Concanavalin A inhibits mating type recognition in Tetrahymena.
The lectin concanavalin A (Con A) inhibits adhesion of cells of complementary mating types into pairs during conjugation in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. Distinct changes in protein synthesis occur in conjugating Tetrahymena, starting before cells have paired, as a result of a preliminary interaction, costimulation, involving nonadhesive, contact-mediated, specific cell-cell recognition. We report here that ConA inhibits costimulation-induced protein synthesis changes. We interpret this result as evidence that Con A inhibits cellular recognition, independent of cell-cell adhesion, in Tetrahymena.
Pagliaro
L
L
Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06457.
Wolfe
J
J
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008766:Methylmannosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D013768:Tetrahymena / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D008766:Methylmannosides; D003208:Concanavalin A; C008466:methylmannoside; C019558:succinylconcanavalin A