Concanavalin A induced inhibition of cell migration in African green monkey kidney cell cultures

The effect of concanavalin A (con A) on the mobility of Vero cells into cell free gaps is examined. The movement of cells into these wounds is inhibited by a 30 minute exposure of con A at a concentration of 12.5 ug/ml. The effects of con A on the mobility are dependent on the concentration of the lectin used for treatment as well as the total amount of time the cells are exposed to a given concentration. The con A inhibition is abrogated by alpha-methyl-mannose. The competitive effects of con A inhibition and serum migration stimulation factors are examined. Treatment of the monolayer prior to wounding inhibits as effectively as treatment after wounding, indicating that residual con A on the bed of the wound which the cells cross is not responsible for the demonstrated inhibition.