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Developmentally regulated lectins in cellular slime molds and embryonic chick tissues
Progress in Clinical and Biological Research
|January 1, 1978
Summary
Cellular slime molds and embryonic chick tissues exhibit lectin activity that changes during differentiation. These lectins may play a role in cell cohesion and developmental processes.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Lectin activities, which can be extracted and assayed as hemagglutinins, are present in cellular slime molds (e.g., Dictyostelium discoideum, Polysphondylium pallidum) and embryonic chick tissues (muscle, heart, brain, liver).
- These lectin activities have been observed to undergo significant alterations during developmental processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of lectins in cellular slime mold differentiation.
- To explore the function of lectins in embryonic chick tissue development.
Main Methods:
- Extraction and assay of hemagglutinin lectin activities from cellular slime molds and embryonic chick tissues.
- Analysis of changes in lectin activity correlated with differentiation stages.
Main Results:
- Lectin activities in both cellular slime molds and embryonic chick tissues display significant changes during differentiation.
- Advanced studies in cellular slime molds suggest a role for lectins in developmentally regulated cell cohesion.
Conclusions:
- Lectin activity is a dynamic feature of differentiation in both simple and complex organisms.
- Further investigation is needed to fully elucidate the specific functions of embryonic chick lectins in differentiation.