Molecular basis of a unique tumor antigen of radiation leukemia virus-induced leukemia B6RV2: its relation to MuLV gp70 of xenotropic class.

Hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies that reacted with the B6 radiation leukemia virus (RadLV)-induced leukemia B6RV2 were produced by fusion of BALB/c NS-1 myeloma cells with spleen cells from (BALB/c X B6)F1 mice immunized with B6RV2. By direct and absorption analyses with 28 B6 and BALB/c leukemias, the monoclonal antibodies NU7-4 and NU7-99 were shown to react only with B6RV2, indicating that they recognized an individually distinct antigen on B6RV2 that was identified previously with conventional (BALB/c X B6)F1 anti-B6RV2 serum. Another monoclonal antibody, NU1-132, showed relatively restricted reactivity with B6 RadLV leukemias. These three monoclonal antibodies all precipitated material of approximately 80,000 daltons, which is the same size as that precipitated by anti-xenotropic MuLV gp70 serum. Sequential immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that the molecules precipitated by NU7-4 were not removed by pretreatment of NU7-99 or NU1-132 and that the molecules precipitated by NU7-99 were not removed by NU7-4 or NU1-132. The molecules precipitated by NU1-132 were partially removed by pretreatment with NU7-4, but not with NU7-99. The molecules precipitated by these three monoclonal antibodies were removed by pretreatment with anti-xenotropic gp70. These results suggested heterogeneity of the xenotropic MuLV gp70-related molecules expressed on B6RV2 and a possible relation between serologically defined unique tumor antigens and gp70-related molecules.