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Comparison of Cell Coat Acid Mucopolysaccharides of Normal Liver and Various Ascites Hepatoma Cells¹

Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo

Liver cells and liver cell plasma membranes prepared from rats that had received an i.p. injection of glucosamine-³H were incubated with papain under very mild conditions, avoiding cytolysis or membrane disruption. After incubation, the mixtures were centrifuged, and 105,000 x g supernatants were subjected to gel filtration. The macromolecular peak fractions thus obtained contained about 2% radioactivity of the whole cells or 50% radioactivity of the plasma membranes. They showed several physical and chemical features characteristic of acid mucopolysaccharides. The liver cell coat acid mucopolysaccharide was resistant to chondroitinase as well as hyaluronidase treatment and migrated as a single band under various electrophoretic conditions.

On the other hand, cell coat acid mucopolysaccharide fractions, prepared in the same way from various ascites hepatoma cells, showed heterogenous acid mucopolysaccharide components, including chondroitin sulfates and other unidentified acid mucopolysaccharides to various extents. The pattern of cell coat acid mucopolysaccharides components seems to be specific to each ascites hepatoma cell strain.

¹ This study was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education of Japan.

Received 11/27/72. Accepted 6/ 7/73.