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V M Mautner

Publications and source records attributed to V M Mautner.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

LETS glycoprotein: arrangement and function at the cell surface.

LETS is a large surface glycoprotein that is found on normal fibroblasts, but is absent or exists in amounts on transformed cells. Immunofluorescent staining shows LETS protein fibrils arrayed around the cells, particularly concentrated beneath the cells and in the area between neighboring cells. LETS glycoprotein is disulfide-bonded at the cell surface into dimers and higher aggregates. Other surface proteins also appear to participate in disulfide bonding. Reduction of disulfide bonds leads to increased release of LETS protein from the cells, as does the addition of cytochalasin B. Purified LETS protein added to transformed cells binds to the cells in a fibrillar array similar to that seen on normal cells. Addition of LETS protein leads to increased attachment and spreading of cells and causes transformed cells to align like normal ones. It also causes the appearance of actin cables in transformed cells, which normally lack them. These effects are inhibited by specific antisera to LETS protein or by reduction of disulfide bonds in the protein and are blocked or reversed by proteolysis. The results suggest that LETS protein plays a role in adhesion of cells.

Actins↗

Synthesis, secretion, and attachment of LETS glycoprotein in normal and transformed cells.

LETS glycoprotein is a surface glycoprotein which is absent or greatly diminished on the surfaces of transformed cells. Normal cells secrete large amounts of this protein into the medium; transformed cell medium contains much less. The difference is not due to degradation of the soluble LETS protein. Biosynthesis of LETS protein can be studied by analysis of cell extracts by detergent extraction and immune precipitation and appears to proceed in transformed cells at a reduced rate compared with normal cells. Addition of inhibitors of protein synthesis to transformed cell cultures causes the small amount of LETS protein in the medium to attach to the cells. Addition of normal conditioned medium, which contains LETS protein, to transformed cells alters their morphology towards normal. Addition of purified LETS protein to transformed cells causes the cells to attach, spread, align with one another, and regain actin cables. The results indicate that LETS protein can exchange between cell surface and medium and that it affects cellular adhesion, morphology, and cytoskeleton.

Adhesiveness↗