Lectin-binding by sporozoites of Elmeria tenella

Sporozoites of Eimeria tenella were reacted in vitro with 19 different lectins characterized with a variety of carbohydrate-binding properties. Nine lectins caused sporozoite agglutination, which was inhibited by the specific carbohydrates mannose, sialic acid, melibiose, D-galactose, or D-galNAc. When intact live or fixed whole sporozoites were reacted with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectins, another nine lectins bound to sporozoites, giving weak to strong fluorescence but not agglutination. Of these, all nine lectins bound to surface sites, but four also bound to the refractile body. Two of the agglutinating lectins also bound to intracellular organelles of air-dried sporozoites. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that biotinylated lectins bound a wide variety of parasite proteins. Lectins with similar carbohydrate specificities had some similarity in binding patterns of parasite proteins, as well as marked differences. In a few cases lectins with different carbohydrate specificities bound common protein bands. Only one lectin (Dolichos biflorus) showed no evidence of binding to whole sporozoites, organelles, or proteins.