Altered glycosylation of glycolipids and glycoproteins is frequently observed in tumor tissues and cultured cancer cell lines. Changes in expression of glycosyltransferases produce unique carbohydrate structures which can be used to differentiate tumor from normal tissue and in some cases alter the biological activity of adhesive proteins and receptors which bear the altered oligosaccharides. We are examining the specificity of some monoclonal antibodies that recognize oligosaccharide determinatants on functionally important molecules and the structures of sulfated glycoconjugates produced by cancer cells which bind to adhesive proteins such as laminin and thrombospondin. Currently we are examining globo-series sulfated glycolipids produced in human breast cancer and carbohydrates recognized by a monoclonal antibody to human secretory component which recognizes glycoproteins and glycolipids produced in colon adenocarcinomas.
