Cell Biological and Immunological Significance of Ganglioside Changes Associated with Transformation

Abstract

Glycolipid changes associated with oncogenic transformation have been extensively studied by a number of investigators on chemical and enzymatic basis. An incomplete synthesis of complex glycolipids and an associated accumulation of its precursor glycolipids are the common change observable in many transformed cells irrespective of the transforming agents (see for reviews, Hakomori 1973; 1975; Brady and Fishman 1974; Richardson et al 1976). However, the other type of glycolipid change, i.e. a synthesis of a new glycolipid absent in normal tissue, or foreign to the host may occur in some experimental tumour and in human tumour; a novel fucolipid in rat hepatoma (Baumann et al 1978), A-like antigen in tumours of blood group 0 or B individuals (Hakomori et al 1967; Häkkinen 1970), blood group P₁ and P antigen in a tumour of the rare pp individual (Levine et al 1951), and Forssman antigen in tumours of F⁻ individuals (Hakomori et al 1977) are typical examples. These components are normally absent in progenitor cells or in host’s tissues and therefore could be a tumour-associated antigen. All of these antigens are glycosphingolipid and may be synthesized through an activation of a new glycosyltransferase which is foreign to the host (see for reviews Hakomori and Young 1978; Young and Hakomori 1978).

This investigation has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health CA20026 and GM23100, and a grant from the Cancer Research Institute, New York.

W.W.Y is supported By a Fellowship from the Cancer Research Institute, New York.