Changes in the ganglioside composition of human neuroblastoma cells under different growth conditions

The ganglioside composition of human neuroblastoma cells (LA-N-1 and LA-N-5) was studied in samples obtained from (1) original cells in tissue cultures, (2) tumors grown in nude mice inoculated with original cells and (3) cells in tissue cultures re-established from the mouse tumors. The amounts of "a" pathway gangliosides (GM2, GM1 and GD1a) and those of the "b" pathway (GD3, GD2, GD1b and GT1b) differed according to the culture conditions. The "b" pathway gangliosides were markedly increased in the tumors grown in nude mice. In contrast, the "a" pathway gangliosides were abundant in cultures of both original and re-established cells. We also measured the enzymatic activities of UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine: GM3, N-acetylgalactosaminyl transferase (EC 2.4.1.92) and of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid: GM3 sialyl transferase (EC 2.4.99.8) in neuroblastoma cells cultured under these conditions. These enzymes are thought to be the key enzymes involved in the synthesis of the "a" and "b" pathway gangliosides. Though there was no significant difference in the activity of N-acetylgalactosaminyl transferase between original cells and tumors in nude mice, re-established cells showed a definitely higher activity (3.5 times higher than in the original cells). On the other hand, tumors grown in nude mice had a markedly higher activity of sialyl transferase than that of original cells or re-established cells. These findings suggest that the culture conditions and/or the type of cell growth play some role in the synthesis and expression of gangliosides in neuroblastoma cells.