Binding of soybean agglutinin to glycolipid components of porcine lymphocyte plasma membranes

¹²⁵I-Labeled soybean agglutinin binds primarily to glycolipids contained in pig lymphocyte plasma membranes as measured by in situ “staining” of membranes subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Separation of these glycolipids by differential extraction, silicic acid chromatography, and high-performance thin-layer chromatography showed that three different species of plasma membrane glycolipid bind this lectin; trihexosyl ceramide, globoside, and ganglioside G_M2 in order of increasing affinity (over a range of 10- to 20-fold). Trihexosyl ceramide and globoside, major neutral membrane glycolipids, are the major binders; while G_M2, a minor acidic glycolipid, is a quantitatively smaller lectin-binding component.