Effect of some sugars on the growth and differentiation of MCF-7 cells: I. Detection of glycosylative changes using...

The effects of lactose, L-fucose, and D-glucose on differentiation and glycosylation of MCF-7 cells from human mammary cancer were tested. For determination of glycosylation, six lectins with various binding specificity were used. The cells cultivated in the medium with D-glucose alone showed the best growth. The cells growing in the medium with L-fucose displayed, at the beginning growth acceleration which was followed by a rapid onset of necrotization. A decreased content of D-glucose usually resulted in an accelerated differentiation and a more pronounced secretory activity of cells. Expression of binding sites for lectins PNA and WGA was higher in cultures with elevated proliferation and reduced differentiation, DBA bound better the cells cultivated in the presence of lactose, lectins Con A and RCA60 in the presence of L-fucose. The UEA-1 showed only minimal affinity for MCF-7 cells. The majority of lectins showed an increased binding ability to secretory vacuoles and vesicles in the presence of L-fucose. The results obtained support the hypothesis that cell differentiation is associated with various stages of glycosylation and that the type of sugar in the medium can significantly affect glycosylation and differentiation processes.