Glycosphingolipids in lectin-resistant variants of mouse Lewis lung carcinoma cells

Neutral glycolipids and gangliosides from murine Lewis lung carcinoma cell line LL2 and its lectin-resistant variants, differing in metastatic properties, were studied by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS), exoglycosidase treatment and an immunostaining procedure. The neutral glycolipids identified in all cell lines studied included CMH, CDH, CTH, asialo GM2, globoside and a glycolipid with a preliminary structure of Hex-Hexl-4HexNAc-Hex-Hex-Cer. The major gangliosides were GM3, GM2, GM1 and GD1a. No qualitative differences in glycosphingolipid expression were found between the metastatic cell lines (LL2 and LL2AAA) and the weakly metastatic variants (LL25, LL28, LL230 and LL2RCA II). Some quantitative differences were observed between the cell lines, e.g., in the level of ganglioside-bound sialic acid, which was not apparently correlated with the metastatic capacities.