The expression of marek’s disease tumour-associated surface antigen in various avian species

Abstract

Marek’s disease tumour-associated surface antigen (MATSA) was detected on lymphoid cells from chickens infected with Marek’s disease virus (MDV) or the herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT), from a chicken-quail hybrid infected with MDV, and from turkeys infected with the GA strain of MDV, but not on cells from turkeys infected with HVT or the HPRS-16 strain of MDV or from MDV-infected Japanese quails or bobwhite quails, despite the presence of lymphomas in some Japanese quails. Two complementary explanations are offered for these observations. Firstly, certain combinations of virus strain and host species may not result in malignant transformation although infection has occurred; secondly, if, as seems likely, MATSA is a modified host antigen, antigens on malignant cells arising in a foreign host may not be recognised by an antiserum prepared against MATSA of chicken origin. © 1984, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.