Characterization of Ia8 antigen, thy-1.2 antigen, complement receptors, and virus production in a group of murine virus-induced leukemia cell lines.

Ia8, a cell membrane antigen controlled by gene(s) located in the I region of the H-2 complex, was found on 9 of 26 murine leukemia cell lines. Iaddition, 3 of the 9 Ia8-bearing lines had a membrane receptor for antigen-antibody-complement complexes. Six of 26 lines bore the Thy-1.2 antigen. Ia8 and Thy-1.2 antigens were mutually exclusive on the cell lines studied. The strain of virus used to induce the leukemia, the H-2 type of the cells, and the techniques of leukemia cell propagation all appeared to influence the antigenic characteristics of the cell lines obtained. Production of infectious murine leukemia virus in vitro and expression of leukemia virus-induced membrane antigens did not appear to correlate with the presence of I8 or Thy-1.2 antigens or with the H-2 type of the cells.