XENOGENIZATION OF A MOUSE LUNG-CARCINOMA (3LL) BY TRANSFECTION WITH AN ALLOGENEIC CLASS-I MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX GENE (H-2LD)

  • 15 June 1987
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 47  (12) , 3136-3140
Abstract
We investigated the tumorigenicity and immunogenicity of tumor cells transfected with an allogeneic class I major histocompatibility complex gene. A single clone (3LL/3) from a Lewis lung carcinoma in the C57BL/6 strain (H-2b) was cotransfected with a BALB/c genomic clone containing an H-2Ld gene and a bacterial neo gene conferring resistance to G418. Three Ld-positive, three Ld-negative, and two Neor clones were selected by means of a 125I-protein A binding assay using an anti-H-2Ld monoclonal antibody. The antigenic expression of the H-2Ld gene products was only 20-40% on the Ld-positive clones compared with Meth-A tumor cells of BALB/c mice. The 50% lethal tumor dose of these clones in C57BL/6 mice was 5.6 .times. 106 in the Ld-positive clones, but only 1.3 .times. 105 in the 3LL/3 parent clone, 1.2 .times. 105 in the Neor clones, and 2.2 .times. 105 in the Ld-negative clones. The tumorigenicity of the Ld-positive clones was, therefore, reduced to less than 1/40 of that of the parent tumor cells. The decreased tumorigenicity of the Ld-positive clones was abrogated in mice irradiated with 600 rads. After inoculation and spontaneous regression of the viable Ld-positive clone cells, the mice acquired transplantation resistance against the challenge of a parental 3LL/3 tumor. However, the immunogenicity variation between Ld-positive, Ld-negative, Neor, and 3LL/3 parent clones showed no statistical difference. These results indicate that tumor cells transfected with an allogeneic class 1 H-2 gene can express an H-2 foreign antigen, can regress in syngeneic hosts, and can induce antitumor transplantation resistance against the original tumors, although they are not able to enhance their immunogenicity.

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