Analysis of lectin-specific cell surface glycoprotein on neuroblastoma cells

The binding sites for the lectins wheat germ agglutinin, Ricinus communis agglutinin and concanavalin A on mouse neuroblastoma cell membranes were identified using SDS-gel electrophoresis in combination with fluorescent lectins. Ricinus communis agglutinin and wheat germ agglutinin were found to bind almost exclusively to a single polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 30 000. Concanavalin A labeled over 20 different polypeptides, most with molecular weights greater than 50 000. However, when the neuroblastoma cells were treated with concanavalin A so as to internalize all the concanavalin A binding sites visible at the level of the fluorescent microscope and the purified plasma membranes analyzed for their concanavalin A binding polypeptides, only four of the 20 glycopolypeptides were missing or significantly reduced in amount. Thus, these four high molecular weight concanavalin A-binding polypeptides appear to be the major cell surface receptors for concanavalin A. Binding studies with iodinated concanavalin A indicated that these polypeptides represented the high affinity concanavalin A binding sites $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>d</mtext>}}\text{= 2 · 10}{}^{\mathrm{?7}}\text{M}$). Low affinity concanavalin A binding sites were present on the cell surface after internalization of high affinity concanavalin A binding sites.     

Adhesive specificity of developing cerebellar cells on lectin substrata

Ten lectins, each with a different carbohydrate-binding specificity, have been coupled to tissue culture substrata with carbodiimide [1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)-carbodiimide-metho-p-toluene sulfonate] and assayed for their efficacy as substrates for the carbohydrate-specific adhesion of cells dissociated from mouse cerebellum at embryonic Day 13 and postnatal Days 0 and 7. On surfaces treated with concanavalin A, succinyl-concanavalin A, Lens culinaris agglutinin, and wheat germ agglutinin, both embryonic and early postnatal cerebellar cells formed a monolayer. On surfaces coupled with Ricinus communis_I agglutinin (120,000 daltons) both embryonic and postnatal cells formed cellular aggregates with extensive fiber outgrowth. On surfaces treated with peanut agglutinin, Dolichos bifloris agglutinin, Wistaria floribunda agglutinin, soybean agglutinin, or Ulex europaeus_I agglutinin, embryonic cerebellar cells formed cellular aggregates with a cell viability of 25–35% and little or no fiber outgrowth. Postnatal cerebellar cells, in contrast, formed cellular aggregates with a cell viability of 60–70% and extensive fiber outgrowth. On surfaces treated with Ulex europaeus_I agglutinin, cells from postnatal Day 7 formed limited areas of monolayer in addition to cellular aggregates. After 12 hr in vitro the specific attachment of cerebellar cells to lectin-derivatized substrata was inhibited 60–80% by the inclusion of free hapten carbohydrate (50–100 mM) in the growth medium. The addition of soluble concanavalin A or Ricinus communis_I agglutinin (100 μg/ml) was toxic. These studies suggest the presence of glycoconjugate-binding sites for concanavalin A, Lens culinaris agglutinin, and wheat germ agglutinin which promote cerebellar cellular adhesion.     

Glycoprotein characteristics of the sodium channel saxitoxin-binding component from mammalian sarcolemma

The saxitoxin-binding component of the excitable membrane sodium channel exhibits glycoprotein characteristics as evidenced by its specific interaction with various agarose-immobilized lectins. The detergent-solubilized saxitoxin-binding component interacts quantitatively with immobilized wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A and fractionally with immobilized Lens culinaris hemagglutinin and Ricinus communis agglutinin. These lectins preferentially bind $\text{N-}\text{acetylglucosamine}$ and sialic acid (wheat germ agglutinin), mannose (concanavalin A and Lens cunilaris and galactose (Ricinus communis). Removal of terminal sialic acid residues by neuraminidase markedly decreases binding to immobilized wheat germ agglutinin but uncovers sites capable of interacting with lectins specific for galactose and $\text{N-}\text{acetylgalactosamine}$. $\text{β-N-}\text{acetylglucosaminidase}$, an exoglycosidase has no effect on the binding of the channel protein to wheat germ agglutinin. Similarly, phospholipase C has no effect on binding of the solubilized toxin binding component to this lectin. Neither wheat germ agglutinin nor concanavalin A free in solution alters the number of toxin binding sites or their affinity for toxin. The sodium channel saxitoxin-binding component appears to be a glycoprotein containing terminal sialic acid residues and internal mannose, galactose, $\text{N-}\text{acetylglucosamine}$, and $\text{N-}\text{acetylgalactosamine}$ residues. The toxin binding site is spatially separated from the binding sites for the lectins studied. The effect of these sugar moieties must be considered when evaluating the biophysical parameters of the sodium channel.     

