Altered transcription of genes coding for class I histocompatibility antigens in murine tumor cells

Three murine tumors induced by Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MLV) which exhibited loss of some or all H-2 class I antigens at the cell surface were analyzed at the DNA and RNA level with molecular probes specific of H-2 heavy chains and beta 2-microglobulin sequences. No observable difference could be detected at the DNA level between the tumors and the parent animals. However, a decrease in H-2 mRNA was observed, especially in phenotypically H-2 negative tumor, BM5R, where H-2 transcripts were at least 30-fold less abundant. These results show that an H-2-negative character may result from a general alteration in the transcription of H-2 genes, which could reflect some kind of regulatory process.