Lectin (concanavalin A) binding to rat hepatocytes in different stages of cell differentiation

A substantial part of hepatocytes originating from 19-day rat embryos are capable of binding concanavalin-A (Con-A) in the initial stage of culturing, and all embryonic hepatocytes acquire the binding property later on (until 24 days). Although the proportions of Con-A binding hepatocytes also are considerable in cultures derived from newborn and one-week old rats, they do not increase to 100% during culturing, and the cell of newborn rats show a marked decrease rather than increase in percentual Con-A binding capacity during the second part of the culturing period. The quantitative relations of Con-A binding sites were statistically identical in all age categories studied, and seem thus be independent of the age of the animal or culture.