Open AccessAlterations in Nonspecific Cross‐reacting Antigen Localization during Cell Culture
Author(s) -
Suemizu Hiroshi,
Tsutsumi Yutaka,
Watanabe Keiichi,
Kuroki Masahide,
Matsuoka Yuji
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
acta patholigica japonica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 0001-6632
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1989.tb02429.x
Subject(s) - vacuole , antigen , cytoplasm , cell culture , intracellular , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , fetal bovine serum , cell , cell membrane , carcinoembryonic antigen , membrane , biology , biochemistry , immunology , cancer , genetics
Nonspecific cross reacting antigen (NCA), a constituent of the carcinoembryonic antigen family, was localized ultra‐structurally in a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line, PC 9. NCA was distributed predominantly on the plasma membrane in the early phases of cell culture. Deletion of fetal bovine serum (FBS) from the culture medium suppressed cell division without significantly altering cell viability, and induced a dramatic but reversible change in NCA localization. Under these conditions, NCA was localized to membrane degradation products within cytoplasmic vesicles and vacuoles. Acid phosphatase activity was also present in some of these intracellular structures. Similar changes in NCA localization were seen in cells cultured with FBS at day 6 when the cells reached a plateau stage of growth. These findings strongly suggest that plasma membrane degradation is accelerated by the cessation of cell growth. Cytoplasmic reactivity for NCA in cancer cells may therefore reflect degradation of plasma membrane‐associated NCA and may not necessarily be correlated with increased systhesis of this glycoprotein. Acta Pathol Jpn 39: 772 778, 1989.