Detection of Specific Surface Antigens on Cells Transformed by Cytomegalovirus with the Techniques of Mixed Hemagglutination and ¹²⁵I-Labeled Antiglobulin

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-transformed hamster cells were examined for the presence of virus-specific membrane antigens by using rabbit antiserum prepared against CMV-infected human embryonic lung (HEL) cells. After absorption with sheep erythrocytes and heterologous hamster tumor cells the antiserum reacted specifically with the CMV-transformed cells in the mixed hemagglutination test. The absorbed antiserum did not react with hamster cells transformed by herpes simplex virus type 2 or PARA-adenovirus 7 or with untransformed hamster embryo fibroblasts. These results were confirmed with the ¹²⁵I-labeled antiglobulin technique. Absorption with HEL cells rendered the antiserum specific for HEL cells infected with CMV. This reactivity was lost after absorption with 10⁷ CMV-transformed cells but not with 10⁷ hamster embryo fibroblasts. These results establish that CMV-transformed hamster cells express virus-related membrane antigen(s), and that the same antigen(s) is also found on CMV-infected human cells.