Interaction of lectins with proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi system of rat liver.

The interaction of glycoproteins of rough and smooth microsomal and Golgi membranes with Sepharose-bound lectins has been studied. One of these lectins was a crude preparation from wheat germ lipase which was found to bind primarily to N-acetyl neuraminic acid. Rough microsomes, smooth microsomes and Golgi membranes contain glycoproteins which bind to Concanavalin A (Con A specific for mannose residues) in decreasing amounts in the order indicated (rough, smooth and Golgi) and to wheat germ agglutinin (WGA, glucosamine-specific) and to the crude lipase preparation in increasing amounts in the order indicated. The small amount of binding of rough microsomes and Golgi membranes to Crotalaria (galactose-specific) increases substantially after neuraminidase treatment. Three submicrosomal particle preparations enriched either in AMPase or in NADH- or NADPH-oxidizing electron-transport enzymes contain glycoproteins which bind Con A and wheat germ agglutinin. The latter binding is sensitive to neuraminidase treatment. Two other submicrosomal particle preparations, both enriched in glucose-6-phosphatase activity, bind preferentially to WGA. This binding is, however, not sensitive to neuraminidase. Prolonged incubation with Ervilia lectin (mannose-specific) inhibits NADH-ferricyanide reductase activity, while the electron-transport chain involving cytochrome b5 is also inhibited by Crotalaria, indicating that both the flavoprotein and the cytochrome b5 are glycoproteins whose oligosaccharide chains have terminal mannose or galactose residues.