Prolonged in vitro culture modifies the surface lipid composition of murine melanoma cell lines

Lipid composition of two murine melanoma cell variants (B16, without malignant properties and B16-F10, with high metastatic activity), has been examined at different stages of growth. The aim of the work was to identify cell surface modifications due to the time length of in vitro culture, that could be one variable to consider when metastatic potential is studied. Some of the analyzed parameters (ganglioside- and glycoprotein-bound neuraminic acid, cholesterol, neutral glycolipids, phospholipids, triacylglycerols) undergo statistically significant variations at the various passages in B16-F10 line. Fatty acids composition of the phospholipidic fraction was changed only at the last observed passage (100) in B16 line. No one of the examined parameters justifies the ability of B16-F10 cells to invade distant districts and to originate new tumors. Probably detailed lipid analysis on cellular subfractions, as already performed in this study on total lipid extract of the whole cell, could be a valuable tool to identify differences related with metastatic potential.