Effects of tunicamycin and various monosaccharides on phytohaemagglutinin-induced autorosette formation.

The structural characteristics of autologous red blood cell (ARBC) receptors on human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) induced by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) were examined. Tunicamycin, which is known to be a blocker of the protein glycosylation of N-glycosidic type glycoprotein, significantly inhibited the production of ARBC receptors. When trypsinized PBL were cultured in the presence of tunicamycin, the inhibitory effect was enhanced. When several monosaccharides were added to the mixture of ARBC and PBL pre-treated with PHA for 24 h, D-mannose caused the most inhibition, and galactose and D-fucose also caused significant inhibition. These data suggest that N-glycosidic type glycoproteins play an important role in binding sites to ARBC on PBL surface membranes and that more than one type of glycose may be involved.