Selective expression of blood group antigens on human teratocarcinoma cell lines

The presence of the blood group antigens H, P, Pk as well as the T-antigen of Thomsen-Friedenreich (detected by the PNA lectin) was investigated at the surface of human embryonal carcinoma cells and of normal or tumor cell lines from adult individuals by an indirect immunofluorescence method. The PNA lectin binds to all the teratoma cell lines investigated but only occasionally to the adult cell lines. The H antigen was detected by fluorescence only onto the embryonic carcinoma cell PA1, but the H enzyme (2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase) was found catalytically active in all teratoma cells tested: PA1, Susa, Tera I and Tera Ii. Finally, it was also shown that P and Pk antigens are expressed very early during development, prior to HLA and H or ABO.