Developmentally regulated lectins in cellular slime molds and embryonic chick tissues.

Several species of cellular slime mold (including D. discoideum and P. pallidum) and a number of embryonic chick tissues (including muscle, heart, brain, and liver) contain lectin activities that can be extracted and assayed as hemagglutinins. In all cases studied the lectin activities show significant changes with differentiation. The studies with cellular slime molds are more advanced; and suggest that lectins play a role in developmentally regulated cell cohesion. The function of the embryonic chick lectins in differentiation is presently under investigation.