Modulation of a human common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA) by specific monoclonal antibody (J5) has been studied with the immune precipitation method to identify radiolabeled antigen. Surfaces of leukemic cells have been labeled using 125I both before and after modulation by J5 antibody for different time intervals. Leukemic cells have also been metabolically labeled with 35S-methionine before modulation. These studies indicate that the 100,000-dalton glycoprotein expressing CALLA (gp 100-CALLA) cannot be detected in cells that were modulated with J5 antibody before surface labeling but that it is easily detectable in cells that were surface labeled before modulation for 10 hr. At later time points, gp 100-CALLA is selectively lost from cells that were surface labeled before modulation. Gp 100-CALLA is not detected in the supernatants from cultures of these modulated cells. We conclude that gp 100-CALLA is rapidly internalized during modulation and that CALLA is degraded. Gp 100-CALLA is not shed into the culture media, nor does it remain on the cell surface in an altered form. Incubation of leukemic cells with antisera to beta2-microglobulin or IgM does not affect the expression of gp 100-CALLA.