A quantitative assay for concanavalin A- and Ricinus communis agglutinin-mediated agglutinations of rat ascites hepatoma cells: Relationship between concanavalin a binding and cell agglutination

A simple quantitative assay method was developed for the agglutination of rat ascites hepatoma cells mediated by Concanavalin A or Ricinus communis agglutinin. This method was based on the principle that the turbidity of a cell suspension is proportional to the sum of the cross-sectional area of cells and aggregates. As predicted by the theoretical consideration, the turbidity decreased when cells were aggregated and the decrease was a function of the average number of the cells in aggregates.The agglutinability of the cells, judged by this method, showed a maximum value at a certain concentration of the agglutinin. By further addition of the agglutinin, the agglutinability slightly decreased from the maximum. These phenomena were observed both for Concanavalin A and Ricinus communis agglutinin. The binding and the agglutination experiments using [³H] concanavalin A revealed that the binding to approx. 20% of the total receptors caused a maximal agglutination. This suggested that the receptors responsible for the agglutination constitute only a small part of the total receptors on the surface.     

Functional gold nanoparticles for studying the interaction of lectin with glycosyl complex on living cellular surfaces

In this study, lectin-conjugated gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were prepared by standard biotin-streptavidin chemistry. The lectin-conjugated GNPs can be used as an indicator for studying the interaction of lectin with glycosyl complex on living cellular surfaces due to the high affinity of the lectin with saccharides. The interactions of two well-known lectins (Ricinus communis agglutinin and concanavalin A) and three different cell lines (HeLa, 293, and 293T) were selected here to establish this assay. Highly binding affinity of R. communis agglutinin with cells was demonstrated by conventional microscopic and UV-visible spectroscopic studies. In addition, the binding process can be inhibited by galactose, giving further proof of the binding mechanism.     

Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium knowlesi: Serum binding to sporozoites

Plasmodium berghei salivary gland and oocyst sporozoites were examined with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-lectins to determine if sporozoites had carbohydrate-containing molecules on their surfaces. None of the eight fluorescein isothiocyanate-lectins bound to the sporozoites. However, incubation of sporozoites in mouse serum permitted subsequent binding of concanavalin A and Ricinus communis agglutinin I. In general, serum binding occurred when sporozoites were incubated in serum from hosts susceptible to sporozoite infection. Sporozoites of the rodent parasite, P. berghei, tended to bind rodent but not primate serum, while sporozoites of the monkey parasite, Plasmodium knowlesi, tended to bind primate but not rodent serum. The serum component(s) that bound to sporozoites were concentrated considerably by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by concanavalin A—Sepharose affinity chromatography.     

Interactions of lectins with plasma membrane glycoproteins of the Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cell

Several aspects of the interaction of various lectins with the surface of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells are described. The order of agglutinating activity for various various lectins is Ricinuscommunis > wheat germ concanavalin A soybean >Limuluspolyphemus. No agglutination was noted for Ulex europaeus. Using ¹²⁵I-labeled lectins it was determined that there are 1.6 and 7 times as many Ricinus communis lectin binding sites as sites for concanavalin A and soybean lectins. Sodium deoxy-cholate-solubilized plasma membrane material was subjected to lectin affinity chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The lectin receptors of the plasma membrane appeared to be heterogeneous and some qualitative differences could be discerned among the electrophoretically analyzed material, which bound to and was specifically eluted from the various lectin affinity colums. The characteristics of elution of bound material from individual lectin columns indicated secondary hydrophobic interactions between concanavalin A or wheat germ agglutinin and their respective lectin receptor molecules.     

