O-acetylation of disialoganglioside GD3 by human melanoma cells creates a unique antigenic determinant.
Monoclonal antibody Mab D1.1 recognizes on human melanoma cells a ganglioside antigen characterized by an alkali-labile O-acetylated sialic acid residue. Immunochemical analysis showed that this molecule is an O-acetylated product of the neuroectoderm-associated disialoganglioside GD3. Controlled chemical O-acetylation of purified GD3 resulted in the generation of this same epitope. Lysates of human melanoma cells were found to contain O-acetyltransferase activity capable of generating the antigenic epitope recognized by Mab D1.1. Thus, the addition of a single O-acetyl group to a common cell surface-associated ganglioside can create a potentially tumor-specific antigen.
D000107:Acetylation; D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000939:Epitopes; D005732:Gangliosides; C026226:ganglioside, GD3; D000123:Acetyltransferases