Structure of the lymphocyte membrane. 3. Chemical nature of the guinea-pig lymphocyte membrane macromolecules reacting with heterologous ALS.

Behaviour of normal and hydrolase-treated guinea-pig lymph node lymphocytes versus heterologous ALS was studied by means of biophysical and immunological techniques i.e. electrophoretic mobility, leucoagglutination, cytotoxicity and visualization of antigen–antibody reaction in electron microscopy. Our results clearly revealed that heterologous ALS antibodies reacted with mannose and sialic acid containing glycoproteins located on the lymphocyte surface. Sialic acid and other main constituents of the lymphocyte cell coat, i.e. the sulphated mucopolysaccharides have an important role in the electronegative charges of the cell and in binding of the ALS antibodies. β-Glycosidase as well as α-maltase treatment of the lymph node lymphocyte increased from 45% to 100% the reactivity to ALS as revealed by the peroxidase reaction in electron microscopy. These results suggest that all lymph node lymphocytes can react with ALS antibodies, but that the reactive sites of 45% of these cells are masked by glucidic sub-units.