Differential sulphation of chondroitins in murine T and B lymphocytes and lymphoma cells.

Splenic B and T lymphocytes metabolically labelled in vitro with [35S]-H2SO4 show differential sulphation of chondroitin sulphate, the major sulphated glycosaminoglycan in both cell-retained and secreted fractions. In B cells, 6-O-sulphation is more abundant than 4-O-sulphation, whereas in T cells sulphation occurs predominantly in the 4-O-position. The murine lymphoma lines AKTB-1b and EL-4, of B and T origin respectively, show even more marked differences. AKTB-1b follows the pattern of normal B cells, whilst in EL-4 only chondroitin 4-sulphate is synthesized.