In vitro differentiation of human melanoma cells analyzed with monoclonal antibodies

Many monoclonal antibodies (MABs) have been produced against cell surface molecules of melanoma cells, and these reagents might help in the definition of stages of differentiation of the normal and the malignant cells. In an attempt to detect MAB-defined determinants that modulate with differentiation, we treated nonpigmented human melanoma cells with the tumor promotor 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) at 16 nM. Differentiation could be induced in all 4 cell lines, as evidenced by growth retardation, development of projections, and induction of melanin or of premelanosomes in the projections as detected by transmission electron microscopy. Of the 9 MAB-defined cell surface antigens, three were shown to modulate with TPA-induced differentiation, as assessed by fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. Antigens detected by MABs 15.75 and 15.95 decreased in every one of the four cells after TPA induction of differentiation. The proteoglycan defined by 225.28S increased slightly in one, showed no change in another, and decreased in the remaining two. These three MAB-defined molecules thus are linked to differentiation and might help in designing a scheme of differentiation of the melanocyte lineage.