Metastatic potential is positively correlated with cell surface sialylation of cultured murine tumor cell lines.

The ability of murine tumor cells to metastasize spontaneously from subcutaneous sites is positively correlated with the total sialic acid content of the cells in culture, the degree to which the sialic acid is exposed on the tumor cell surface, and, most strongly, with the degree of sialylation of galactosyl and N-acetylgalactosaminyl residues in cell surface glycoconjugates. These findings suggest that sialic acid on the cell surface may play a role in tumor cell metastasis.