Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2003, 199(1)

HNK-1-Reactive Oligosaccharide, Sulfate-O-3GlcAb  1-4Xylb  1-MU,
Synthesized by Cultured Human Colorectal Cancer Cells

SHIGERU SHIBATA, KEIICHI TAKAGAKI, KEINOSUKE ISHIDO, MITSURU KONN,¹
MUTSUO SASAKI¹ and MASAHIKO ENDO

Department of Biochemistry, and ¹Second Department of Surgery, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562

Human colorectal cancer cells were incubated with medium containing 4-methylumbelliferyl-b-D-xyloside (Xyl-MU). The cells synthesized Xyl-MU-derivatives which were detected in the culture medium by gel-filtration high-performance liquid chromatography. These included a Xyl-MU-induced glycosaminoglycan and its biosynthetic intermediates, Galb1-4Xylb1-MU and Galb1-3Galb1-4Xylb1-MU, and other Xyl-MU-induced oligosaccharides, not related to Xyl-MU-induced glycosaminoglycan, were also synthesized. One of these oligosaccharides, sulfate-O-3GlcAb1-4Xylb1-MU, reacted with HNK-1, a mouse monoclonal antibody raised against human natural killer cells. Human neural cells and skin fibroblasts have also been reported to synthesize HNK-1-reactive sugar chains. Since HNK-1-reactive sugar chains are known to be involved in cell adhesion in the nervous system, the present results suggest that epithelium-derived colorectal cancer cells might also be able to utilize them in cell adhesion.

Keywords —— human colorectal cancer cell; 4-methylumbelliferyl-b-D-xyloside; HNK-1-reactive oligosaccharide; epithelial cell; cell adhesion

© 2003 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2003, 199, 13-23

Address for reprints: Shigeru Shibata, Department of Biochemistry, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, 5 Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan.

e-mail: sshibata@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp

Abbreviations: Xyl-MU, 4-methylumbelliferyl-b-D-xyloside; GAG, glycosaminoglycan; GAG-MU, Xyl-MU-induced glycosaminoglycan; Xyl, xylose; Gal, galactose; GlcA, glucuronic acid; SA, sialic acid; MEM, minimum essential medium; PA, 2-aminopyridine; HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography.