[Tumor metastases and adhesion molecules carbohydrates and lectins]

The expression of carbohydrate antigens has been shown by retrospective immunohistochemical analysis to correlate to the progression and metastases of human cancers. However, the mechanisms of these changes of carbohydrate expression and the role of carbohydrates in the malignant behavior of tumor cells are not well known. In this article, we introduce methods to experimentally modify carbohydrate expression in tumor cells and to assess the involvement of these carbohydrate antigens in the malignant behavior of tumor cells. Modifications of the biosynthesis of O- and N-linked carbohydrates, and glycolipids are achieved by treating cultured tumor cells with culture media containing Benzyl-alpha-GalNAc, swainsonine, or D-PDMP, respectively. Enzymatic digestion of cell surface carbohydrates with sialidase, endo-beta-galactosidase or other glycosidases can also be performed. These cells can be used for short term experiments such as adhesion assays. However, modified carbohydrates may be recovered during in vitro and in vivo assays. By transfection of glycosyltransferase cDNA, or selection of tumor cells by binding lectins or antibodies, stable carbohydrate variant cells can be obtained which are suitable for long term experiments such as the experimental formation of metastases in vivo. The biological function of tumor cell surface carbohydrates may be diverse. These molecules are thought to influence adhesion interaction between tumor cells and the endothelial cells of target organs. However, carbohydrate recognition molecules, or lectins, are expressed on a variety of cells in the vascular system and in the immune system. Therefore, it is essential to design appropriate experimental models to study the biological significance of carbohydrate-lectin interactions in cancer progression and metastatic dissemination. Adhesion assays of tumor cells to selectin-transfected CHO cells were performed. Taking molecules other than selectins into consideration, adhesion assays using frozen tissue sections were also performed.