THE BINDING OF CONA AND OTHER LECTINS TO SURFACE GLYCOPROTEINS - A COMPARISON OF A SUBCUTANEOUS TUMOR AND ITS LIVER METASTASES

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 5  (4) , 233-244
Abstract
The glycoprotein composition of a transplantable s.c. lymphosarcoma (1.degree.) and its liver metastases (2.degree.) have been examined in Triton X-100 extracts obtained from tissue, single cells and membrane preparations by using electrophoresis and treatment with radio-labeled lectins. No consistent differences could be detected in the electrophoretic patterns of 1.degree. and 2.degree. tumor using RCA-60 or gorse. Small differences were detected using concanavalin A; all but 1 of these were eliminated as being due to differential host contamination. A minor band of 178,000 daltons MW was found in 1.degree. tissue, cells and membranes that was absent in extracts from 2.degree. tumor. Percoll density gradient separations suggested that this glycoprotein belonged to a small subpopulation of cells; their identity remains uncertain. The band was still detected when tumor was grown from direct liver implants, but it disappeared when this growth metastasized to another lobe. The results provide evidence that metastasis can be accompanied by a very subtle change in the tumor glycoprotein profile. Such a change may have important consequences for host/tumor interactions and subsequent metastatic spread.