Age-related cell surface changes in human diploid fibroblasts revealed by lectin-mediated red blood cell adsorption assay: a lectin survey

Two types of age-related cell surface changes could be demonstrated in human diploid fibroblasts with the two methods of the lectin-mediated red blood cell (RBC) adsorption assay: the fibroblast coating method (in which RBCs are adsorbed to lectin-coated fibroblasts) and the RBC coating method (in which lectin-coated RBCs are adsorbed to fibroblasts). With the fibroblast coating method, concanavalin A and agglutinin L from Phaseolus vulgaris gave a change in RBC adsorption which did not occur throughout the phase II period, but increased with the advance of the phase III period (type I). With the RBC coating method, these lectins gave another type of change in RBC adsorption which increased continuously from early phases of cell passage up through cell senescence (type II). Ricinus communis agglutinin 120 also gave the type I change in RBC adsorption with the fibroblast coating method. On the other hand, even with the fibroblast coating method, Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin E and wheat-germ agglutinin gave the type II change in RBC adsorption. Soy bean agglutinin and Bauhinia purpurea agglutinin gave only a restricted amount of RBC adsorption. Lens culinaris agglutin, pokeweed mitogen, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin, Lotus tetragonolobus agglutinin, Limulus polyhemus agglutinin and divalent succinylated concanavalin A did not give any RBC adsorption throughout the life span of human diploid fibroblasts.