Isozymes of glycogen phosphorylase in human cartilage and cartilage tumors.

Isozyme patterns of glycogen phosphorylase in normal fetal and adult human cartilage and benign and malignant cartilage tumors were investigated by means of polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. In both normal cartilage and cartilage tumors four distinct bands were observable: these were of the liver, liver-like and fetal types and of a hybrid type between the muscle and fetal types judging by their mobilities in the small-pore gels containing 0.01% and 0.1% glycogen. The isozyme pattern of benign cartilage tumors was almost identical with that of normal cartilage. In normal fetal and adult cartilage and benign cartilage tumors, the liver and liver-like types were predominant, whereas in malignant cartilage tumors they were minor and the fetal type was predominant. These results indicate fetal deviation of phosphorylase isozymes in malignant transformation of cartilage cells.