The effect of specific glycosidase treatment on the responsiveness of lymphocytes. I. Response of human lymphocytes to concanavalin-A

The effect of glycosidases in altering the ability of Concanavalin-A to bind to and induce blast transformation of human peripheral lymphocytes was examined. Neuraminidase greatly enhanced thymidine incorporation while α-mannosidase was found to diminish mitotic responsiveness. β-galactosidase and β-hexosaminidase potentiated the mannosidase effect. No correlation between changes in cell binding and stimulation or diminution of DNA synthesis was found. These changes were compared to those noted in phytohemagglutinin-P-stimulated, enzyme-treated lymphocytes. Possible explanations for the cited observations are offered.