Independence of chicken major histocompatibility antigens and tumor-associated antigen on the surface of herpesvirus-induced lymphoma cells.

Capping of chicken major histocompatibility (MHC) antigens on normal thymus, spleen, and peripheral blood leukocytes was demonstrated, although MHC antigens appeared to be present on only 15 to 18% of normal thymus cells. MHC antigen capping also occurred on cells from a Marek's disease herpesvirus-induced transplantable lymphoma (MDCT-NYM1). Capping of a Marek's disease tumor-associated surface antigen (MATSA) could be induced on MDCT-NYM1 lymphoma cells as well as on cells of two Marek's disease in vitro lymphoblastoid cell lines (MDCC-MSB1 and MDCC-LS1). Cocapping of MHC antigens and MATSA did not occur on MDCT-NYM1 lymphoma cells. The results suggest that MHC antigens and MATSA are not structurally associated on the cell membrane.