Surface morphology and agglutination of lectin-treated human lymphocytes and lymphoblasts

Two human lymphoblasts (Raji and EB3) and normal human peripheral lymphocytes were exposed to different concentrations of Concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin. The lectin-induced agglutination was determined and correlated with lectin-induced changes in the surface morphology of these cells as studied in a scanning electron microscope. Whenever the lectin induced high agglutinability in a cell type, it also invariably had a smoothing effect on the cell surface. In contrast, when cells did not agglutinate well with a certain lectin, their cell surface remained essentially rough (villous) after addition of the lectin. The correlation found between increased agglutinability and altered cell surface morphology upon treatment with certain lectins suggests that both phenomena result from one and the same process. Additional evidence for this postulate is presented.