EXPRESSION OF HUMAN BETA-1,4-GALACTOSYLTRANSFERASE IN GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER CELL-LINES

We examined the expression of beta 1,4-GT gene products in 11 gynecolo gical cancer cell lines. A 4.7 kb mRNA and protein (54,000 Da and 57,0 00 Da) were detected by Northern blot and Western blot. Immunocytochem ical staining revealed that beta 1,4-GT was localized in the Golgi or ER of tumor cells. An intense beta 1,4-GT mRNA signal was detected in ovarian and cervical cancer cells, whereas the level of beta 1,4-GT mR NA was very low in uterine endometrial cancer cells. We also confirmed that expression of beta 1,4-GT mRNA corresponded to expression of bet a 1,4-GT protein. These results suggest that expression of the beta 1, 4-GT gene products is higher in human cervical and ovarian cancer cell s than in uterine endometrial cancer cells.