Effect of lectins on tumorigenicity of AKR lymphoma cells of varying malignancy.

This study represents an attempt to characterize differences in the cell surfaces of cells of high - and low - malignancy by use of lectins. The effect of concanavalin A (con A), Phaseolus vulgaris lectin (PHA) and the galactophilic lectin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA-I) on cell agglutination, viability and tumorigenicity of two variants of malignancy of AKR lymphoma was tested. Cell viability was not affected by the lectins. Agglutination of the two variants was similar with all lectins and was specifically inhibited by the respective sugars. However, the effect on tumorigenicity of the two variants differed markedly: it was strongly reduced by PHA in the less malignant variant, while the more malignant one was hardly affected. The effect of con A was, on the contrary, more accentuated on the high-malignancy variant. The effect of PA-I was in the same direction as con A, but reduction in oncogenicity of both variants was feeble.