Isolation of high-rate DNA synthetic cells by Con A chromatography

The separation of L1210 cells with columns of Con A-derivatized nylon was investigated. Most of the cells bound to the column irreversibly. The binding was lectin-specific. Cells were pulse labeled with ³H-thymidine and applied to Con A columns. Those cells not binding the columns were enriched in incorporated thymidine compared to the unseparated population. Data is presented which suggests that a small, synchronized fraction of cells synthesizing DNA at a high rate is reduced in Con A-nylon affinity. It is proposed that L1210 cell DNA synthesis is not uniform in rate and that changes in this rate are related to changes in the ability of cells to bind Con A-nylon.