1. Program of Biochemical Oncology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98104, U.S.A.;2. Department of Pathobiology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98104, U.S.A.
Abstract:
Two major glycolipids accumulating in a human primary liver adenocarcinoma, but absent in normal liver, were characterized as lacto-N-fucopentaosyl(III)ceramide and difucosyllacto-N--hexaosylceramide, (Galβ1→4Fucα1→3]GlcNAcβ1→3Galβ1→4Fucα1→3]GlcNAcβ1→3Galβ1→4Glcβ1→1Cer), a new type of glycolipid with Lex-determinant. Comparison of glycolipids bearing Lex-determinant in various cases of human colonic adenocarcinoma, in adjacent normal mucosa tissue, and in erythrocytes reveals a possibility that glycolipids accumulating in human adenocarcinoma, but not in normal tissue, have a common structural unit as identified below:
