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Cell Surface Glycosyltransferase Activity in Normal and Neoplastic Intestinal Epithelium of the Rat¹

The Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Gastrointestinal Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Cell surface glycosyltransferase enzymes and lectin agglutination with concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin were studied in normal and neoplastic rat intestinal cells. Adenocarcinomas of the large and small bowel of inbred rats were induced by weekly injections of dimethylhydrazine (10 mg/kg). Small intestinal cell surface glycosyltransferases showed higher levels in crypt and tumor cells, compared to differentiated villus cells. However, in the colon, tumor cells showed a marked decrease in cell surface glycosyltransferase activity compared to normal colon epithelial cells. Lectin agglutination studies revealed that small intestinal crypt and tumor cells, but not villus cells, were preferentially agglutinated by Concanavalin A; colon tumor cells were agglutinated by wheat germ agglutinin. These results demonstrate that neoplastic transformation of rat intestinal cells is accompanied by alterations of lectin agglutination and cell surface glycosyltransferase activity and that these alterations differ in the small and large intestine.

¹ This work was supported by USPHS grants AM-01392, AM-03014, and CA-14294.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Gastrointestinal Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. 02114.

Received 6/19/74. Accepted 8/16/74.