Effects of tunicamycin and N-linked oligosaccharide-processing inhibitors on the morphology of cultured porcine thyroid cells.

The effects of tunicamycin and of N-linked oligosaccharide-processing inhibitors on the ability of cultured porcine thyroid cells to adhere to a plastic support and to form organized structures were examined. The culture conditions used allowed the epithelial cells to adhere to the support and to form either a monolayer (no thyrotropin) or follicles (thyrotropin 4 mU/ml). The follicles thus obtained tend to disappear after 8 to 9 days, giving rise to a monolayer. Tunicamycin prevented both cell adhesion to the support and formation of organized structures. Swainsonine, an inhibitor of mannosidase II, had no obvious effect. Deoxymannojirimycin, an inhibitor of mannosidase I, did not prevent cell adhesion to the support and formation of monolayers or follicles, but it favored the maintenance of follicles at a time when they were no longer present in controls. It also led to the appearance of some follicles in cultures without thyrotropin. Castanospermine, an inhibitor of glucosidase I, did not prevent cell adhesion but slowed cell spreading, thus delaying monolayer formation. Pronase glycopeptides prepared from cell-surface glycoproteins were examined with respect to their behavior on concanavalin A-Sepharose. The glycopeptides from control cells displayed complex and high-mannose glycans. The content in complex glycans was decreased in inhibitor-treated cells, while that in hybrid or high-mannose glycans was increased, indicating that the inhibitors modify the N-glycan structures. In conclusion, N-glycosylation of glycoproteins is necessary for cellular adhesion to the support. Complex structures do not seem necessary for cell adhesion monolayer or follicle formation. High-mannose structures favor follicular organization, while glucoses on the high mannose structures hinder cell spreading.