Immunocytochemical localization in normal and transformed human cells in tissue culture using a monoclonal antibody to the src protein of the Harvey strain of murine sarcoma virus.

Using a rat monoclonal antibody directed against the p21 src protein of the Harvey strain of Murine Sarcoma Virus (MSV), we have examined the reactivity of human cells in tissue culture using immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Qualitative results indicated that untransformed mouse and human fibroblastic cells have undetectable amounts of p21; these levels were greatly increased after transformation with Harvey MSV. A group of human tumor cell lines adapted to tissue culture were examined and almost all of the epithelial tumor lines showed significant localization with this antibody. Notable exceptions were two melanoma cell lines which were negative for p21 by immunofluorescence. When normal human epithelial cells derived from esophageal or foreskin epithelium were examined, the antibody showed significant reactivity with subconfluent growing cells. After the normal cells were allowed to become quiescent, the reactivity with this antibody decreased. All of the localization seen by fluorescence was in a distribution consistent with the previously demonstrated location of p21 scr on the inner aspect of the plasma membrane. Electron microscope localization showed labeling for this antigen on the inner surface of the plasma membrane in both transformed mouse cells and in the human tumor cell lines MCF-7 and HTB-2 (RT4). These results suggest that the amounts of p21-like proteins detectable in human epithelial tumor cells do not necessarily reflect their malignant potential, but may be related to their epithelial nature. The loss of detectable localization at quiescence suggests that p21 levels decrease when these epithelial cells stop growing, and raises the possibility that an analog of p21 may be used by these human epithelial cells to regulate cell growth.