title: Lectin-resistant variants and revertants of mouse melanoma cells: differential expression of a fucosylated cell-surface antigen and altered metastasizing capacity.
abstract: In order to evaluate the possible role of cell-surface carbohydrates in metastasis of tumour cells, 2 wheat-germ agglutinin-resistant (WGAr) variants of B16 mouse melanoma and 8 back revertants selected with other lectins were analyzed with respect to the surface expression of fucosylated carbohydrate antigens and their metastasizing capacity. The variant cells, expressing a greatly increased fucosyltransferase activity, were found to express the fucose-containing SSEA-I antigen on their cell surface. The revertant cells selected for lower fucosylation with Lotus tetragonolobus lectin and ricin had lost this particular antigen. Seven of the 8 revertant lines also reverted back to a state of increased metastasizing capacity as compared to the WGAr variants they were derived from. A single one of the revertants displayed reduced metastasizing capacity, suggesting that additional changes can also be present in some of the cell lines. These results suggest a possible linkage between expression of the developmental SSEA-I antigen and reduced metastasizing capacity in the mouse melanoma model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finne
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feizi
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D002460:Cell Line; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005643:Fucose / Q000032:analysis*; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000032:analysis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D037102:Lectins; D005643:Fucose; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases