The purpose of this study was to determine if human colon cancer cells transduced with monoclonal antibody (MAb) genes become sensitive to immune destruction through coexpression of both the MAb and its reactive antigen. Murine retroviral expression vectors were constructed with the heavy or light chain genes of an anti-human colon carcinoma MAb, D612, that mediates antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Transduction of D612 MAb genes into the D612 antigen-positive (> 95%) human colon carcinoma cell line, LS-174T, was carried out by sequential cocultivation with PA317 packaging cells producing infectious virions containing the light or heavy chain expression vectors. Six cultures survived drug selection, two of which were found to have elevated levels of both light and heavy immunoglobulin chain activity in their supernatants. IgG secretion levels (24 h) were 1-2 ng/1 x 10(6) cells. Low but definite antigen reactivity was also present in supernatants obtained from these LS-174T transductants. Immunocytochemical staining of transduced tumor cells revealed that > 95% of the cells were positive for IgG expression. Thus, LS-174T transductants were capable of producing both the D612 MAb and D612-reactive antigen. Analysis of transductants by flow cytometry further revealed that > 95% of the cells had murine immunoglobulin on their surfaces. ADCC mediated by human natural killer cells against nontransduced tumor cells was observed when the latter cells were co-cultivated in the presence of transductants producing both D612 heavy and light chains but not in the presence of tumor cells transduced with light chain only. LS-174T cells transduced with both D612 heavy and light chain genes were more sensitive to cytotoxicity mediated by natural killer cells than were light chain gene only transductants. ADCC contributed to the greater sensitivity of the former transductants to cytotoxicity based on its inhibition by anti-FcR gamma III antibody. Thus, these studies demonstrate that tumor cells transduced with genes encoding for MAbs that can participate in ADCC reactions are able to sensitize nontransduced tumor cells to immune destruction as well as to direct killer cells against themselves. These studies may lead to a new immunotherapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer based on MAb gene therapy.