Sugar-specific endocytosis of glycoproteins by Lewis lung carcinoma cells.

Lewis lung carcinoma cells from tumors, metastasis nodules, or from culture bind fluorescent derivatives of neoglycoproteins containing alpha-D-glucose residues: This binding is competitively inhibited by neoglycoproteins containing alpha-D-glucose, by mannan, and by several other neoglycoproteins. Cell binding and uptake of the fluorescent derivatives of the neoglycoproteins was quantified by lysing the cells with an alkylpolyol (MAC 19 or MAC 18) and measuring the fluorescence intensity of the supernatant. The amount of cell-associated neoglycoprotein was higher at 37 degrees C than at 4 degrees C with LLC from tumor. The binding and uptake were inhibited by glycoconjugates containing alpha-D-glucose. These results suggest the presence of sugar specific receptors in Lewis lung carcinoma cells which are involved in a sugar-specific binding and endocytosis phenomenon. The implication of the existence of a carbohydrate-binding protein on the surface of Lewis lung carcinoma cells are discussed with regard to the in vivo behaviour of these cells, especially in relation to their metastatic properties and to the possibility of using neoglycoproteins as specific carriers of cytotoxic drugs. Hybrid molecules of gelonin and neoglycoprotein containing alpha-D-glucose were used as targetted toxin: The targetted toxin was found to bind to and to enter the intact cells and was 100 times more toxic than free drug.