Influence of environmental (culturing) conditions on the lectin-binding capacity of Tetrahymena.

Extreme intra-assay variations and/or contradictory results frequently encountered in lectin binding studies on Tetrahymena cultures prompted us to investigate the environmental factors affecting the physical or chemical properties of the cell membrane for influence on the lectin-binding capacity thereof. It was found that changes in ambient temperature, osmolarity and illumination, as well as temporary starvation, modified the lectin-binding capacity of Tetrahymena to an appreciable degree. It follows that the comparability of the experimental results presupposes the standardization of the above environmental parameters in Tetrahymena cultures used for lectin-binding studies.