Developmental regulation of neuraminidase-sensitive lectin-binding glycoproteins during myogenesis of rat L6 myoblasts

Human carcinoembryonic antigen, an intercellular adhesion molecule, blocks fusion and differentiation of rat myoblasts

Human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a widely used tumor marker, is a member of a family of cell surface glycoproteins that are overexpressed in many carcinomas. CEA has been shown to function in vitro as a homotypic intercellular adhesion molecule. This correlation of overproduction of an adhesion molecule with neoplastic transformation provoked a test of the effect of CEA on cell differentiation. Using stable CEA transfectants of the rat L6 myoblast cell line as a model system of differentiation, we show that fusion into myotubes and, in fact, the entire molecular program of differentiation, including creatine phosphokinase upregulation, myogenin upregulation, and beta-actin downregulation are completely abrogated by the ectopic expression of CEA. The blocking of the upregulation of myogenin, a transcriptional regulator responsible for the execution of the entire myogenic differentiation program, indicates that CEA expression intercepts the process at a very early stage. The adhesion function of CEA is essential for this effect since an adhesion-defective N domain deletion mutant of CEA was ineffective in blocking fusion and CEA transfectants treated with adhesion-blocking peptides fused normally. Furthermore, CEA transfectants maintain their high division potential, whereas control transfectants lose division potential with differentiation similarly to the parental cell line. Thus the expression of functional CEA on the surface of cells can block terminal differentiation and maintain proliferative potential.

Noncoordinate developmental regulation of N-cadherin, N-CAM, integrin, and fibronectin mRNA levels during myoblast terminal differentiation

N-cadherin, N-CAM, fibronectin, and beta 1-integrins have been implicated in the control of myoblast fusion to form multinucleate myotubes, a critical step in the terminal differentiation of skeletal muscle. We have analyzed the temporal pattern of expression of mRNA transcripts encoding these adhesion molecules during the terminal differentiation of C2 mouse myoblasts. The accumulation of mRNA transcripts encoding N-cadherin, N-CAM, fibronectin, alpha 5-integrin, and beta 1-integrin subunits was developmentally, but not coordinately, regulated. N-cadherin and integrin subunit expression was maximal in prefusion myoblasts and declined thereafter. In contrast, N-CAM mRNA levels were low in prefusion myoblasts, and increased coincident with the onset of terminal differentiation. Fibronectin mRNA levels were also low in myoblasts, and they did not increase until after cell fusion had occurred. The results indicate that despite their lack of coordinate regulation maximal levels of mRNA transcripts encoding adhesion molecules are present at a stage which corresponds to the peak of the active phase of myoblast fusion.

Developmental regulation of a cadherin during the differentiation of skeletal myoblasts

Cadherins are a family of integral membrane glycoproteins which mediate calcium-dependent intercellular adhesion in vertebrate species. Here we present evidence that fusion-competent rat L6 myoblasts express a cadherin (Mr 127 kDa). The levels of this cadherin were found to be developmentally regulated. Maximal levels were expressed prior to fusion. The increase in cadherin levels observed during differentiation was prevented by the differentiation inhibitor, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. L6 myoblasts grown in the presence of anti-cadherin antibodies exhibited an altered morphology in comparison to control cultures, coupled with decreased myoblast fusion. These data indicate that the developmental regulation of cadherin is part of the program of terminal differentiation of skeletal myoblasts, and that cadherins are involved in the process of myoblast fusion.

Analysis of differentiation and transformation of cells by lectins

During differentiation cells are known to change their biological behavior according to their genotype. This is thought to be accompanied by a modulation of cell surface determinants expressed on the outer cell membrane. Vice versa, cell surface molecules are suggested to mediate extracellular signals to the genome. Most of these molecules integrated in the cell membrane have been proven to be glycoconjugates. The carbohydrate moieties of these molecules can be detected by means of lectins that are characterized by their ability to react specifically with distinct terminal sugar sequences. Thus, lectins have been used as appropriate tools for studying the modulation of functionally important membrane-associated molecules during the differentiation of cells, in particular of B- and T-lymphocytes. Moreover, lectins have been proven to distinguish between differentiated cells and malignant cell clones, according to the hypothesis that transformed cells possess a glycoconjugate profile that corresponds to the stage of differentiation at which they are arrested. Since lectins, like monoclonal antibodies, make it possible to study functionally important molecules that are associated with differentiation and malignancy, they might be of value for diagnostic purposes and, moreover, for analyzing malignant transformation.

Inhibition of myoblast fusion by the glucosidase inhibitor N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin, but not by the mannosidase inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin

The effects of N-linked-oligosaccharide-processing inhibitors on the fusion of rat L6 myoblasts to form myotubes were examined. The glucosidase inhibitor N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin (MDJN) greatly inhibited fusion, whereas the mannosidase inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin (ManDJN) had relatively little effect, although both compounds prevented the formation of N-linked complex oligosaccharides. These results indicate that complex oligosaccharides on glycoproteins do not play a role in myoblast fusion. With MDJN, high-mannose oligosaccharides containing three glucose residues and seven to eight mannose residues were found at the cell surface, whereas with ManDJN, non-glucosylated high-mannose oligosaccharides with seven to nine mannose residues were obtained. These results indicate that the persistence of glucose residues on high-mannose oligosaccharides may be responsible for the inhibition of fusion. It is suggested that glucose either masks the cell-surface recognition process leading to fusion or prevents the cell-surface expression of specific glycoprotein(s) essential to the fusion process.

Characterization of a chemically tritiated large molecular weight glucagon immunoreactive protein species by lectin-affinity column chromatography and reaction with anti-glucagon antibodies

High molecular weight glucagon immunoreactive material, obtained by gel-filtration (in the presence of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride) of fetal bovine pancreatic extracts, was tritiated by reductive methylation. Concanavalin-A-Sepharose column chromatography of the radiolabeled preparation yielded a discrete Concanavalin-A-reactive, alpha-methyl-mannoside-displaceable radioactive peak, coinciding with the glucagon immunoreactive peak. Submission of the Con-A-reactive material to wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose column chromatography yielded a lectin-reactive, N-acetyl-glucosamine-displaceable radioactive peak, coinciding with the glucagon immunoreactive peak. The tritiated Con-A-reactive component interacted specifically with anti-glucagon antibodies. Sephacryl S-200 gel-filtration (in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride) dissociated a approximately 40 kDa radioactive species from the antibody-antigen complex. These data provide direct evidence for the existence of a large molecular weight glycosylated glucagon-related protein species from the fetal bovine pancreas.