A marker of human foetal endoderm defined by a monoclonal antibody involves Type 1 blood group chains

This report demonstrates that a marker of human embryonic endoderm and embryonal carcinoma cells recognized by a hybridoma antibody FC 10.2, involves Type 1 blood group chains with the sequence Gal beta 1 leads to 3G1cNAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4G1c. This conclusion has been reached from antigenic analyses of meconium, ovarian cyst glycoproteins, oligosaccharides and glycolipids having Type 1 or Type 2 blood group chains. From knowledge of saccharide sequences and blood group related antigens in gastrointestinal tissues of man, we deduce that the 'disappearance' of FC 10.2 antigen from the normal, differentiated cells of the adult may result from masking by additional glycosylations or other substitutions.

A monoclonal antibody marker of human primitive endoderm

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against the human germ-cell tumor line, LICR LON HT39/7. The cells of this human embryonal carcinoma cell line were first fixed in formol saline and then dehydrated prior to immunization so that antibodies were produced which reacted with antigens surviving conventional histological processing. Eleven hybrid clones secreted antibody that reacted with both formol saline-fixed and living cells of the immunogen. One of these antibodies, LICR LON FC 10.2, has been found to react with a membrane glycoprotein of molecular weight 200,000 restricted in distribution to the surfaces of undifferentiated teratoma-derived cell lines, the luminal surface of human fetal intestine and bronchus and areas of putative endodermal differentiation within germ-cell neoplasms.