title: Heterogeneity of concanavalin A binding by mouse peritoneal macrophages.
abstract: The binding of the lectin concanavalin A (Con A) to the cell surface of monocytes and macrophages collected from the stimulated peritoneal cavity of mice was investigated electron microscopically with horseradish peroxidase-gold as an indirect marker. Individual cells were identified by the cytochemical localization of peroxidatic (PO) activity. In monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages with PO activity in cytoplasmic granules, the degree of Con A binding was lower than in resident macrophages with PO activity in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope. An even higher degree of Con A labelling was found on the surface of cells devoid of PO activity. Since the above-mentioned cell populations show a different degree of lectin binding, it is suggested that lectin labelling methods might offer a new tool for quantitative investigation of the differentiation of monocytes and resident macrophages.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D006048:Gold Colloid, Radioactive; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006048:Gold Colloid, Radioactive; D003208:Concanavalin A; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase