Effects of plant lectins on cation-activated brain ATPases.

The effects of concanavalin A (con A) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) on cation-activated ATPases in a crude homogenate of rat brain corpus striatum were examined. Con A enhanced the activity of Mg⁺⁺-dependent-, and Ca⁺⁺-activated-ATPases, and inhibited (Na⁺ + K⁺)- ATPase activity. WGA enhanced Mg⁺⁺-dependent ATPase activity, but did not alter the activity of the other two components. The specificity of these interactions was demonstrated by reversal with specific lectin-interacting sugars. The possibility that these effects may be mediated by lectin-binding to physiologic regulatory sites, as well as the possible role of these interactions in the etiopathology of schizophrenia are discussed.