Sublines of the Burkitt line Daudi, selected on the basis of reactivity with soybean agglutinin, differ in tumorigenicity in athymic mice.

Two subpopulations were isolated on the basis of soybean agglutinin (SBA) binding, from the human Burkitt lymphoma line Daudi. The low- and high-binder sublines maintained this characteristic in continuous passages. Their surface marker profiles, antibodies, scanning electron microscope (SEM), cytochemical reactions and binding of other lectins (concanavalin A and wheatgerm agglutinin) were not different. They differed, however, in growth potential in athymic mice. The low-binder subline had lower frequency of takes, tumor weight and volume, and did not metastasize as compared to the high-binder subline. However, the reaction with F-SBA of all the tumor cells examined was strong (greater than 70%), indicating in vivo selection and tumor development of high binder cells.