Comparison of the surface glycoprotein components in the isolated cells of hamster melanotic and amelanotic melanomas.

A suspension of melanoma cells isolated non-enzymatically from tumors (melanotic and amelanotic) of transplantable melanoma in Syrian hamster was treated with trypsin to obtain surface material. In the material released from the cell surface contents of protein, aminosugars, fucose, sialic acids and hexoses were determined. Differences in the composition of the surface material derived from two kinds of melanoma were observed. The differences in the surface glycoprotein composition seem to be related to biological properties of both melanomas.