Stimulation of HeLa-S3 cell aggregation by sugars related to cell membrane in rotation culture

Effect of various sugars related to cell membrane on the aggregation of HeLa-S3 cells was examined in a rotation culture by adding each sugar to the culture medium. Some specific sugars among those tested induced (1) greater size of aggregates and (2) higher synthesis of hyaluronic acid than that of the control. Since the addition of hyaluronidase inhibited the aggregate formation, both in the test and control cultures, with HeLa-S3 cells of both groups forming only small aggregates, it was presumed that the hyaluronic acid synthesized might be of cardinal importance for the formation of aggregates. The specific sugars producing the effect mentioned above were N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, bis(N-acetyl)chitobiose, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, alpha-methyl-D-glucopyranoside, and N-acetyl-D-mannosamine, while D-glucosamine, beta-methyl-D-glucopyranoside, L-fucose, D-glucose, and a commercially available hyaluronic acid were ineffective. The findings obtained in the present study interestingly ran parallel with the results of previously reported study on the induction of specific biological phenomena by the cell membrane-related sugars.