Malignant transformation in hepatocytes is associated with the general increase of glycoprotein ligands specifically binding to the endogenous lectin CSL.

Several hepatoma cell lines and hepatic ascite tumour cells were studied for the presence of glycoprotein ligands of an endogenous lectin, the "Cerebellar Soluble Lectin" (CSL). This lectin is also present in hepatocytes in vivo and in vitro and can be detected biochemically and immunologically. In transformed cells, the level of CSL glycoprotein ligands is increased 50-fold as compared to the control cells. Such an increase is not observed for the ligands of the plant lectin, concanavalin A, which is, as CSL, a D-mannose-binding lectin. These results indicated that the changes in glycans during malignant transformation, in these cells, is specifically important for minor glycans binding to CSL.