Association of the glycolipid pattern with antigenic alterations in mouse fibroblasts transformed by murine sarcoma virus.

The level of the neutral glycolipid, Galnac beta 1 leads to 4 Gal beta 1 leads to 4Glc leads to Cer (asialo GM2), in BALB/c 3T3 mouse fibroblasts transformed by Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (3T3KIMSV) was greatly increased compared to the nontransformed parental cells (3T3). This elevated chemical quantity was found to be localized on the surface of intact cells and accessible to external reagents, as detected by immunofluorescence and labeling with galactose oxidase: NaB3H4. Furthermore, immunization of rabbits with 3T3KiMSV cells but not with 3T3 cells resulted in antibody production against asialo GM2. These results demonstrate the potential usefulness of glycolipids as tumor-associated cell surface markers.