title: Distribution of ferritin-conjugated lectins on sialidase-treated membranes of human erythrocytes.
abstract: The labeling of sialidase-treated, human erythrocyte membranes with ferritin-conjugates of four plant lectins, concanavalin A, Ricinus communis hemagglutinin, Bauhinia purpurea hemagglutinin and Arachis hypogoea hemagglutinin, is reported. Among these ferritin-conjugated lectins, ferritin-conjugated concanavalin A and ferritin-conjugated R. communis hemagglutinin were found in clusters on the sialidase-treated membranes, whereas ferritin-conjugated B. purpurea hemagglutinin and ferritin-conjugated A. hypogoea hemagglutinin were found in a random distribution on the membranes. Furthermore, when the membranes were labeled with a mixutre of concanavalin A and ferritin-conjugated B. purpurea hemagglutinin, ferritin particles were found in clusters, indicating that the membrane receptors for B. purpurea hemagglutinin were forced to more together with those for concanavalin A. A method for the quantitative estimation of the clustering of ferritin particles on the membranes was also devised and applied to the labeling of sialidase-treated, human erythrocyte membranes with the above four ferritin-conjugated lectins.
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000201:enzymology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood*; D008433:Mathematics; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009439:Neuraminidase; D011485:Protein Binding; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D003208:Concanavalin A; D005293:Ferritins; D009439:Neuraminidase