Evidence that some membrane ligands modulate the plasmalemma fluidity of endothelial cells in culture.

The effect of some membrane ligands on the plasmalemmal fluidity of endothelial cells from bovine aorta in culture was investigated. The ligands used were: cationic ferritin (pI 8.5), soybean agglutinin, concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin, as well as glutaraldehyde at different concentrations. The fluidity probe employed was 1,6-diphenyl-1, 3, 5-hexatriene (DPH) and the parameter determined to quantify the fluidity was fluorescence steady-state anisotropy. The optimum time interval required by the insertion of the fluorescent probe in plasmalemma and the appropriate density of cells in the sample were determined. Rigidisation of plasmalemma was detected following its interaction with glutaraldehyde at concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 2% (+8% to +14% relative to the controls). After exposing endothelial cells to wheat germ agglutinin, concanavalin A and cationic ferritin pI 8.5, no modifications in the steady-state DPH fluorescence anisotropy were noticed. However, plasmalemmal rigidisation of +10% to +14% relative to the controls was obtained when endothelial cells were treated with 1 mg/ml and 2 mg/ml of soybean agglutinin, respectively. The possible mechanism of membrane fluidity modulation by membrane ligands and the usefulness of such investigations are discussed.