H-2Kb transfection of B16 melanoma cells results in reduced tumourigenicity and metastatic competence.

The metastatic B16 mouse melanoma shows a low cell surface expression of H-2Kb and H-2Db class I antigens on cells of both the high-metastatic line B16-F10 and the low-metastatic line B16-F1. Similarly, newly generated clones of these lines, having different metastatic properties, all express low levels of major histocompatibility antigens. One of these clones, the high-metastatic F10.9, was transfected with H-2Kb genes to generate H-2Kb-expressing transfectants. The resulting clones showed reduced tumourigenicity and a low metastatic phenotype. Unlike the parental cells, H-2Kb-positive transfectants are potent inducers and sensitive targets of H-2Kb-restricted syngeneic cytotoxic T cells. Immunization of mice with H-2Kb-positive transfectants conferred protection against a subsequent challenge with Kb-positive transfectants but had only a small effect on growth and metastatic spread of parental cells.