Carbohydrate-specific cell adhesion is mediated by immobilized glycolipids.

We describe a technique for examining the ability of one important class of cell surface complex carbohydrates, glycosphingolipids, to mediate carbohydrate-specific cell recognition and adhesion. Analogs of natural glycosphingolipids were synthesized, consisting of 1-glycosyl derivatives of 3-deoxyceramide (N-palmitoyl-2-aminostearol) radiolabeled in the fatty acid portion. Methods were developed to efficiently adsorb both these synthetic glycolipids and natural glycosphingolipids (including gangliosides) from aqueous ethanol solution onto plastic wells. The glycolipids remained firmly attached to the surface in aqueous solutions, but could be recovered using detergents or organic solvents. The ability of the adsorbed glycolipids to elicit specific adhesion of intact hepatocytes was tested using specific adhesion of intact hepatocytes was tested using a cell adhesion assay based on that of McClay, D. R., Wessel, G. M., and Marchase, R. B. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 78, 4975-4979. When otherwise nonadhesive plastic surfaces were adsorbed with N-acetylglucosaminyl 3-deoxyceramide, they supported adhesion of 80-95% of the chicken hepatocytes added to the well. No adhesion above background levels (10-25%) was observed to surfaces adsorbed with other synthetic glycolipids including glucosyl, galactosyl, mannosyl, or lactosyl 3-deoxyceramide, 3-deoxyceramide, or to the naturally occurring glycosphingolipids, lactosyl ceramide or ganglioside GM1. Chicken hepatocyte adhesion to surfaces adsorbed with N-acetylglucosaminyl 3-deoxyceramide was inhibited by soluble N-acetylglucosamine (IC50 = 3 m M), but not by other soluble sugars. Rat hepatocytes adhered preferentially to surfaces adsorbed with lactosyl 3-deoxyceramide, but not to surfaces adsorbed with the N-acetylglucosaminyl derivative. These studies demonstrate the ability of adsorbed glucolipids to mediate carbohydrate- and cell-specific adhesion from intact cells. Using these techniques, the ability of naturally occurring complex glycosphingolipids to elicit specific cellular responses from a variety of cell types can be examined.