Biological activities of solubilized surface antigens of embryonic and polyoma-virus-transformed cells.

Various antigenic activities of polyoma virus-transformed and embryonic mouse cells were retained after 3M KCl solubilization of surface components. Particularly, transplantation antigen (TSTA) demonstrated by homograft rejection, and surface (S) antigen, detected by inhibition of immunofluorescence on polyoma-virus-transformed mouse cells, could be demonstrated. The crude soluble extracts were partially purified by salting out with (NH4)2SO4. In the case of polyoma-virus-transformed cells, TSTA and a part of S antigen activity were found in the same fraction (60% (NH4)2SO4 saturation) while another part of S antigen was salted out at 80% saturation. By chromatography, S antigen activity was found in 2 zones for transformed cells and in one zone for embryonic cells. One of these zones was common to both cell extracts.