IDENTIFICATION OF LECTINS IN THE KINETIDS OF TETRAHYMENA-PYRIFORMIS

Previously we described lectin-like molecules in the ciliate Tetrahyme na pyriformis; by application of synthetic neoglycoconjugates it is no w shown that T. pyriformis contains considerable amounts of both a bet a-D-glucose- and a lactose-specific lectin. No evidence for the presen ce of alpha-D-mannose-, alpha-D-galactose- or of alpha-L-fucose-specif ic lectins could be obtained. The two lectins, identified in T. pyrifo rmis, are associated with the kinetids. During cell division the lecti ns disappear or become masked in the fission furrow. Therefore, we ass ume that these lectins are involved in the organization of the distrib ution pattern of the kinetids during cell division perhaps due to lect in-glycoprotein interactions. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.