Isolation and partial characterization of lectin-resistant F9 cells

Cytotoxic plant lectins have been used for the single-step selection of mouse embryonal carcinoma cell mutants with altered expression of surface glycoconjugates. Following mutagenesis, several F9 and OTF9-63 cell lines resistant to the lectins from Triticum vulgaris or Ricinus communis were obtained. At least five distinct lectin-resistant (LecR) phenotypes have been identified on the basis of their relative sensitivities to four different plant lectins and their altered lectin-binding properties. None of the mutant types exhibits a significant change in the ability to bind a monoclonal antibody against the stage-specific embryonic antigen, SSEA-1. All of the mutants form aggregates when cultured in bacteriological petri dishes and appear to differentiate into endoderm-like cells following exposure to retinoic acid. However, two of the LecR cell lines exhibit an altered morphology when grown on a plastic substratum.