Interaction between Dolichos biflorus lectin and chick embryonic fibroblasts at different stages of development.

The interaction between chick embryo fibroblasts and A1-specific blood group Dolichos biflorus lectin has been studied at various stages of embryo development. The site number ((0.26 plus or minus 0.03)-10-6 sites/cell) remains the same during development whereas the affinity constant apparently decreases from 8-day cells onwards. The effects of cell number, temperature and time course on the Dolichos binding to fibroblasts were not age dependent. Competitive binding experiments revealed that Dolichos receptor sites were distinct from binding sites fo Robina pseudoacacia lectin and concanavalin A, but partially related to binding sites of Ricinus lectin. Thymidine incorporation by fibroblasts in the presence of Dolichos lectin was age dependent. It was inhibited in 6-day cells and weakly stimulated in 16-day cells, but not modified in 12-day cells. Dolichos lectin effects on embryo fibroblasts were very specific because both binding to cells and effect on thymidine incorporation were blocked by N-acetylgalactosamine, the determinant of Dolichos lectin, as well as by Dolichos antiserum.