Immunoglobulin expression on theta-positive leukemic cells in AKR/J mice.

The expression of surface immunoglobulin was studied on cells of theta-positive AKR leukemia during repeated weekly passages of ascitic cells. It could be shown that the percentage of Ig-positive cells varied considerably (0-25%) and that this was accompanied by variations in the expression of theta-antigen on the cell surface. This was interpreted as repression and derepression of genes coding for surface antigen possibly at the translational level.