Glycosphingolipids in clonal variants of rat fibrosarcoma cells with different transplantability.

Neutral glycolipids and gangliosides of four clonal variants of rat fibrosarcoma AS-653 cells with different transplantability were analyzed. A highly malignant clone A had a much lower quantity of GM3 ganglioside and a much higher quantity of lactosylceramide as compared to clones Z and G, which showed low transplantability and less malignancy, and a variant clone P, which showed tumorigenicity only in ascites form. A similar correlation was found with the quantity of an unidentified slow-migrating neutral glycolipid in various clones. This glycolipid was present in trace amount in the original highly malignant clone A, increased moderately in clones G and Z, and increased greatly in clone P, which showed no subcutaneous transplantability. The results of these studies suggest that a blockage of synthesis of GM3 ganglioside and a long chain neutral glycolipid occurred with enhanced malignancy, and an enhanced synthesis of GM3 ganglioside and the long chain neutral glycolipid is associated with a decrease in transplantability.