Expression of the H Type 1 Blood Group Antigen during Enterocytic Differentiation of Caco-2 Cells

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 274; no. 30; pp. 21209 - 21216
• Main Authors: Amano, Junko, Oshima, Mieko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 23.07.1999; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: ABO Blood-Group System - biosynthesis; ABO Blood-Group System - immunology; Caco-2 Cells; Cell Differentiation - immunology; Gene Expression Regulation - immunology; Humans; Intestines - immunology; Intestines - pathology
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.30.21209

We made a comparative study of the structures of the oligosaccharides on the glycoproteins from Caco-2 human colonic adenocarcinoma cells, before and after differentiation. Enterocytic differentiated Caco-2 cells highly express H type 1 blood group antigen on the cell surface as well as activities of brush border membrane hydrolases, such as dipeptidyl peptidase IV and alkaline phosphatase. A strong correlation was observed between the amounts of H type 1 blood group antigen and the degrees of differentiation. Structural analysis with use of lectin affinity high performance liquid chromatography revealed that typical mucin-type sugar chains of the glycoproteins from undifferentiated cells have H type 2 group, linear polylactosamines, and core 1 structure. On the other hand, differentiated cells newly contain H type 1 and Leb groups and core 2 structure. Mucins with H type 1 group make contact with brush border membrane enzymes on differentiated cells. Furthermore benzyl 2-acetamide-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranoside inhibited both expression of H type 1 group on the cell surface and enhancement of brush border membrane enzyme activities even in the presence of a differentiating inducer. These results suggest that the mucin-type sugar chains with H type 1 group have important functions regarding differentiation of Caco-2 cells.