title: Concanavalin A-induced modification of the electrophoretic mobility of lymphocytes. Effect of colchicine and cytochalasin B.
abstract: Concanavalin A induces redistribution, i.e. "capping" and endocytosis of its receptors, on the surface of lymphocytes. This phenomenon has been shown to alter the cellular surface charge density. Colchicine, which depolymerises cytoplasmic microtubules, and cytochalasin B, which inactivates microfilaments, were used to determine the transmembrane control of the changes in the electrophoretic mobility of mouse lymphocytes. Colchicine neither inhibited nor modified the lectin-induced changes, irrespective of whether the cells were exposed to this agent before or after the interaction with concanavalin A. Pre-incubation with cytochalasin B, on the other hand, inhibited the alterations induced by concanavalin A. Cytochalasin B also reversed the altered electrophoretic mobilities of concanavalin A-treated lymphocytes. These data provide further confirmation of the relationship between lectin-induced redistribution and the electrokinetic behaviour of lymphocytes and establish that "capping" but not endocytosis of the glycoprotein receptors is responsible for the electrophoretic changes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D013154:Spleen
chemical_list: D003208:Concanavalin A; D003571:Cytochalasin B; D003078:Colchicine