RESUMO
This study was conducted to study the changes of cell surface carbohydrates during transdifferentiation of retinal pigment epithelial(RPE)cells. RPE cells were cultured from adult pig eyes. Surface carbohydrates of RPE cells from 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th passages were assayed by lectin histochemistry and enzyme immunoassay. Changes in binding affinities to the lectins employed were demonsrated during trasdifferentiation of RPE cell. Whereas binding affinities of ConA, ECL, PNA, WGA, and UEA-I decreased graudally as the number of culture passage increased, binding properties to LCA, STL and DBA fluctuated depending on the number of passages. The results demonstrate changes of surface carbohydrates of RPE cell during trasdifferentiation. We suggest that changes of surface carbohydrates of RPE cell during trasdifferentiation may be close relations with the functional changes during transdifferentiation.