INVOLVEMENT OF PEANUT AGGLUTININ-BINDING SUGAR CHAINS IN EXPERIMENTALMETASTASIS OF B-16 MELANOMA-CELLS

Involvement of PNA (peanut agglutinin)-binding sugar chains in experim ental metastasis of B16M4 cells and their metastatic variants (B16F1, B16F10, and B16BL6) was investigated by using ginsenoside Rh2 (Rh2), W hich increased PNA binding to the cell surface without increasing conc anavalin A or wheat germ agglutinin binding. The PNA binding to cell s urface increased in parallel with the experimental metastatic ability in Rh2-treated B16M4 cells, and this increase in metastatic ability wa s suppressed when the cells were treated with PNA before i.v. injectio n of cells. Concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin did not have such inhibitory effects. Increased PNA binding was observed on glycoprotei ns of M(r) 75,000-85,000, and was suggested to be due to reduced sialy lation of PNA-binding sugar chains on these glycoproteins. In Rh2-trea ted B16F10 and B16BL6 cells, the increase in experimental metastatic a bility was also associated with increased PNA binding to cell surface and M(r) 75,000-85,000 glycoproteins. Although the mechanisms of these effects of Rh2 are unknown, these results suggested that the reduced sialylation of PNA-binding sugar chains on M(r) 75,000-85,000 is relat ed to the increased experimental metastatic ability of Rh2-treated B16 melanoma cells.