Serological and immunochemical analysis of the specificity of xenoantiserum 8986 elicited with hybrids between human melanoma cells and murine fibroblasts.

Antisera were elicited in rabbits with hybrids derived from the fusion of human melanoma cells with murine fibroblasts. Following absorption with cultured human lymphoid cells, Xenoantiserum 8986 reacts with cultured human melanoma cells and other tumors of nonlymphoid origin. Rosette inhibition assays showed that the xenoantiserum reacts with structures which carry the determinants recognized by the monoclonal antibodies 165.28T and 653.25N and which are recognized by a xenoantiserum elicited with cultured human melanoma cells. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the immune complexes formed by reacting spent medium of cultured melanoma cells with Xenoantiserum 8986 showed that the antiserum contains antibodies reacting with a M.W. 240,000 melanoma-associated antigen and a M.W. 94,000 melanoma-associated antigen.