Cell Recognition through Interaction between Carbohydrates of Cell Surface Glycolipids

Abstract

New cell recognition system based on the interaction between carbohydrates of glycolipids on cell surfaces is described. Specific carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions between some kinds of glycolipids were observed using glycolipid-containing liposomes and glycolipid coated solid phase. In addition, glycolipid dependent cell adhesion which occurs through specific carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction was also observed.The carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions are able to show both attractive and repulsive interactions which depend on the carbohydrate structures, whereas interactions of other cell recognition molecules such as adhesive proteins and carbohydrate binding proteins show only adhesion. The specificity and strength of carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction are also controlled by fattyacid composition of glycolipid, and surface glycolipid density. Thus, the specificities of the cell recognition system through carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction could vary more than those of other cell recognition systems through protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions.