Surface glycoproteins of normal and neoplastic glia cells in culture

Two normal and seven malignant human glia lines grown in vitro wer labelled by lactoperoxidase catalysed iodination. The labelled cell surface glycoproteins were isolated by lectin affinity chromatography and compared by SDS gel electrophoresis. The glia and the glioma lines possess a common characteristic glycoprotein pattern. Seven glycoproteins in the molecular weight range between 70,000 and 220,000 daltons and several minor components of low molecular weight could be distinguished. The expression of the glycoproteins was independent of the passage number or the growth conditions although the expression of the different glycoproteins showed quantitative differences for the individual cell lines. The differences found in the tumor lines were either due to an amplification or decrease in the expression of the different glycoproteins and/or their accessibility to the lactoperoxidase-catalysed labelling.