Analysis of cancer-associated colonic mucin by ion-exchange chromatography: evidence for a mucin species of lower molecular charge and weight in cancer.

Cancer-associated mucins in the colon are antigenically distinct and glycosylated differently from their normal counterparts. Mucin-rich glycoconjugate preparations were made from nine non-neoplastic colons, seven colon cancers, and two different xenografts from mucin-producing human colon cancer cell lines, and radiolabeled with 3H. The preparation was applied to a DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange column, and eluted with a discontinuous ascending NaCl gradient resulting in seven discrete fractions or 'species'. Over half of the 3H-labeled glycoconjugates from specimens of non-neoplastic colonic epithelium eluted in fraction V (eluted with 0.25 NaCl). Significantly less of the 3H-labeled glycoconjugates from specimens of colon cancer eluted in fraction V (34%, P less than 0.0005), and there were significant increases in glycoconjugates eluted in fractions IV (P less than 0.008), III (P less than 0.0005), and II (P less than 0.028). Additional samples were prepared without the radiolabeling procedures, chromatographed on a DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange column, and analyzed for monosaccharide content. Each of the fractions contained the monosaccharides expected in mucin-type glycoproteins, but only sialic acid was differentially expressed in the seven fractions or 'species', occurring principally in the more charged species. However, differences in sialic acid content were not sufficient to explain the differences in retention on the ion-exchange column, nor were differences in O-acetylation of the mucins. Mucin-type glycoconjugates from colon cancers are relatively less charged than those from the normal colon, and elute at lower ionic strengths. Of interest, cancer-associated mucins appear to be of lower molecular weight than their normal counterparts. Additional studies of oligosaccharide and apomucin structure will be required to explain the molecular basis of these differences in charge.