CEA-related proteins on human urothelial cell lines of different transformation grades.

CEA family proteins from human urothelial cell lines of different transformation grades were characterized by flow cytometry and Western blotting using monoclonal antibodies: 26/3/13, D14HD11, 9A6 and 4/3/17. The following observations were made: (i) the urothelial cell lines, representing transformation grade III (TGr III, tumorigenic, invasive cells), were characterized by the presence of a component with molecular mass 110-135 kDa, most probably representing biliary glycoprotein (BGP); (ii) BGP was absent in non-tumorigenic and non-invasive TGr II urothelial cell lines; (iii) a protein band with apparent molecular mass 180 kDa, and migrating as a CEA standard was detected in only one of seven urothelial cell lines analyzed; (iv) a broad band of apparent molecular mass migrating at 65-90 kDa, probably representing NCA-50/90, was found in two tumorigenic and invasive cell lines, HCV 29T and Hu 1703He.

Role of sialosyl Lewis(a) in adhesion of colon cancer cells--the antisense RNA approach.

To study whether the adhesion of colon cancer cells to E-selectin can be directly affected by changes in the expression level of sialosyl Le(a) antigen we created a specific loss-of-function phenotype. A stable subclone (CX-1.1) with high expression of sialosyl Le(a) structure, obtained from a heterogenous population of colon carcinoma CX-1 cells, was transfected with an expression vector containing a fragment of cDNA for alpha1,3/4-fucosyltransferase in antisense orientation. After transfection, the cell line was isolated which did not express sialosyl Le(a) antigen and lacked the alpha1,3/4-fucosyltransferase activity, despite an unchanged level of mRNA specific for this enzyme. It was found that the specific lack of expression of sialosyl Le(a) carbohydrate structure on the surface of colon cancer cells completely abolished their adhesion to E-selectin. To evaluate which cellular glycoconjugates carry sialosyl Le(a) antigen, glycoproteins as well as glycolipids of CX-1.1 cells were analysed for the expression of this structure. Anti-sialosyl Le(a) antibodies detected multiple glycoprotein bands with apparent molecular masses of 65-280 kDa on western blots, and an intense band representing sialosyl Le(a)-ganglioside on a thin-layer chromatogram. Using O-sialoglycoprotease from Pasteurella haemolytica and an alkaline beta-elimination procedure, it was shown that protein-linked sialosyl Le(a) structures are carried mostly by mucin-type glycoproteins. However, treatment of CX-1.1 cells with O-sialoglycoprotease did not decrease either their binding to E-selectin-expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells, or binding of anti-sialosyl Le(a) antibodies to the cell surface. These results suggested that cleavage of sialomucins uncovered cryptic sialosyl Le(a)-ganglioside, which was inaccessible for the antibody and E-selectin in untreated cells. This hypothesis was confirmed to some extent by the higher accessibility of gangliosides to galactose oxidase on the surface of O-sialoglycoprotease-treated CX-1.1 cells, comparing to untreated cells. We propose that glycoproteins as well as gangliosides carrying sialosyl Le(a) structures, when properly exposed and present in high density on surface of cancer cells, can effectively support the adhesion of cancer cells to E-selectin.

Adhesion of human uroepithelial cells to E-selectin: possible involvement of sialosyl LewisA-ganglioside.

In a previous study we showed that tumorigenic and invasive human uroepithelial cell lines are characterized by the presence of sialosyl Le(a) (sLe(a)) ganglioside. Our data suggested that expression of this glycolipid correlated with acquisition of the malignant phenotype by human urothelial cells. To evaluate the postulated adhesion function of sLe(a) antigen, we studied the adherence of 6 human urothelial cell lines with different expressions of this carbohydrate structure to E-selectin-expressing CHO cells. The only cell line that bound specifically to E-selectin was Hu 1703He, which expressed the highest level of sLe(a) antigen. The involvement of carbohydrate-E-selectin interaction in the adhesion of Hu 1703He cells was indicated by the following facts: (i) anti-E-selectin monoclonal antibody (MAb) completely abolished binding to E-selectin-expressing CHO cells; (ii) removal of sialic acid from Hu 1703He cells highly decreased the adhesion. Adhesion correlated with the presence of several sLe(a)-carrying glycoproteins, which was shown by immunoblotting of Hu 1703He cell lysate with anti-sLe(a) MAb 19-9. The binding of antibody was abolished when cell lysate was treated with O-sialoglycoprotein endopeptidase, suggesting that sLe(a) is present on O-linked oligosaccharides. However, incubation of Hu 1703He cells with O-sialoglycoprotease had no effect on adhesion to E-selectin or on binding of 19-9 MAb to the cell surface. Our data suggest that (i) protein-bound sLe(a) oligosaccharides represent only a minor portion of whole sLe(a) antigen produced by uroepithelial cells; (ii) effective binding to E-selectin occurs when sLe(a) oligosaccharide present on cell-surface glycosphingolipids is expressed in high density since the cell lines with moderate expression of sLe(a) ganglioside did not bind to E-selectin-transfected CHO cells.

[Sialosyl-Le(a) and Sialosyl-Le(x) antigens in adhesion of cancer cells and tumor progression]. / Udzial antygenów sjalo-Le(a) i sjalo-Le(x) w adhezji i progresywnym wzroscie nowotworowym.

Sialosyl-Le(a) and sialosyl-Le(x) are tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens present in different types of human tumors. They are commonly found on the cell surface of a variety of adenocarcinomas such as lung cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer, and in serum of cancer patients. Both antigens have been proposed as important diagnostic markers and they are used in detecting and monitoring of these diseases. Recently, it has been shown that sialosyl-Le(a) and sialosyl-Le(x) carbohydrate structures are ligands for selectins, newly described family of adhesion molecules. Selectins function as lymphocyte-homing and leukocyte enrollment receptors, or as activation dependent cell surface receptors of platelets and endothelial cells. Several lines of evidence suggest that sialosyl-Le(a) and sialosyl-Le(x) are responsible for adhesion of human cancer cells to endothelium. It has been shown that E-selectin and P-selectin present on endothelial cells mediate these interactions. The mentioned facts suggest that selectins and their carbohydrate ligands can play an important role in a selective homing of tumor cells during metastasis.