Diversity of the plasma membrane properties of transplantable hamster melanomas with regard to the expression of P-glycoprotein.

A comparison of the expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) was performed in two forms of hamster transplantable melanomas of common origin, but differing in growth rates and levels of differentiation. The expression of P-glycoprotein in plasma membranes of these two forms of melanomas was estimated by the western blot analysis and the transport activity of the Pgp compared by flow cytometry. It was observed that a spontaneous alteration in the original melanotic melanoma leading to a formation of the amelanotic form characterized by higher growth rate, greater anaplasticity and leading to the animals' death after a shorter time from inoculation, was accompanied by a decrease in the Pgp expression and activity, due to simultaneous appearance of a small population of amelanotic cells with high Pgp expression and activity, and disappearance of this activity from the major population. It is possible, that the activity of Pgp in the melanoma cell membranes reflects the degree of cell differentiation.