The distribution and asymmetry of mammalian cell surface saccharides utilizing ferritin-conjugated plant agglutinins as specific saccharide stains

The preparation, properties, and some applications of ferritin conjugates of two plant agglutinins, concanavalin A and Ricinus communis agglutinin, are reported. These conjugates serve as specific electron-dense stains for cell- and membrane-bound saccharide residues of the α-D-mannopyranosyl and β-D-galactopyranosyl configurations, respectively, and as examples of a wide range of ferritin-plant agglutinin conjugates useful as high resolution saccharide stains. By using a technique for preparing flattened membrane specimens, it was found with a variety of mammalian cell plasma membranes (lymphocyte, lymphoma, and myeloma and normal, spontaneously and virally transformed fibroblasts) that the ferritin conjugates were localized exclusively to the exterior face of the membrane, with essentially none found on the cytoplasmic face. On the exterior face the topographical distribution of ferritin conjugates appeared to be random. The asymmetrical distribution of saccharide residues to the outer membrane face can be explained by an "assembly line" process whereby new plasma membrane is made from intracellular precursor membranes. It also suggests that the saccharide-containing components of the plasma membrane do not rotate at any appreciable rate from one membrane surface to the other.     

Lectin-mediated agglutination of preimplantation mouse embryos

Plant lectins were used to monitor qualitative changes in carbohydrate-containing receptors during preimplantation mouse development. Beginning at the morula stage, an age-related decline was observed in agglutination of early mouse embryos by concanavalin A (ConA). In contrast, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA) agglutinated embryos strongly throughout preimplantation development.     

Carbohydrate exposure of human promyelocytic HL60 cells and histiocytic U937 cells during phagocytic differentiation assessed with fluoresceinated lectins

The display of carbohydrate structures was measured in promyelocytic HL60 cells and in histiocytic U937 cells induced to differentiate to phagocytic cellsin vitro during three to seven days of cultivation in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). It was assessed by micro-or spectrofluorometric quantification of the binding of fluorescent lectins. Changes in the cell size and the association and uptake of IgG-or complementopsonized yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were used as signs of phagocyte differentiation.The binding of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), concanavalin A (Con A),Ricinus communis agglutinin-I (RCA-I) andUlex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I) varied due to the presence of DMSO during cultivation, and without DMSO also on the number of days in culture and the type of cell.Abbreviations DMSO dimethylsulfoxide - PMA phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate - KRG Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer with glucose - WGA wheat germ agglutinin - Con A concanavalin A - RCA-I Ricinus communis agglutinin-I - UEA-I Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I     

Interactions of galactose-binding lectins with plant protoplasts

Summary Protoplasts isolated from cell suspension cultures of carrot (Daucus carota L.) and leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were treated with three lectins specific for galactosyl residues. After incubation with RCA I (Ricinus communis agglutinin, molecular weight 120,000) conjugated to ferritin or fluorescein, freshly isolated protoplasts displayed heavy labeling of their surfaces. Moreover, they agglutinated rapidly when exposed to low concentrations of RCA I. In parallel studies, PNA (peanut agglutinin) also bound extensively to the protoplast plasma membranes whileBandeiraea simplicifolia lectin I attached relatively weakly. When protoplasts were cultured for two days and then incubated with conjugates of RCA I and PNA, additional binding sites were revealed on the regenerating walls.The results indicate that galactosyl residues are distributed densely over the surface of plant protoplasts. They also allow inferences to be made regarding the positions and linkages of the galactose groups being recognized by the lectins. Moreover, they open up the question whether the galactosyl moieties detected in the wall derive from those labeled on the plasma membrane. To conclude, we make comparisons with binding by concanavalin A, and predict that galactose-recognizing lectins will join and in certain respects prove superior to concanavalin A as probes of the plant cell surface.     

Dynamic changes of cell-surface glycoconjugates in human palmar epidermis following friction-blisters

Summary Damage and repair of cell-surface glycoconjugates were examined in human palmar skin following friction-blister injury, using biotinylated lectins and the avidinbiotin complex method. In normal skin, concanavalin A, Ricinus communis, and Triticum vulgaris bound to the surface of cells from the basal layer to the granular layer. After injury, binding of concanavalin A was absent in the plasma membrane, but appeared in the cytoplasm at perinuclear sites. The surface reaction was recovered in basal and spinous cells, but not in granular cells, when cell maturation began at 5 days after injury. In contrast, binding of Ricinus communis and Triticum vulgaris was, in general, much more resistant to tissue damage. Even in some cells, where the surface staining became obscure at an early period, a normal staining pattern reappeared by 6 h after injury. Staining of Ulex europeus I and Glycine max, detected on the surface of upper spinous and granular cells in normal skin, disappeared immediately after the injury, but recovered quickly on the surfaces of the differentiated cells. These findings suggest that at least 2 oligosaccharide sequences, one binding with concanavalin A, and the other with Ricinus communis and Triticum vulgaris, may exist on epidermal cells. Addition of terminal carbohydrates, detectable with binding of Ulex europeus I and Glycine max, appears to occur on the Ricinus communis I and Triticum vulgaris-bound oligosaccharide chain.     

