Biochemical characterization of a mast cell plasma membrane antigen shared by mouse serosal, culture-derived, and virally transformed mast cells.

The expression of the antigenic determinant identified by the B54.2 rat monoclonal antibody on four populations of mouse mast cells has been quantified, and the epitope-bearing surface antigen and its biosynthesis have been characterized. As assessed by indirect immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometric analysis, B54.2 antibody bound to serosal mast cells (S-MC), bone marrow culture-derived mast cells (BM-MC), fetal liver culture-derived mast cells (FTL-MC), and Abelson murine leukemia virus-transformed FTL-MC (ABFTL-MC). However, the intensity of cell surface fluorescence exhibited by ABFTL-MC was approximately eightfold less per cell compared with nontransformed, culture-derived mast cells. Immunoprecipitation of B54.2 antibody-binding molecules from each population of mast cells labeled intrinsically with [35S]methionine and analysis by SDS-PAGE demonstrated that the B54.2 epitope was expressed in each case on two noncovalently associated proteins of 110,000 Mr and approximately 130,000 Mr, but that the percentage of radiolabel in the latter species was approximately threefold less in ABFTL-MC than in BM-MC. As assessed by pulse-chase analysis with [35S]methionine, the 110,000 Mr protein was a precursor of the 130,000 Mr molecule ("B54.2 antigen") synthesized by BM-MC. Labeling of BM-MC with [35S]methionine in the presence of tunicamycin followed by immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE of B54.2 antibody-binding material revealed a single species of 93,000 Mr, indicating that the native molecules contained N-linked carbohydrate. Endoglycosidase H treatment of the glycoproteins precipitated by B54.2 antibody from BM-MC reduced the Mr of the 110,000-Mr molecule to 93,000 Mr without an appreciable change in the 130,000-Mr species. These data indicate that the 110,000-Mr precursor form is a "high mannose" type glycoprotein and the 130,000-Mr membrane surface B54.2 antigen is a "complex" type glycoprotein, and that the epitope recognized by the B54.2 antibody on the surface of the mouse mast cell populations is located on the 93,000-Mr peptide core.