Improved lectin-mediated immobilization of human red blood cells in superporous agarose beads

A new type of agarose bead, superporous agarose, was used as a gel support for immobilization of human red blood cells (RBCs) mediated by wheat germ lectin. The number of immobilized cells was similar to that obtained with commercial wheat germ lectin-agarose but the cell stability appeared to be superior. This allowed improved frontal affinity chromatographic analyses of cytochalasin B (CB)-binding to the glucose transporter GLUT1 which established a ratio of one CB-binding site per GLUT1 dimer for both plain RBCs or those treated with different poly amino acids. The measured dissociation constants, 70+/-14 nM for CB and 12+/-3 mM for glucose binding to GLUT1, are similar to those reported earlier.