[CANCER RESEARCH 35, 438-441. February 1975] SUMMARY The ability of suspensions of BALB/c cells to catalyze the incorporation of nucleotide sugars into complex polysaccha

The ability of suspensions of BALB/c cells to catalyze the incorporation of nucleotide sugars into complex polysaccha rides has been compared. These cells have previously been characterized for concanavalin A-induced agglutinability, tumonigenicity, and malignancy. All of the cell lines tested catalyze transfer of the sugar moieties of cytosine 5'-mono phosphate N-acetylneuraminic acid, unidine S'-diphosphate galactose, unidine 5'-diphosphate N-acetylgalactosamine, unidine S'-diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine, unidine 5'diphosphate glucose, and guanidine 5'-diphosphate man nose into glycoproteins and glycolipids. While some trans formed lines exhibit alterations in transferase levels, others cannot be distinguished from normal cells. Normal cells, transformed cells that cause tumors that regress, and transformed cells that cause tumors that kill an immunolog ically competent host show growth-dependent changes in transferase activities. Determining the ability to catalyze carbohydrate transfer is insufficient for predicting the tumorigenic and malignant properties of a cell line.