NEW LYMPHOCYTE STIMULATING MONOCOT LECTINS FROM FAMILY ARACEAE .2.

Two lectins purified from the tubers of Arisaema consanguineum Schott (ACA) and A. curvatum Kunth (ACmA) belonging to the monocot family Ara ceae were mitogenic for human peripheral blood mononuclear bells (PBMC ) in the [H-3]-thymidine uptake assay. ACA and ACmA had an optimum sti mulatory concentration of 10-25 mu g/ml and 50-100 mu g/ml, respective ly, as observed in PBMC from five different individuals. The mitogenic response of PBMC was inhibitable in a dose-dependent manner by asialo fetuin. The lectins were T-cell specific, and stimulation kinetic stud ies using BCA and ACmA showed that they indue maximum thymidine uptake in PBMC at day 4 and 3, respectively.