Sixteen research groups participated in the ISOBM TD-4 Workshop in which the reactivity and specificity of 56 monoclonal antibodies against the MUC1 mucin was investigated using a diverse panel of target antigens and MUC1 mucin- related synthetic peptides and glycopeptides. The majority of antibodies (34/56) defined epitopes located within the 20-amino acid tandem repeat sequence of the MUC1 mucin protein core. Of the remaining 22 antibodies, there was evidence for the involvement of carbohydrate residues in the epitopes for 16 antibodies. There was no obvious relationship between the type of immunogen and the specificity of each antibody. Synthetic peptides and glycopeptides were analyzed for their reactivity with each antibody either by assay of direct binding (e.g. by ELISA or BiaCore) or by determining the capacity of synthetic ligands to inhibit antibody binding interactions. There was good concordance between the research groups in identifying antibodies reactive with peptide epitopes within the MUC1 protein core. Epitope mapping tests were performed using the Pepscan analysis for antibody reactivity against overlapping synthetic peptides, and results were largely consistent between research groups. The dominant feature of epitopes within the MUC1 protein core was the presence, in full or part, of the hydrophilic sequence of PDTRPAP. Carbohydrate epitopes were less easily characterized and the most useful reagents in this respect were defined oligosaccharides, rather than purified mucin preparations enriched in particular carbohydrate moieties. It was evident that carbohydrate residues were involved in many epitopes, by regulating epitope accessibility or masking determinants, or by stabilizing preferred conformations of peptide epitopes within the MUC1 protein core. Overall, the studies highlight concordance between groups rather than exposing inconsistencies which gives added confidence to the results of analyses of the specificity of anti-mucin monoclonal antibodies.

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CD43 is an abundant transmembrane sialoglycoprotein in leukocyte-type cell lines, but it has also been suggested to be present in colon adenomas and colon carcinomas. We have now shown that CD43 is expressed in a variety of cell lines of different origins (CaSKI, A549, 293, MTSV1-7, MCF7, HT-1080, Jurkat, K562, COLO 205, HT-29, Caco-2, DLD-1 and SW480). The level of expression of CD43 mRNA was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and that of the protein by immunoprecipitation and Western blot, flow cytometry and confocal microscopy using two monoclonal anti-CD43 antibodies (L10 and 4D2). As all cell lines expressed CD43, it is suggested that CD43 has a more fundamental function than previously believed and thus cannot be considered only as a specific leukocyte marker.

CD43 is a leukocyte‐associated sialoglycoprotein which is also expressed in human colon adenoma and carcinoma. To obtain monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that would react with CD43 in a glycosylation‐independent way, antibodies were raised against a peptide corresponding to a portion of the CD43 cytoplasmic domain. Hybridomas were screened on paraffin sections from CD43‐positive colon tumours. The reactivity of the antibodies with CD43 was verified by Western blot analysis of lysate of CHO cells transfected with human CD43 cDNA and by immunoprecipitation of lysates from CD43+ cell lines. Epitope mapping of antibodies was done using overlapping heptameric peptides. A detailed characterisation of one of the novel antibodies (CD43‐3A1) is presented. This antibody reacts with the CD43 protein regardless of its glycosylation in Western blot analysis, immunoprecipitation and immuno‐histochemistry of paraffin sections. Immuno‐histochemical analysis of paraffin sections from colon adenoma and carcinoma tissues as well as colon cancer cell lines revealed that CD43 was predominantly localised intracellularly, in contrast to leukocyte‐type cells. The MAb reacted more efficiently with paraffin‐embedded colon adenoma and carcinoma cells than previously characterised CD43‐specific antibodies. This should facilitate the evaluation of a potential role of CD43 during cancer development. Int. J. Cancer82:52–58, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

The 55 antibodies submitted to the ISOBM TD-4 Workshop were analysed for their reactivity with core proteins of the heavily glycosylated MUC1 mucins from the colon carcinoma cell line COLO205 and bile. Both these mucins (designated as H-CanAg and SBG2) are highly glycosylated having 15 and 50 sugar residues per oligosaccharide, respectively. Only a few of the antibodies (129, 139, 153 and 162) reacted with both SBG2 and H-CanAg, and not with a control mucin (L-CanAg) having a similar glycosylation as H-CanAg. These antibodies were tested for their ability to catch soluble mucins, and the antibody 162 was found to be good also in this type of assay. The antibodies selected here should be useful for the detection of high glycosylated forms of the MUC1 mucin in tissues and serum.