The Biochemical characterization of syrian hamster cell-surface alloantigen

The first alloantiserum to be described in Syrian hamsters has been characterized for its ability to react with externally and internally radiolabeled antigens derived from normal hamster lymphoid cells. Utilizing conventional biochemical techniques, radioiodinated and³H-leucine labeled cellular extracts have been prepared, partially purified by lentil lectin affinity chromatography, and indirectly immunoprecipitated with experimental alloantisera. Analysis of the precipitated radiolabeled antigens by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in SDS has identified two prominent cell-surface proteins at 39,000 (p39) and 29,000 daltons (p29) on 2-mercaptoethanol reduced gels. Further analysis of the radiolabeled extract has demonstrated the existence of hamster cell-surface proteins at 43,000 and 12,000 daltons which are immunoprecipitated by a xenoantiserum directed against human ₂ microglobulin. Coelectrophoretic studies indicate the independent identity of these four species of hamster cellsurface proteins. These results suggest that between two hamster lines, derived from animals caught 40 years apart from different geographic locations in Syria, polymorphism of cell-surface antigens is restricted to p39 and p29 molecular species.