Lymphocyte receptors for polyclonal T mitogens: I. Concanavalin A binding to lymphocytes inhibits mitogenesis induced by galactose oxidase

Mitogenic stimulation of mouse lymphocytes by the enzyme galactose oxidase (GO) is inhibited if Con A is present during the enzymatic oxidation. The mechanism of this inhibition appears to involve steric hindrance of GO action at cell surface sites which bind Con A because (a) similar pulse exposure of unoxidized cells to Con A does not affect their subsequent ability to respond to GO stimulation; (b) Con A binding to fetuin interferes with GO oxidation of that glycoprotein substrate; and (c) sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of cells labeled by $\text{GO}\text{NaB}{}^3\text{H}{}_4$ in the presence of Con A shows a selective inhibition of labeling of some high-molecular-weight glycoproteins compared to controls labeled in the absence of Con A.