Receptor mobility and the mechanism of cell-cell binding induced by concanavalin A

The cell-cell binding induced by concanavalin A between single cells has been analyzed by use of cells attached to nylon fibers. Binding of a concanavalin A-coated cell to an untreated cell was found to a high degree between two lymphoma tumor cells, less frequently between a lymphoma cell and a normal lymphocyte, and only rarely between two normal lymphocytes. The binding was inhibited by the presence of a saccharide inhibitor of concanavalin A, but could not be reversed by addition of the inhibitor after the cells had bound to each other. Although no binding was obtained when both cells were coated with lectin or fixed with glutaraldehyde, fixation of a cell before coating with concanavalin A enhanced its ability to bind an untreated cell. The results indicate that cell-cell binding induced by concanavalin A requires short-range lateral movement of cell receptors for the lectin, that only one cell has to have mobile receptors, and that some receptors must be unoccupied by lectin molecules before cell-cell contact. Clustering of the receptors is not necessary and seems to hinder cell-cell binding. It is suggested that the short-range movement is required for alignment of individual receptors so as to form multi-point bridges between two cells by lectin molecules. The bridging is then followed by the formation of irreversible bonds between the cells. The receptors on tumor cells appear to have a greater ability than receptors on normal cells to align themselves for cell-cell binding.