A monoclonal antibody that precipitates the glycoprotein receptor for epidermal growth factor is directed against the human blood group H type 1 antigen.

Monoclonal antibody 101 produced by a hybridoma obtained by fusion with NS-1 myeloma cells of spleen cells from a mouse immunized with the human epidermoid carcinoma cell line, A431, specifically precipitates epidermal growth factor receptor, a glycoprotein of 170,000 Mr solubilized from A431 cell membranes (Richert, N. D., Willingham, M. C., and Pastan, I. H. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 8902-8907). The antibody also binds to neutral glycolipids extracted from A431 cells as evidenced by solid phase radioimmunoassay and by autoradiography. Binding of antibody to its target is inhibited by lacto-N-fucopentaose I but not by 2‘-fucosyllactose or related oligosaccharides. Thus, antibody 101 is probably directed against the human blood group H type 1 sugar sequence Fuc alpha 1-2Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc . . . This sequence presumably occurs on the epidermal growth factor receptor. Monoclonal antibody 102 produced by another hybridoma from the same fusion has the same cell specificity as antibody 101 and also binds to neutral glycolipids. However, binding of antibody 102 to its target is inhibited by 2‘-fucosyllactose and not by lacto-N-fucopentaose I or related oligosaccharides. Thus, antibody 102 is probably directed against the human blood group H type 2 sugar sequence Fuc alpha 1-2Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc . . . Antibody 102 does not precipitate solubilized epidermal growth factor receptor. Both antibodies bind to neutral glycolipids extracted from human erythrocytes belonging to blood group O but not to neutral glycolipids extracted from human erythrocytes with the “Bombay” phenotype.