Sialoglycoprotein differences between xenotransplantable and nonxenotransplantable ascites sublines of the 13762 rat mammary adenocarcinoma

MAT-B1 and MAT-CI rat ascites mammary adenocarcinoma cells differ in morphology, lectin receptor mobility, and xenotransplantability. Since these properties may be related to cell surface organization, the predominant sialoglycoproteins of these sublines have been investigated by chemical labeling, proteolysis, and alkaline borohydride elimination. Treatment of both sublines with periodate and tritiated borohydride labels one major sialoglycoprotein (ASGP-1) with a low electrophoretic mobility on polyacrylamide gels in dodecyl sulfate. Treatment of labeled or unlabeled cells with trypsin releases about 30% of the total cell sialic acid without significant decrease in cell viability. Gel filtration in pyridine-acetate buffer or in dodecyl sulfate indicates that the released materials are very heterogeneous, and that most of the MAT-C1 sialoglycopeptides are larger than sialoglycopeptides of MAT-B1. Amino acid compositions are quite similar for the released material from the two sublines, but they differ substantially in sialic acid. Further degradation of trypsin-released material with Pronase gives products which are included in a column of mixed Bio-Gel P-10 and P-30 and which also indicate a larger average size for MAT-C1 sialoglyco-peptides. Oligosaccharides from the sialoglycopeptides were obtained by alkaline borohydride treatment of trypsin-released, labeled material and fractionated by chromatography on Bio-Gel P-2. The oligosaccharide(s) comprising the major peak from MAT-C1 cells was larger in size than most of the material from MAT-B1 cells and contained galactosaminitol, galactose, glucosamine, sialic acid, and fucose. These results suggest that MAT-C1 ASGP-1 has more complex oligosaccharides than MAT-B1 ASGP-1, a difference which may play an important role in the differences in cell behavior between the sublines, including transplantability. Regardless of whether the ASGP-1 plays a role in transplantation, investigations of the sialoglycoproteins of these sublines provide a potentially valuable tool for understanding some of the mechanisms by which tumor cells control their cell surface properties.