Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 148, 1087-1092, Copyright © 1978 by Rockefeller University Press
Increased sialylation of surface glycopeptides of human trophoblast compared with fetal cells from the same conceptus
A Whyte and YW Loke
The surface glycopeptides of human trophoblastic cells have been compared
with those of fetal cells from the same embryos using double- labeling
methods with isotopes of L-fucose and D-glucosamine. A faster eluting,
neuraminidase-sensitive, fraction was observed on Sephadex chromatography
of the trophoblast spectra when D-glucosamine was used as precursor.
Labeling with fucose did not appear to result in any differences, thus
suggesting that the glycopeptides characertistic of trophoblast contained
glucosamine-derived metabolic products, including sialic acid, but
excluding fucose. This increased sialylation is similar to, but not
identical with, modifications observed in neoplastic cells, and on this
basis it is postulated that two species of glycopeptides may be involved in
atypical cellular behavior. The first contains sialic acid and other sugars
excluding fucose, and is associated with localized cellular growth and
invasion. The second contains both sialic acid and fucose and is
characteristic of neoplastic cells.
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