IN-VITRO RELEASE OF LECTINS FROM PHALLUSIA-MAMILLATA HEMOCYTES AFTER THEIR FRACTIONATION ON A DENSITY GRADIENT

Hemocytes were fractionated by centrifugation on a discontinuous Perco ll density gradient from the hemolymph of Phallusia mamillata. Results obtained from microcultures of the fractionated hemocytes, sugar-inhi bition experiments, SDS-PAGE, and immunoblotting indicate that ''compa rtment cells'' release cellular-type (CL) lectins that are specific fo r alpha-lactose and lactulose. The released lectins have the same prop erties as the CL lectins that were previously isolated from sonicated unfractionated hemocytes, but they differ in terms of some molecular a nd immunological properties from the lectins (SL) purified from the se rum. SLs were never found in the supernatants from microcultures of th e fractionated hemocytes. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.