title: Tumor cell variants obtained by mutagenesis of a Lewis lung carcinoma cell line: immune rejection by syngeneic mice.
abstract: It has been reported that, by mutagenesis of a malignant mouse teratocarcinoma cell line, it is possible to obtain cell variants that are incapable of forming progressive tumors in syngeneic mice. These variants, which were called "tum-," are eliminated from the host by an immune rejection process. We report here that similar variant cell clones can be obtained at high frequency from a Lewis lung carcinoma cell line treated with the mutagen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Syngeneic C57BL/6 mice reject these tum- clones and acquire a strong radioresistant immune protection against the immunizing clone. When the challenging tum- clone differs from the immunizing clone, a weaker radioresistant immune protection can be demonstrated with some, but not all, combinations. All the tum- clones induce a significant protection against the original Lewis lung malignant cells. These results imply that each Lewis lung tum- variant carries on its surface a singular antigen in addition to one or more weak antigens already present on the original tumor cell line. This antigenic pattern is similar to that found on teratocarcinoma tum- variants. Our results suggest that the procedure of using a mutagen in order to generate tum- variants carrying new transplantation antigens may be generally applicable to cancer cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009154:Mutation / Q000187:drug effects; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic
chemical_list: D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine