Article
Polysialic acid directs tumor cell growth by controlling heterophilic neural cell adhesion molecule interactions.
Molecular and cellular biology - 1 Aug 2003
Seidenfaden Ralph, Krauter Andrea, Schertzinger Frank, Gerardy-Schahn Rita, Hildebrandt Herbert
Abstract excerpt
Polysialic acid (PSA), a carbohydrate polymer attached to the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), promotes neural plasticity and tumor malignancy, but its mode of action is controversial. Here we establish that PSA controls tumor cell growth and differentiation by interfering with NCAM signaling at cell-cell contacts. Interactions between cells with different PSA and NCAM expression profiles were initiated by...
Topics
- Apoptosis
- Cell Adhesion
- Cell Differentiation
- Cell Division
- Cell Membrane
- Cell Survival
- Enzyme Activation
- Enzyme Inhibitors
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
- Genetic Vectors
- Humans
- Immunoblotting
- Immunohistochemistry