Prevention by retinoic acid of anionic site redistribution on the surface of cultured human sarcoma cells.

The distribution of cell surface negatively-charged macromolecules was determined electron microscopically on untreated and on retinoic acid (RA)-treated cultured human osteosarcoma Hs791 and chondrosarcoma Hs705 cells using cationized ferritin (CF), an electron-dense marker of anionic sites. Labeling on the surface of prefixed cells was continuous and uniform whether they were grown in the absence or presence of RA. In contrast, CF distribution on unfixed cells was markedly affected by RA; CF labeling of untreated cells occurred in patches and clusters whereas the label on RA-treated cells was continuous, as on prefixed cells. CF labeling of unfixed cells decreased considerably after incubation of the cells either with hyaluronidase or neuraminidase. There was also a reduction in patching and clustering. Changes induced by RA in the apparent membrane microviscosity, in neuraminidase-releasable sialic acid, or in transglutaminase activity could not be related to the effect of RA on CF-induced anionic site redistribution since these characteristics were modulated differently in the two cell lines. In contrast, RA increased the sialylation of specific cell surface membrane glycoproteins on both cell types. These results suggest that RA prevents redistribution of cell surface sialoglycoconjugates and glycosaminoglycans by CF. This effect may be the result of increased sialylation of specific surface components and may be related causally to the suppression of the transformed phenotype in the sarcoma cells.