Effect of butyrate on glycolipid metabolism of two cell types of rat ascites hepatomas with different ganglioside biosynthesis.

The effect of butyrate on glycolipid metabolism and morphological differentiation in the cell culture system of rat ascites hepatomas, AH 7974 of island-forming type and AH 7974F of free type, was studied. Both cell lines adhered to the substratum in the presence of 1 mM butyrate. In the case of AH 7974, the addition of butyrate induced a distinct morphological change but the other cell line showed no such conspicuous change. Butyrate-treated AH 7974 cells showed a 2 to 3-fold elevation of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid: lactosylceramide sialyltransferase activity to form N-acetylneuraminylgalactosylglucosylceramide (GM3). On the other hand, no enzyme activity could be detected in AH 7974F cells. Four glycosyltransferase activities involved in glycolipid synthesis, including sialyltransferase in AH 7974F cells, were reduced by butyrate. From these observations we concluded that sialyltransferase to form GM3, or TM3 itself, is prerequisite for the morphological alteration induced by butyrate.