Pinocytosis and locomotion in amoebae XIV. Demonstration of two different receptor sites on the cell surface ofAmoeba proteus

Summary Two different receptor sites, located on the cell surface ofAmoeba proteus were detected by using fluorescent analog cytochemistry (FAC) and electron microscopy (EM). Bovine serum albumin labeled with fluoresceine-isothiocyanate (FITC-BSA) and unlabeled ferritin bind, in a pH-dependent manner, as cations at the outer filaments of the mucous layer. The anionic receptor sites show a high affinity for Ca-ions which suppress the binding capacity of FITC-BSA and ferritin at low pH-values. The cation receptors obviously play an important role in the initiation of pinocytosis as demonstrated by the internalization, intracellular translocation and sequestration of the FITC-BSA. FITC- or ferritin-labeled concanavalin A (FITC-Con A, ferritin-Con A) bind predominantly in a pH-independent manner at the tips of the outer filaments and the basal zone of the mucous layer. The binding capacity of FITC-Con A is not influenced by external Ca-ions. Other lectins such asDolichos bifloris agglutinin (DBA), peanut agglutinin (PNA),Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA I), soybean agglutinin (SBA),Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA I) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) are not specifically bound to the cell surface. So far, no experimental evidence has been gathered for the definitive function of a Con-A receptor in the mucos layer ofAmoeba proteus.Abbreviations BSA bovine serum albumin - Con A concanavalin A - CTC chlorotetracycline - DBA Dolichos bifloris agglutinin - DTE dithioeritritol - FITC fluorosceine-isothiocyanate - IEP iso electric point - PIPES 1-4-piperazine-diethane sulfonic acid - PNA peanut agglutinin - RCA I Ricinus communis agglutinin I - SBA soybean agglutinin - Uac uranylacetat - UEA I Ulex europaeus agglutinin I - WGA wheat germ agglutinin     

Distribution of ferritin-conjugated lectins on sialidase-treated membranes of human erythrocytes

The labeling of sialidase-treated, human erythrocyte membranes with ferritin-conjugates of four plant lectinss, concanavalin A, Ricinus communis hemagglutinin, Bauhinia purpurea hemagglutinin and Arachis hypogoea hemagglutinin, is reported. Among these ferritin-conjugated lectins, ferritin-conjugated concanavalin A and ferritin-conjugated R. communis hemagglutinin were found in clusters on the sialidase-treated membranes, whereas ferritin-conjugated B. pupurea hemagglutinin and ferritin-conjugated A. hypogoea hemagglutinin were found in a random distribution on the membranes. Furthermore, when the membranes were labeled with a mixture of concanavalin A and ferritin-conjugated B. purpurea hemagglutinin, ferritin particles were found in clusters, indicating that the membrane receptors for B. purpurea hemagglutinin were forced to move together with those for concanavalin A. A method for thentitative estimation of the clustering of ferritin particles on the membranes was also devised and applied to the labeling of sialidase-treated, human erythrocyte membranes with the above four ferritin-conjugated lectins.     

Cell-surface changes during mitogenic stimulation of lymphocytes assessed by the binding of wheat-germ agglutinin and other plant lectins

