphoblasts (syn-Con A-blasts) and YAC lymphoma cells, both derived from A mice. The 64-kDa protein was purified by a sequence of biochemical steps: Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography in a fast protein liquid chromatography system, Con A-Sepharose affinity chromatography, and preparative gel electrophoresis. The immunogenic fraction isolated in each step was moved to the next one, and so on. The immunogenicity of the separated fractions was measured by a lymph node proliferation (LNP) assay, which is indicative of a delayed-type hypersensitivity response. For instance, the final 64-kDa isolated protein of the syn-Con A-blasts induced an efficient LNP response in A mice which was detected after challenge with the final 64-kDa isolated protein of YAC cells. In addition to their identical molecular weight, both proteins were eluted at the same ionic strength and both expressed affinity to Con A-Sepharose beads, suggesting that they were glycosilated. Similar 64-kDa proteins were isolated by a different purification procedure, which was performed in the presence of protease inhibitors, excluding the possibility that the final antigen was an autodigested product. As the 64-kDa protein is immunogenic in the syngeneic host, it may be employed as a immunotherapeutic reagent against the original tumor and perhaps against other tumors expressing the same antigen.