Periodate-induced transformation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes and the resultant oxidation of membrane sialyl, galactosyl and fucosyl residues

Abstract

Oxidation of human peripheral mononuclear mononuclear cells with sodium periodates results in lymphocyte activation. Period date, at optimal mitogenic concentrations, oxidizes membrane sialyl residues (NeuNAc) essentially into the 7 carbon analogue (C 7-NeuNAC). Fucosyl and galactosyl residues are also oxidized by periodate, since propane-1,2-diol and glycerol are isolated in acid hydrolysates of lymphocytes oxidized by periodate and reduced by triated borohydride. The neuraminidase pretreatment of lumphocytes induces a 40–50% decrease of their response to periodate. Neuraminidase treatment of 10 8 human peripheral lymphocytes liberated 9.6 μg NeuNAc (31 nmol), representing 68.5% of the total content. The neuraminidase treatment dramatically enhances the recovery of gylerol in hydrolysates of lymphocytes treated successively with periodate and triated borohydride.