Lectins in Flow Cytometry

Jim Zanghi (zanghi@merle.acns.nwu.edu)
Sat, 14 Sep 1996 11:29:52 -0700

Does anyone have any experience using flow cytometry to quantitate lectin
cell surface binding? I have several protocols from the literature using
MAA-PE or MAA-FITC lectin, but I've observed that the staining is not
saturable and _highly_ concentration dependent. I've read that there can
be a problem associated with MAA lectin resulting in extensive cell
aggregation; however, I have (fortunately) observed no aggregation
whatsoever. The incubation times for MAA reported in the literature are
quite inconsistent from one protocol to the next - from 15 minutes to
several hours. Are there any additional variables that might affect lectin
binding that are not normally observed in cell surface antibody staining?

Thanks,
Jim

--
James A. Zanghi
Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Northwestern University