SSEA-1 antibody detects a lactoseries oligosaccharide antigen that is expressed on the surface of mouse embryonal carcinoma and embryonic stem cells. This antigen is also found on early mouse embryos and both mouse and human germ cells, but is absent on human embryonic stem cells and human embryonic carcinoma cells. Expression of SSEA1 in these human cell types increases upon differentiation, while on the mouse cell types differentiation leads to decreased expression.
