Interferon-induced alterations in sialic acid and glycoconjugates of L-929 cells

Changes in Sialic acid and glycosphingolipid (GSL) metabolism were demonstrated in interferon (IFN)-treated L-929 cells. IFN induced an increase in total cell Sialic acid, sialoglycoproteins, and gangliosides, as shown by calorimetric and radiolabeling techniques. Expression of cell surface (neuraminidase-releasable) Sialic acid on IFN-treated cells was markedly elevated, particularly in the GSL fractions. The incorporation of ¹⁴C]galactose into glycoproteins, most neutral GSL homologs, and most ganglioside homologs also was elevated, with the more striking effects (two- to threefold) in the lipid fractions. An increase in the concentration of a ganglioside with the migration of GM₂, as measured by chemical staining of chromatograms, was also shown. The observed effects were IFN dose dependent at ranges from 10 to 10,000 U/ml. As shown previously, IFN-treated L-929 cells became resistant to lysis by virus-induced IFN-activated natural killer cells. Correlations between high levels of surface Sialic acid, resistance to NK cell-mediated lysis, and tumor invasiveness have been shown in other systems.