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Glycosaminoglycan Synthesis by Subpopulations of Epithelial Cells from a Mammary Adenocarcinoma¹

Department of Zoology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164

Glycosaminoglycan synthesis by two subpopulations of a mouse mammary tumor cell line was compared. The two sublines express distinctly different growth characteristics in vitro and in vivo which indicate differences in growth regulation. Newly made glycosaminoglycans were recovered from the culture media, the cell surfaces, and residual cellular material. The cell population which grows more aggressively in vivo (+SA subline, a subline that grows in soft agarose) incorporated about 8 times more [¹⁴C]glucosamine per cell into total glycosaminoglycans than did the slower-growing population (-SA subline, which does not grow in soft agarose). Appropriate control experiments indicated that the apparent difference in rates of synthesis was not due to discrepancies in glucosamine uptake. The main residual cellular molecule labeled was heparan sulfate, but the predominant molecule at the cell surface and in the culture fluid was hyaluronic acid. Overall, +SA cells synthesized more hyaluronic acid and -SA cells synthesized more heparan sulfate; in both cell populations, these two molecules accounted for about 90% of total glycosaminoglycans produced.

¹ Supported by NIH Grant CA-16392 and Contract NO1 CB-63986 from the Breast Cancer Task Force of the National Cancer Institute.

² Present address: Department of Biological Structure, SM-20 University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. 98195.

³ Present address: Department of Biochemistry, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. 21205.

⁴ Recipient of postdoctoral fellowships from NIH (CA05732-01A1) and the American Cancer Society (PF 1472). Present address: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. 99164.

⁵ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 10/27/81. Accepted 3/ 2/82.

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