Heterogeneity in surface antigen of cell lines and clones from a murine carcinoma

Cell lines of the murine Lewis lung tumor (3LL) were established from primary tumor site (PT) and from lung metastatic foci (Met). Expression of histocompatibility antigens was assessed by immunofluorescence with an anti-H-2b antibody and by tumorigenicity of the cells in different strains of mice. Analysis for tumor-associated transplantation antigens (TATA) were performed by challenging mice with living tumor cells after pretreatment with irradiated cells or by in vivo tumor neutralization assays with different tumor cells as target cells and T lymphocytes from immunized animals as effector cells. The 3LL tumor was found to be heterogeneous in respect to tumor growth rate in vivo, metastatic capacity in vivo, expression of normal histocompatibility antigens and expression of "TATA". Moreover, monoclonal antibody B1 (H11-115) binding to a Met cell surface antigen, but not to normal cells, was obtained. The antibody bound to 3LL tumor cell lines from primary tumor (PTH, PTV), from a mixture of metastatic foci (MetH, MetV), from different metastatic foci originating from 3 different mice, and to 21 subclones derived from one of the lines established from a metastatic focus. Analysis of the 3LL sublines demonstrated a significant antigenic heterogeneity within each tumor population as well as among the different sublines.