Identification of agglutinin receptors on hemocytes of Helix pomatia

The attachment of opsonized foreign particles to phagocytic cells indicates the occurrence of opsonin receptors on the surfaces of the phagocytes. There is good evidence that naturally occurring hemagglutinins may serve as opsonins in invertebrates. To prove the occurrence of agglutinin receptors on the hemocytes of an invertebrate, the interaction of various agglutinins with Helix pomatia hemocytes was investigated. A positive agglutination reaction was obtained with Ricinus, Axinella, anti-H_eel, Ulex, concanavalin A, and Limulus agglutinins. The known specificities of these agglutinins and the influence of carbohydrases on the agglutinability of Helix cells have led to the conclusion that the carbohydrate components of the binding sites include galactose, fucose, mannose or glucose or both, and N-acetylneuraminic acid or polygalactose.