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Studies on the Mechanism of Action of Abrin-9.2.27 Immunotoxin in Human Melanoma Cell Lines¹

Department of Biochemistry [A. G., A. P.] and Department of Tumor Biology [O. F.], Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, 0310 Oslo 3, Norway

Previously we have shown (Godal, A. et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 77: 1247–1253, 1986) that the sensitivities of different melanoma cell lines to a conjugate of abrin with the anti-melanoma antibody 9.2.27 was correlated with their sensitivities to native abrin. To elucidate the underlying mechanism we have compared the binding and toxicity of the conjugate and of native abrin to two melanoma cell lines, FEMX and LOX, which differ in sensitivity to abrin. Abrin was linked by a disulfide bond to the monoclonal antibody 9.2.27, and the conjugate was purified by affinity chromatography to remove molecules with exposed galactose-binding sites on the toxin B-chain. Lactose had no effect on the binding of the immunotoxin (IT) to the cells but nevertheless reduced strongly the toxicity to the LOX cells. The differences in sensitivity to native abrin were much larger than the concurrent differences in binding. Lactose reduced the toxicity of abrin to a far greater extent than the associated reduction in binding to the cell surface. The toxicity of the immunotoxin to the FEMX cells could be prevented by pretreatment with excess 9.2.27 antibody, whereas the more abrin-sensitive LOX cells were protected only to a limited extent. Concurrent treatment of the LOX cells with antibody and lactose acted synergistically and afforded complete protection. It is suggested that the protective effect of lactose against the IT was exerted after internalization into vesicles of IT bound unspecifically to the cell surface and that the toxic moiety of the IT, the abrin A-chain, may be translocated from endocytotic vesicles to the cytosol by two alternative mechanisms, one mediated by the antibody and a second one facilitated by the B-chain and its lectin binding site. The relative significance of these mechanisms seems to differ in different target cell lines depending on their inherent sensitivities to native abrain which in turn largely reflects the ability of the cells to internalize and process surface-bound abrin.

¹ Supported by the Norwegian Cancer Society.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 3/11/87. Revised 7/ 9/87. Accepted 8/27/87.

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