Immunological studies on the membrane systems of cancer cells. II. Immunochemical specificity of the mitochondria from chemical carcinogen induced carcinoma cells

As the results of investigating the antigenicities of various fractions from the membrane systems of cancer cells, it has been found that the remarkable cancer-specific antigenicity exists in cancer cell mitochondria. With a particular reference to this antigenicity of cancer cell mitochondria, the antigenicities of the mitochondria of various kinds of rat ascites tumors and those of tumor-bearing rat liver mitochondria have been compared with those of normal rat liver mitochondria. In addition, it has been demonstrated that a strong tumor antitransplantability is induced when the recipient rat is immunized with the tumor cell mitochondria. In order to support these experimental facts, enzymatic activities of cancer cell mitochondria have been investigated also biochemically after treating the mitochondria with the antiserum to these mitochondria. 1. The most remarkable cancer specific antigenicity exists in mitochondria among the membrane systems of cancer cells. This cancer mitochondria-specific cancer antigenicity is common to all the ascites tumor mitochondria used here. 2. The original tissue- or organ-specific antigenicities diminish or disappear at the carcinogenic transformation of cells. 3. The tumor-bearing-organ specific antigenicity appears in the organs of animals bearing tumor. 4. The tumor antitransplantability is acquired when rats are immunized with these tumor cell mitochondria. 5. The inhibition of mitochondrial ATP·ase and respiratory activities is observed when the cancer cell mitochondria are treated with the anti. serum to the mitochondria.