Different expression of Lyt differentiation antigens and cell surface glycoproteins by a murine T lymphoma line and its highly metastatic variant.

Cloned lines of the methylcholanthrene-induced DBA/2 T lymphoma Eb and its highly metastatic variant line ESb were analyzed for differences in the expression of serologically detectable cell surface differentiation markers. Flow cytofluorographic analysis of cells stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated monoclonal rate anti-mouse Thy-1, Lyt-1, Lyt-2 and complement-dependent cytotoxicity with mouse alloantisera against Lyt-3.2 and Ly-6.2 revealed, for the parental low metastasizing line, Eb, a phenotype of Thy-1+, Lyt-1-, Lyt-2+, Lyt-3+, Ly-6+, whereas the highly metastasizing variant line typed as Thy-1-, Lyt-1+, Lyt-2-, Lyt-3-, Ly-6-. Analysis of galactose oxidase/NaB3H4-labeled glycoproteins from Eb and ESb clones by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate showed further phenotypic differences. Selective binding of radiolabeled glycoproteins to Helix pomatia or Vicia villosa-Sepharose, respectively, allowed the identification of T130 to be expressed on Eb cells and T145 to be expressed on some ESb clones. The latter antigen is expressed on murine cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Immune precipitation analysis revealed that Eb and ESb bear different molecular forms of the T200 antigen. Comparisons of iodinated surface proteins derived from tumor cells either treated or untreated with tunicamycin indicated that many of the differences in membrane proteins between Eb and ESb cells could be attributed to differences in glycosylation. Our results, derived from a defined tumor system of lymphoid origin, show that the progression from a low to a high malignant tumor line can be associated with changes in the expression of various defined cell surface differentiation antigens. The question of a possible relationship between tumor progression and cell differentiation or dedifferentiation is discussed.