Monoclonal antibody production to a B16 melanoma associated antigen.

Eight different rat hybridoma cell lines have been produced which secrete MAbs identifying the melanoma-specific B700 antigen. This antigen has been previously shown to have significant sequence homology to the mammalian serum albumins, but antibodies specifically raised against B700 cross-react only with murine albumin. Each of these MAbs has been shown by Western immunoblotting to recognize an independent epitope on the B700 protein; it is concluded not only that the B700 protein is a highly immunogenic antigen, but also that the sequence homologies between the B700 antigen and murine albumin must occur extensively throughout the molecule.