Cell surface-specific N-glycan profiling in breast cancer

PLoS One. 2013 Aug 23;8(8):e72704. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072704. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Aberrant changes in specific glycans have been shown to be associated with immunosurveillance, tumorigenesis, tumor progression and metastasis. In this study, the N-glycan profiling of membrane proteins from human breast cancer cell lines and tissues was detected using modified DNA sequencer-assisted fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (DSA-FACE). The N-glycan profiles of membrane proteins were analyzed from 7 breast cancer cell lines and MCF 10A, as well as from 100 pairs of breast cancer and corresponding adjacent tissues. The results showed that, compared with the matched adjacent normal tissue samples, two biantennary N-glycans (NA2 and NA2FB) were significantly decreased (p <0.0001) in the breast cancer tissue samples, while the triantennary glycan (NA3FB) and a high-mannose glycan (M8) were dramatically increased (p = 0.001 and p <0.0001, respectively). Moreover, the alterations in these specific N-glycans occurred through the oncogenesis and progression of breast cancer. These results suggested that the modified method based on DSA-FACE is a high-throughput detection technology that is suited for analyzing cell surface N-glycans. These cell surface-specific N-glycans may be helpful in recognizing the mechanisms of tumor cell immunologic escape and could be potential targets for new breast cancer drugs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane / chemistry
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism
  • Proteomics / methods
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Membrane Proteins
  • Polysaccharides

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a grant from The National Natural Science Foundation of China (30700987 and 81171945), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (20090451003) and Project Supported by Development Program for Outstanding Young Teachers in Harbin Institute of Technology (HITQNJS.2007.026). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.