MULTIPLE VLA ANTIGENS ON A SUBSET OF MELANOMA CLONES

A panel of 19 melanoma clones was characterized by fluorescence activated cell sorter analysis for the expression of distinct integrin receptors in the very late activation antibody subfamily. A group of five melanoma clones (2/4, 2/14, 2/17, 2/51, and 2/60) was identified that shared coordinate expression of multiple VLA antigens. These same clones were more susceptible, in terms of lytic units, to cell-mediated lysis and also expressed the lower melanin content per cell in the panel. The data suggest that in a heterogenous neoplastic population, distinct features such as susceptibility to cell-mediated lysis and expression of receptors for extracellular components are variables preferentially associated with cells in an early stage of differentiation. © 1990.