Cell-cycle-dependent expression of human melanoma membrane antigen analyzed by flow cytometry

✍ Scribed by Stanley P. L. Leong; James L. Bolen; Darwin O. Chee; Vivian R. Smith; Joseph C. Taylor; John R. Benfield; Robert R. Klevecz

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 711 KB
• Volume: 55
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19850315)55:6<1276::aid-cncr2820550621>3.0.co;2-9

✦ Synopsis

Knowledge of tumor antigenic expression is crucial to the design of therapeutic strategy. A murine monoclonal antibody (BE4) against a human melanoma membrane antigen, was used to study the in vitro expression of this antigen. By membrane immunofluorescence, BE4 reacted against 5 of 8 melanoma lines as compared to zero of 13 other cell populations. Using flow cytometry, the antigenic M14 CEM melanoma cells consisted of 40% to 60% of the total cell population. Dual-parameter measurements of DNA content and membrane antigen demonstrated that the nonantigenic cells were predominantly in GO/G1 phase, whereas the antigenic cells were distributed throughout the cell cycle. Within one passage, the sorted and recultured nonantigenic population demonstrated a similar proportion of antigenic cells as the unsorted original population. It was concluded that the expression of human melanoma antigen was cell-cycle-dependent. Understanding factors that turn off the expression of antigen in GO/Gl phase may lead to better immunotherapeutic strategies.