Sulfation of chondroitin sulfate secreted by baby hamster kidney cells and their polyoma virus-transformed counterparts.

Abstract

Sulfation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) secreted by baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells and the polyoma virus-transformants (PY-BHK) was investigated. It has been reported that chondroitin sulfate (CS) of cell membranes from PY-BHK cells is undersulfated compared to that from BHK cells (Cancer Res. 43, 2712-2717, 1983). In the first series of experiments of the present study, cells were incubated with [3H]glucosamine and [35S]sulfate, and GAGs isolated from the culture medium were examined. GAG composition was comparable between the BHK and PY-BHK cultures. Disaccharide analysis of the chondroitinase ACII digests of the hyaluronate lyase-resistant materials showed a high proportion (68% for BHK and 47% for PY-BHK) of delta Di-0S, with delta Di-4S (32% for BHK and 53% for PY-BHK) as the major sulfated disaccharide on the basis of 3H-radioactivities. The beta-D-xyloside treatment did not alter the degree of undersulfation of the CS of either culture. In the second series of experiments, disaccharide analysis of the chondroitinase ABC digests of unlabeled GAGs demonstrated similar disaccharide composition for the two cell types. The BHK and PY-BHK preparations showed 28 and 17% (mol percent) of delta Di-0S, 58 and 72% of delta Di-4S, and 14 and 11% of delta Di-6S, respectively. These results indicate a considerable degree of undersulfation of secretory CS from both cells, and a slightly higher degree, if any, of under-sulfation of secretory CS from BHK cells if compared between the two cell types, which is in contrast to the results reported for membrane CS.