Fucosylated Glycans Associated With Development and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells*

Abstract

Dynamic fucosylation of glycoprotein especially 80 ku which bound to UEA and LCA during the course of rat hepatocarcinogenesis was investigated. In patient hepatocellular carcinoma, more UEA-and LCA-bound proteins were also observed in patients with high metastatic potential than those with low metastatic potential. Fucosylated glycans constitute important adhesion molecules such as Lewis antigens. A differential expression pattern of Lewis antigens was further confirmed on various metastasis potential hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC). high metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HMCC97H) expressed much more Lewis x and b than low metastasis HMCC97L cells. Moreover, surface Lewis x, or b expression level declined significantly after the cells were treated by retinoic acid. Not only in experimental metastasis foci, but in HCC as well, both α1,3/1,2 and α1,6 fucosyltransferase activities were quite high. After retinoic acid treatment, α1,3/1,2 fucosyltransferase activities were significantly inhibited, Lewis x on epidermal growth factor receptor reduced, and the EGFR was less phosphorylated. These results suggested that fucosylated glycans such as Lewis x played an important role in HCC development and metastasis.