Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) expression in somatic cell hybrids.

Five hybrids (LSB) were formed between LS174T, a human CEA-producing colonic tumor cell line, and BU25.CAPr, a HeLa derivative which does not produce CEA. All five hybrids produce CEA, but less per cell than LS174T. Approximately 10% of the chromosomes have been lost from these hybrids. In an attempt to map the gene(s) coding for the protein moiety of CEA, 7 LSPG and 28 LSR hybrids were formed between LS174T and PG19, an mouse melanoma cell line, and LS174T and RAG, a mouse kidney adenocarcinoma cell line, respectively. These hybrids retain between 4 and 21 human chromosomes, and each human chromosome is represented in at least seven hybrids. Two hybrids appeared to produce trace amounts of CEA. These results might represent repression by the mouse genome of CEA production or the production of a structurally abnormal CEA molecule.