Flow cytometric estimation of the plasma membrane diversity of transplantable melanomas, using annexin V

Using a recently described flow cytometric assay probing for cell surface exposure of phosphatidylserine with fluoresceine-labeled annexin V, we attempted to establish if there existed any differences in the phospholipid bilayer of the plasma membranes of melanoma cells isolated from two lines of a hamster transplantable melanoma characterized by a common origin but differing in many biological features. In contrast to control nonstaining cells, the cells of both melanoma lines bound annexin V, but at a different rate: 88% of melanotic and 94% of amelanotic melanoma cells were annexin V positive. Among cells of the native melanotic melanoma line we distinguished only one cell population binding annexin but in some experiments with the amelanotic melanoma we observed two annexin V positive cell populations with a different fluorescence intensity. It is possible that these differences in annexin V binding to melanoma cell membranes reflect some changes in the phospholipid bilayer, associated with the progression of these tumors.