Alterations induced by glucose deprivation and tunicamycin in the kinetic parameters of hexose transport in hybrid cells.

Matched pairs of malignant and non-malignant hybrid cells were compared in their response to glucose deprivation and to tunicamycin. Glucose deprivation induced an increase in the maximum velocity in the malignant cells, but not in the non-malignant cells. The Michaelis constant of hexose uptake was largely unchanged by glucose deprivation except in the case of one melanoma derivative, PG19 G-, which showed a large increase in Michaelis constant when deprived of glucose. Tunicamycin increased the Michaelis constant of hexose uptake in both malignant and non-malignant cell lines. It is therefore possible that the Michaelis constant of hexose uptake is affected by the extent of glycosylation of one or more of the cell membrane glycoproteins.