[Glycoconjugate cell surfaces as markers of differentiation and malignancy].

The composition of cell membrane-associated glycoproteins and glycolipids is changed during differentiation. Moreover, normal mature cells differ from transformed ones in regard to their glycoconjugate profile. These differences have been analyzed, by means of lectins, concerning intrathymic lymphocytes, T-lymphoma cell lines as well as epithelial carcinomas and tumor cell lines. It was found that lectins recognize molecular structures of the cell membrane which are characteristic of certain developmental stages of intrathymic T-lymphocyte differentiation and, moreover, "tumor"-associated determinants on T-lymphomas as well as on epithelial carcinoma cells.