Gene expression levels of β4-galactosyltransferase 5 correlate with the tumorigenic potentials of B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells

Our previous studies showed that mouse beta 4-galactosyltransferase 5 (beta 4GalT5) is a lactosylceramide (Lac-Cer) synthase, and that its gene expression increases by 2- to 3-fold upon malignant transformation of cells. In the present study, we examined whether or not the tumorigenic and metastatic potentials of B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells can be suppressed by reducing the expression of the beta 4GalT5 gene. We isolated a stable clone named E5 whose beta 4GalT5 gene expression level was reduced to 35% that of a control clone C1 by transfection of its antisense cDNA. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of glycosphingolipids showed that the amounts of Lac-Cer and ganglioside GM3 are significantly less in clone E5 than in clone C1. Clone C1 and E5 cells were each transplanted subcutaneously or injected intravenously into C57BL/6 mice, and the sizes of tumors and numbers of colonies formed in the lungs were determined. The average tumor size and average number of colonies formed with clone E5 were decreased to 44 and 49%, respectively, of those formed with clone C1. Furthermore, the numbers and sizes of colonies formed in the soft agarose gels, and the volumes of tumors formed in athymic mice with fibroblasts from wild type, heterozygous and homozygous beta 4GalT5-knockout mouse embryos upon transformation with the polyoma virus oncogene correlated with the beta 4GalT5 gene dosage. These results strongly indicate that the amounts of Lac-Cer synthesized by beta 4GalT5 correlate with the tumorigenic potentials of malignantly transformed cells.