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Glycosphingolipids in Bomirski Transplantable Melanomas in Hamsters¹

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0614 [S. R., R. K. Y.], and H. W. Toolan Institute for Medical Research, Bennington, Vermont 05201, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Albany Medical College, Albany, New York 12208 [A. S.]

The glycosphingolipid compositions of Bomirski melanomas at different stages of differentiation, including Ab amelanotic melanoma (fast growing), Ma melanotic melanoma (slow growing), and MI hypomelanotic melanoma (slow growing), were studied. The total concentration of lipid-bound sialic acid in Ab amelanotic melanoma was found to be much lower than those in Ma and MI melanomas (0.8 µg versus 1.4 µg and 1.4 µg/mg of dry tissue, respectively). The ganglioside patterns in melanoma tissues were composed mainly of three components, which were confirmed as NeuAc2-3Galß1-4Glcß1-1'Cer (G_M3), acetyl1-9-O-NeuAc2-8NeuAc2-3Galß1-4Glcß1-1'Cer (9-O-acetyl-G_D3), and NeuAc2-8NeuAc2-3Galß1-4Glcß1-1'Cer(G_D3) by structural analysis and monoclonal antibody detections. However, the relative ratios of these gangliosides expressed in the different types of melanomas were completely different. The MI melanoma tissues contained G_M3 as the predominant species (>90% of the total gangliosides) with very little of G_D3 and 9-O-acetyl-G_D3 gangliosides (<2% of the total gangliosides). In contrast, Ab amelanotic melanomas contained mainly 9-O-acetyl-G_D3 (>27%) and G_D3 (>51%) with lesser amounts of G_M3. However, Ma melanoma had intermediate levels of G_M3, G_D3, and 9-O-acetyl G_D3. The MI and Ma melanomas also contained monohexosylceramide (GL1) (about 60% as Galß1-1'Cer and 40% as Glcß1-1'Cer in Ma and 30% as Galß1-1'Cer and 70% as Glcß1-1'Cer in MI) and Galß1-4Glcß1-1'Cer as the predominant neutral glycosphingolipid species. In contrast, Ab melanoma tissues contained more GalNAcß1-3GalNAcß1-3Gal1-4Galß1-4Glcß1-1'Cer (Gb5), Gal1-4Galß1-4Glcß1-1'Cer (Gb3), and GalNAcß1-3Gal1-4Galß1-4Glcß1-1'Cer (Gb4) than MI and Ma melanomas. Our data suggest that the expression of glycosphingolipids in hamster melanoma cells may be closely related to cell growth and the degree of differentiation, with slow growing, highly differentiated cells expressing G_M3 and G_L1, and fast growing, undifferentiating cells having a preponderance of G_D3, 9-O-acetyl-G_D3, Gb5, Gb3, and Gb4.

¹ Financial support was provided by USPHS Grants NS-11853, AR-07016, and CA-04679 and by the Dermatology Foundation.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 3/ 9/89. Revised 6/12/89. Revised 9/11/89. Accepted 9/19/89.