Does glycosylation of melanoma cells influence their interactions with fibronectin?

Cell surface integrins, especially those binding to fibronectin (FN), participate in processes of tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Changes in glycosylation of cell surface adhesion proteins are often associated with malignant transformation of cells. In this study we examined the influence of swainsonine (SW) on adhesion, wound healing and haptotactic migration on FN, comparing the responses of different human melanoma cell lines: primary WM35 and metastatic WM9, WM239 and A375. We also examined the role of alpha subunits in adhesion to FN. All of the antibodies inhibited adhesion to FN but with different efficiencies depending on the cell line. Adhesion was mediated mainly by integrin alpha(5)beta(1) (WM9, A375), alpha(3)beta(1) (WM35, A375, WM239). Scratch wound repair was significantly faster on FN-coated wells than on plastic for all cells except for WM9. A375 and WM9 had the greatest migration ability, both expressing the highest level of alpha(5)beta(1) integrin. It seems very likely that adhesion to FN can be accomplished by many different integrins, but for effective migration alpha(5)beta(1) integrin is responsible. Only A375 and WM239 cell lines reacted to SW treatment. In the presence of SW WM239 and A375 cells had 70% and 40% increased adhesion to FN, and their migration was decreased 40% and 50%, respectively. Interestingly, although most of the cell lines share a common profile of integrins, each line interacted with FN differently. They differed mainly in the repertoire of integrins used for adhesion, and in the manner in which glycosylation affected these processes. The influence of SW was observed in two metastatic cell lines indicating the contribution of glycosylation status to the progression of melanoma. The lack of reaction to SW in WM9 cells may suggest that there is a threshold in the expression level of the highly branched N-glycans that may influence the adhesion and migration properties of the cell.

Rat submandibular gland during the maturation process: changes in enzyme activities, protein and lectin-binding profiles.

The total protein glycosylation profile and specific activity of lysosomal enzymes were investigated in rat submandibular glands isolated from very young (1-month), young (1.5-months) and adult rats (3-months) rats. The specific activity of lysosomal hydrolases (i.e. acid phosphatase, arylsulfatases A and B, beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase, beta-galactosidase and beta-glucuronidase) decreased in parallel to increasing age of the animals. Furthermore, the thermal stability of acid phosphatase and beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase was influenced by the age of rats. Age-related changes in protein profile regarding the intensity of particular bands as well as the appearance of certain proteins limited to special age groups were also demonstrated as revealed by Coomassie and lectin staining. Moreover, the marked age-related increase in structures Man (alpha1-2, alpha1-3, alpha1-6) Man, Fuc (alpha1-6) GlcNAc as well as Gal (beta1-3) GlcNAc was observed, whereas staining with terminal NeuAc and GlcNAc showed an inverse correlation. The reaction with (beta1-6) branched N-glycans and Gal (beta1-3) Gal structures was limited to 1-month-old rats. No significant changes in a specific reaction with NeuAc (alpha2-3) Gal were observed. We speculate that the observed differences with respect to protein and glycosylation profiles between 1-month-old rats and older ones could be caused by a modification of the diet composition as well as by the functional and morphological maturation of the rat submandibular gland.

Comparison of the lectin-binding pattern in different human melanoma cell lines.

Glycosylation is generally altered in tumour cells in comparison with their normal counterparts. These alterations are thought to be important because they contribute to the abnormal behaviour of cancer cells. Therefore, we have comparatively analysed the glycoproteins in cell extracts from human melanoma (primary site--WM35; metastatic sites-- WM239, WM9 and A375) cell lines using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and lectin staining. The glycoprotein pattern of the WM35 line differed from that of the other cell lines in having less proteins that reacted with Sambucus nigra, Maackia amurensis and Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinins. A glycoprotein of about 70 kDa had a significantly increased reaction with Sambucus nigra agglutinin in all the cell lines from metastatic sites. In the WM9, WM239 and A375 cell lines, additional bands (160-100 kDa) were stained with Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin, suggesting that cells from metastatic sites contain more glycoproteins with beta1-6 branches. On the other hand, only minor changes in the reaction with Galanthus nivalis agglutinin, a mannose-specific lectin, were detected. Among the proteins showing different lectin staining, one, with an apparent molecular weight of 133 kDa, was recognized by antibodies as N-cadherin. The present results suggest that in human melanoma the expression of branched and sialylated complex type N-oligosaccharides consistently increased in cells from metastatic sites, and support the view that carbohydrates are associated with the acquisition of the metastatic potential of tumour cells.

Affinity chromatography of branched oligosaccharides in rat liver beta-glucuronidase.

Rat liver microsomal and lysosomal beta-glucuronidase-derived glycopeptides were obtained by extensive Pronase digestion followed by N-[14C]acetylation and desialylation by neuraminidase treatment. These glycopeptides were studied by sequential chromatography on lectin-affinity columns such as concanavalin A, lentil lectin, Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin, Ricinus communis agglutinin I, Triticum vulgaris agglutinin, Glycine max agglutinin and Ulex europaeus agglutinin. Using serial lectin affinity chromatography approach combined with neuraminidase treatment allowed us to show the unexpected presence of complex tri- and/or tetraantennary type glycans (40.8 and 17.0% for microsomal and lysosomal enzyme, respectively). Moreover, the application of neuraminidase treatment revealed that complex biantennary type glycans, present on lysosomal beta-glucuronidase, are almost fully sialylated while the same type of glycans present on microsomal enzyme do not contain sialic acid. Furthermore, the results obtained confirmed that microsomal and lysosomal beta-glucuronidases possess high mannose and/or hybrid type glycans (19.6 and 36.6%, respectively), and complex biantennary type glycans (38.9 and 46.4%, respectively).

High-mannose-type oligosaccharides from human placental arylsulfatase A are core fucosylated as confirmed by MALDI MS.

Despite numerous studies on arylsulfatase A, the structure of its glycans is not well understood. It has been shown that the concentration of arylsulfatase A increases in the body fluids of patients with some forms of cancer, and the carbohydrate component of arylsulfatase A synthesized in tumor tissues and transformed cells undergoes increased sialylation, phosphorylation and sulfation. To understand the significance of any changes in the glycosylation of arylsulfatase A in cancer, it is important to know the structure of its carbohydrate component in normal tissue. In the present study we have analyzed carbohydrate moieties of human placental arylsylfatase A using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by Western blotting on Immobilon P and on-blot deglycosylation using PNGase F for glycan release. Profiles of N-glycans were obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS). Oligosaccharides were sequenced using specific exoglycosidases, and digestion products were analyzed by MALDI MS and the computer matching of the resulting masses with those derived from a sequence database. Fifty picomoles (6 microg) of arylsulfatase A applied to the gel were sufficient to characterize its oligosaccharide content. The results indicated that human placental arylsulfatase A possesses only high-mannose-type oligosaccharides, of which almost half are core fucosylated. In addition, there was a minor species of high-mannose-type glycan bearing six mannose residues with a core fucose. This structure was not expected since high-mannose-type oligosaccharides basically have not been recognized as a substrate for the alpha1,6-fucosyltransferase.