Serological characterisation of Marek's disease tumour-associated surface antigens on Marek's disease lymphoma cells and on cell lines derived from Marek's disease lymphomas.

Antisera produced in rabbits against Marek's disease lymphoma cells and against four lymphoma-derived cell lines (HPRS lines 1 and 2, MSB-1 and RPL-1) appeared, after extensive absorption with normal chicken cells, to react specifically by indirect immunofluorescent staining with antigens unique to Marek's disease tumour cells. The antigens present on the four cell lines were shown by antiserum titration and absorption tests to be related but not identical. The possibility is discussed that cellular transformation by Marek's disease virus involves the modification of a normal lymphocyte antigen and the modification of different allotypes of this antigen results in related but not identical neoantigens.