Mechanism of cell contact-dependent glycolipid synthesis: Further studies with glycolipid-glass complex
Abstract
Glycosphingolipids were linked covalently to fine glass particles (diameter 2-10 μ) or glass plates bearing aminopropylsilane. When NIL and BHK cells contacted such a glass complex, the glycolipids on glass were glycosylated. The glycosylation occurred under physiologic conditions with or without exogenously added sugar nucleotide and required no detergents. It took place to a lesser degree when the glycolipids-glass complex made contact with cells transformed by polyoma virus (BHKpy, NILpy). Thus, cell contact-dependent glycolipid synthesis (reference no.: 1-5 of the text) could be ascribable to the activation of cell-surface localized glycosyltransferases on cell contact. Such a surface mechanism is not normally operating or is defective on the surface of transformed cells. © 1974 Academic Press, Inc.