Flow cytometric analysis of the binding of eleven lectins to human T‐ and B‐cells and to human T‐ and B‐cell lines

Abstract

The relative surface binding of 11 lectins to human peripheral blood T‐ and B‐lymphocytes, to Molt‐4 and JM T‐cell lines, and to 6410 and NC37 B‐cell lines was determined by flow cytometry. The lectins from Lens culinaris (LCA), Ricinus communis (RCA), Arachis hypogaea (PNA), Abrus precatorius (APA), Ulex europaeus (UEA‐F), Sarothamnus scoparius (SAS‐F), Helix pomatia (HPA), Phaseolus coccineus (L‐PHA), Glycine max (SBA), and Triticum vulgare (WGA) were fluoresceinated and incubated with living, formaldehyde‐fixed, or neuraminidase‐treated cells. Except LCA, which preferentially bound to the two B‐cell lines tested in this study, none of the other lectins exhibited selective binding to the undifferentiated cells of the cell lines. The T‐cell lines and, in part, the peripheral blood T‐cells bound less WGA, APA, LCA, and L‐PHA than the B‐cell lines and the peripheral blood B‐cells. Binding of PNA was found only after neuraminidase treatment of the cells; the binding of PNA, HPA, and UEA‐F after neuraminidase treatment was higher for the T‐cells than the B‐cells from peripheral blood. No significant differences were detected between both cell types for RCA, ConA, SBA, and SAS‐F. Copyright © 1984 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.