[Interaction of mitogenic lectins with lymphocyte plasma membranes]

It is shown that mitogenic stimuli from concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin are summed up in the time. Under given experimental conditions each of the mitogens used did not induce mitogenesis when the interaction with lymphocytes continued for 14 and/or 20 hours. The results obtained are discussed from the point of view of the cell-to-cell interaction between the lymphocytes. It is assumed that the ability of the stimuli to sum up in the time underlies the nonspecific mechanism of defense from tolerance.