Nylon-fiber affinity selection of red blood cells and tissue culture cells on the basis of cell surface determinants

Abstract

Nylon fibers coated with various lectins were used for the specific selection from mixed populations of erythrocytes or tissue culture cells with lectin receptors. Binding of human group O red blood cells to fibers treated with Ulex europaeus lectin I (H-specific) or of human group A red cells to fibers treated with Helix pomatia lectin (A-specific) was proportional to lectin concentration in the solution used to adsorb lectin to the fibers. Binding was blood group specific and increased with increasing concentrations of red cells applied to the fibers. Most adsorption of lectin to the fibers occurred within minutes; cell binding to lectin-coated fibers was almost complete within 30 min. Blood group negative Chinese hamster tissue culture cells bound non-specifically to Helix-coated fibers with a frequency of less than 10 −4 input cells; the yield of viable, colony-forming cells bound to PHA-coated fibers was about 1%. Epithelial cells from cultures of amniotic fluid or fetal kidney contained 1–30% cells positive for the ABO blood group of the donor; blood group positive cells from these cultures were poorly bound to fibers coated with blood group specific lectins, though they bound readily to PHA-coated fibers, suggesting that presence of appropriate surface determinants may be necessary but not sufficient for lectin: cell binding in this system.