Roles of globotriosyl- and galabiosylceramide in verotoxin binding and high affinity interferon receptor

The cellular specificity of the Escherichia coli-derived verotoxin is of particular interest because of its extreme toxicity and high selectivity toward certain primate cells. The human Burkitt lymphoma cell line (Daudi) is highly susceptible to the cytotoxicity of verotoxin and contains large amounts of the verotoxin-binding glycolipids on its surface. A mutant selected from Daudi cells for verotoxin resistance was found to be deficient in the verotoxin-binding glycolipids, globotriosylceramide and galabiosylceramide, and failed to bind verotoxin to its surface; interestingly, these mutant cells were found to be cross-resistant to inhibition of growth by alpha-interferon. Mutant cells also lack the high affinity component of alpha-interferon binding. These observations suggest that, in addition to providing the functional cell-surface receptor for verotoxin, these glycolipids may also play a role in the modulation of the affinity of alpha-interferon for its membrane protein receptors.