Cellular glycosylation of amphiphilic saccharide primer in liquid/liquid interface culture system employing fluorous solvents

Abstract As fluorous compounds have extremely high oxygen-carrying capacity, liquid/liquid (culture medium/fluorous solvent) interface culture system is one of their attractive applications in the field of biotechnology. However, it remains to be elucidated whether the metabolism of the cells cultured in such a system could work properly. To determine whether glycolipid metabolism of these cells are affected by such a low adhesive condition at the interface, we evaluated cellular glycosylation of a synthetic pseudo-glycolipid by mouse melanoma B16 cells cultured in liquid/liquid interface system using three kinds of fluorous solvents. The results showed that the saccharide primer was sialylated by the cells when cultured at the interface using Fluorinert™ FC-72 or perfluorodecalin, but not with dodecafluoroheptanol. The results of this work confirmed that glycolipid metabolism of cells cultured at the interface of aqueous/fluorous culture system functioned properly as well as normal aqueous culture system but depending on the kind of fluorous solvent used. Ganglioside biosynthesis was not compromised amidst an unusual environment such as the absence of a solid substrate for cell attachment and the presence of a perfluorinated solvent.