A novel multidrug resistance in cultured leukemia and lymphoma cells detected by a monoclonal antibody to 85-kDa protein, MRK20.

A monoclonal antibody, MRK20, in F(ab')2 form [MRK20-F(ab')2], which reacts with 85-kDa membrane protein in a doxorubicin (ADM)-resistant subline (K562/ADM) of human myelogenous leukemia cell line, K562, was examined for reactivity with 41 cultured human leukemia and lymphoma cell lines. None of these cell lines had ever been exposed to any anticancer agent in vitro except K562/ADM. The relative resistance index to various drugs was calculated by dividing the 50% growth-inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the test cell line by IC50 of K562 (the negative control in the antibody experiment).

High-level expression of MRK 16 and MRK 20 murine monoclonal antibody-define proteins (170,000-180,000 P-glycoprotein and 85,000 protein) in leukaemias and malignant lymphomas.

Using flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry, we investigated the reactivities of two different murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), MRK 16 and MRK 20, specific to adriamycin-resistant K562 cells (K562/ADM) with peripheral human mononuclear cells (MNC) (mainly blastic cells and lymphocytes) from 31 patients with leukaemia or malignant lymphoma. Reactivity with MRK 16 MAb was observed in five cases and reactivity with MRK 20 MAb in 18 cases. The cases were divided into three groups according to their reactivity patterns: group I, only the proportion of MRK 16-positive cells was increased; group II, only the proportion of MRK 20-positive cells was increased; group III, both MRK 16-and MRK 20-positive cells were increased.

Immunocytochemical identification and localization of the Mr 22,000 calcium-binding protein (sorcin) in an adriamycin-resistant myelogenous leukemia cell line.

Monoclonal antibody against the Mr 22,000 calcium-binding protein (sorcin) from an adriamycin-resistant myelogenous leukemia cell line K562 (K562/ADM) was prepared and used as a probe to study the localization of sorcin in K562/ADM cells and the parental cell line, K562. Analysis of extracts from K562/ADM cells by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorescence image analysis showed that K562/ADM cells possessed abundant sorcin in the cytoplasm which was almost entirely absent from the drug-sensitive parental cell line, K562. Furthermore, immuno-electron microscopic studies revealed that sorcin was closely associated with free ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, microfilament bundles and perinuclear membranes.

Cellular and tissue distribution of MRK20 murine monoclonal antibody-defined 85-kDa protein in adriamycin-resistant cancer cell lines.

A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific to adriamycin-resistant K-562 (K-562/ADM) cells, MRK20, was found to react strongly with an 85-kDa protein present in K-562/ADM and adriamycin-resistant ovarian cancer (2780AD) cells. This protein was present at only very low levels in parental cells (K-562 and A2780), methotrexate-resistant K-562 cells (K-562/MTX3, K-562/MTX4 and K-562/MTX5) and cisplatin-resistant ovarian cells (KFr). Immunoelectron microscopically, the protein was found to be located on the cell membrane of K-562/ADM and 2780AD cells.