Spontaneous redistribution of cell-surface glycoproteins in lymphoid cells during cytokinesis

The 'unperturbed' distribution of plasma membrane glycoproteins during cytokinesis has been examined by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy on dividing mouse and rat lymphoid cells fixed before being labelled with the appropriate reagents. Two groups of molecules which cap 'spontaneously' to the uropod of non-dividing cells, i.e., the common receptors for Helix pomatia (HPA) and peanut agglutinin (PNA) (and in particular the thymocyte glycophorin-like glycoprotein) and membrane immunoglobulins, redistribute spontaneously to the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. By electron microscopy, the redistributed molecules (HPA receptors) appear to be aggregated in clusters. Other glycoproteins, such as Concanavalin A receptors and Thy.1 antigens, which do not cap spontaneously on interphase cells, remain uniformly distributed or are somewhat depleted over the cleavage furrow. The results suggest that a spontaneous 'transport' of certain membrane molecules from the nuclear pole to the cleavage furrow occurs normally during cytokinesis by a mechanism analogous to that of uropod formation and spontaneous capping in interphase cells. The existence of redistribution phenomena in dividing cells imposes some restrictions on the possible mechanisms of redistribution and on certain aspects of the cleavage process.