A fetal antigen (FA) was isolated from spent culture medium of a melanoma (M14) cell line. Allogeneic serum samples from melanoma patients, previously characterized with respect to anti-FA activity, were used as the source of anti-FA antibody. The FA activity was partially purified by membrane ultrafiltration, gel filtration, and chloroform:methanol extraction. The partially purified FA was then used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). By indirect ELISA both the IgG and IgM classes of anti-FA antibodies were detected in the sera of cancer patients and normal volunteers. The incidences of anti-FA antibodies in the sera of cancer patients and normal volunteers were not significantly different. As detected by competitive inhibition in ELISA, FA activity was widely distributed among melanoma, sarcoma, and carcinoma tumor tissues and cultured tumor cells, as well as among fetal brain, skin, and muscle tissues. FA activity was destroyed by treatment with beta-galactosidase and hyaluronidase, but it was not destroyed by proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes. The antigen bound to immobilized ricin, peanut, and soybean lectins. FA activity in material purified by ricin-affinity chromatography was associated with molecules in the 60,000- to 70,000-dalton region as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These results suggest a glycoprotein nature for the FA isolated from the spent culture medium of melanoma (M14) cells; this FA apparently elicits formation of natural antibodies in the cancer patients and normal donors.