Lymphocytes from murine lymph node, cultured in the presence of an optimally mitogenic dose of phytohaemagglutinin, were stained with fluoresceinated lectins and analysed by flow cytometry. A marked increase in the ability of lymphocytes to bind wheat-germ agglutinin was observed that is particularly pronounced for the blast cells, reaching a maximum at about 40 h, when they are 5.5-times brighter than cells at zero time. The corresponding intensification of the small cells is 2-fold. Much smaller increases in binding accompanying blast transformation were observed when fluoresceinated concanavalin A or Lens culinaris haemagglutinin were used. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of plasma membranes followed by treatment of the gels with radioactively labelled lectins and autoradiography also showed a very distinct increase in the binding of wheat-germ agglutinin to membranes from mitogen-stimulated porcine lymphocytes. Less marked changes in the binding of concanavalin A Lens culinaris heamagglutin and Ricinus communis agglutinin 120 were also noted. The apparent multiplicity of glycoproteins that bind each lectin, suggests that in each case the sites are heterogeneous. We conclude that lymphocytes stimulated by the T-cell mitogen phytohaemagglutinin expose new glycoprotein receptors for wheat-germ agglutinin that are most abundant on blast cells at 40 h. Attempts to characterize the receptor biochemically suggest that the carbohydrate moiety recognised by wheat-germ agglutinin is present on a glycoprotein of approx. 120 kDa molecular mass and also possibly on glycoproteins of 170–190 kDa.     

Evidence that Envelope and Thylakoid Membranes from Pea Chloroplasts Lack Glycoproteins

Envelope and thylakoid membranes from pea (Pisum sativum var. Laxton's Progress No. 9) chloroplasts were analyzed for the presence of glycoproteins using two different approaches. First, the sugar composition of delipidated membrane polypeptides was measured directly using gas chromatographic analysis. The virtual absence of sugars suggests that plastid membranes lack glycoproteins. Second, membrane polypeptides separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis were tested for reactivity toward three different lectins: Concanavalin A, Ricinus communis agglutinin, and wheat germ agglutinin. In each case, there was no reactivity between any of the lectins and the plastid polypeptides. Microsomal membranes from pea tissues were used as a positive control. Glycoproteins were readily detectable in microsomal membranes using either of the two techniques. From these results it was concluded that pea chloroplast membranes do not contain glycosylated polypeptides.     

Changing levels of uv light and carcinogen-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis in mouse oocytes during meiotic maturation.

The effects of cytochalasin B (CB) and colchicine on the lectin-mediated agglutination of dissociated cells from chick embryos at the early primitive streak stage were studied. Cells incubated in the absence of the above-mentioned drugs were agglutinable with concanavalin A (ConA), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA). A pre-incubation with neuraminidase was required to render the cells agglutinable with soybean agglutinin (SBA). This treatment had no appreciable effect on the agglutinability of the cells with the other three lectins. Treatment with the drug colchicine had no appreciable effect on the extent of agglutination with any of the above-mentioned lectins. Cells treated with CB dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in saline, exhibited a reduced lectin-mediated agglutinability. However, a similar decline in agglutinability was observed in controls incubated in saline containing DMSO alone. It is suggested that structures sensitive to colchicine and CB do not play a major role in the control of surface lectin receptors in early embryonic cells.     

Fluorescence polarization as a tool to study lectin-sugar interaction

The binding ofRicinus communis agglutinin andAbrus agglutinin to 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-galactopyranoside was studied by equilibrium dialysis, fluo-rescence quenching and fluorescence polarization. The number of binding sites and the association constant value obtained by fluorescence polarization for bothRicinus communis agglutinin andAbrus agglutinin are in close agreement with those obtained by the other methods. This indicates the potential of ligand-fluorescence polarization measurements in the investigation of lectin-sugar interactions.     

Inhibition of hamster fertilization by phytoagglutinins

Unfertilized eggs of the golden hamster were treated with phytoagglutinins and inseminated in vitro with capacitated spermatozoa. Ricinus communis agglutinin was most effective in preventing fertilization, followed by wheat germ agglutinin, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin and finally concanavalin A. The agglutinin-mediated block to fertilization is related to the saccharide-binding activities of agglutinins, because inclusion of the appropriate saccharide inhibitor counteracted the actions of the agglutinins. It is proposed that the agglutinins bind to specific oligosaccharides of the zona pellucida and induce extensive cross-linking of adjacent saccharide chains in such a way that sperm-born zona lysins can no longer depolymerize the zona material. Spermatozoa failed to bind to zona surfaces following treatment of eggs with high concentrations of wheat germ agglutinin, but not with the other agglutinins, suggesting that N-acetyl- -glucosamine-like or N-acetylneuraminic acid-like residues may be essential or sterically close to sperm attachment sites on the zona pellucida of the hamster egg.