Distribution of concanavalin A binding sites on the surface of dissociated rat submandibular gland acinar cells.

The submandibular glands of 4-week-old rats were dissociated by a procedure involving digestions with collagenase and hyaluronidase, chelation of divalent cations and mechanical force. A suspension of single cells was obtained in low yield by centrifugation in a Ficoll-containing medium. Immediately after dissociation and after a culture period of 16-18 hr the dissociated cells were tested for agglutinability by concanavalin A (Con A). Using ferritin (tfer)-conjugated Con A the lectin binding by the isolated acinar cells was also studied. The dissociated cells were agglutinated by low concentrations of Con A and bound Fer-Con A molecules on their entire surface without any indication of polarization of the cell membrane. There was a considerable cell to cell variation in the amount of Fer-Con A binding which was, in general, sparse and patchy. The contact surfaces between agglutinated cells revealed a dense binding of Fer-Con A molecules irrespective of the types of cells participating in the agglutination reaction. Cells cultured for 16-18 hr were no longer agglutinated by Con A. As compared to the freshly dissociated cells the cultured acinar cells revealed a more uniform and denser binding of Fer-Con A molecules. Furthermore, there were more lectin molecules bound to the cell surface corresponding to the basal part of the cell, where the nucleus and most of the rough surface endoplasmic reticulum were located, than to the apical cell surface. It is suggested that the higher density of lectin-binding sites on the cell surface in the vicinity of the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum indicates insertion sites of newly synthesized membrane glycoproteins.