Biochemical and morphological comparison of two tumour-cell-aggregation factors from rat ascites hepatoma cells

Two tumour-cell-aggregation factors, derived from rat ascites hepatoma cells, had different antigenicity; one was not absorbed by immunoadsorbent chromatography with anti-rat serum antibody and the other was. Their activities were both lost by digestion with trypsin, but remained unchanged by oxidation with periodate, suggesting the role of the protein portions in their molecules. The potency of the unabsorbed factor was inhibited specifically by alpha-methyl-D-mannoside or D-mannose, while that of the absorbed factor was inhibited specifically by N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, suggesting that these carbohydrates may be concerned with the respective receptor structures at the tumour-cell surface. The unabsorbed factor induced not only cell aggregation (as shown in the form of simple apposition) but also cell adhesiveness characterized by development of intermediate junctions, desmosomes and tight junctions, while the absorbed factor produced only simple apposition, suggesting their functional difference.