LECTIN-BINDING DIFFERENCES ON HEMOCYTES OF 2 GEOGRAPHIC STRAINS OF THE AMERICAN OYSTER, CRASSOSTREA-VIRGINICA

The saccharidal constituents of the surfaces of hemocytes of the Ameri can oyster, Crassostrea virginica, from Apalachicola Bay, Florida, and Galveston Bay, Texas, were determined by employing eight lectins with known sugar specificities (Con A, Tetragonolobus purpureas, Limulus p olyphemus, Dilichos biflorus, Sambucas nigra, Glycine max, Triticum vu lgaris, and Lathyrus odoratus). Known inhibiting sugar residues were u sed to inhibit clumping of lectin-treated oyster hemocytes. As a resul t, the following saccharides were demonstrated to occur on oyster hemo cytes: N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, methyl-alpha- D-mannopyranoside, D(+)-glucose, sucrose, D(+)-mannose, alpha-methyl-D -galactoside, beta-D(-)-fructose, L(-)-fucose, N-acetylneuraminic acid , and D(+)-galactose. In addition, D-glucuronic acid occurred only on oyster cells from Apalachicola Bay and an unidentified sugar that bind s to the L. odoratus lectin that is neither D(+)-glucose nor D(+)-mann ose, the usual inhibiting sugars, occurs on hemocytes from both Apalac hicola and Galveston Bays. Quantitative and qualitative differences in the saccharidal constituents on the surfaces of hemocytes from oyster s from the two collecting sites are attributed to strain differences.