The distribution and mobility of anionic sites on the surfaces of baby hamster kidney cells

The distribution and mobility of anionic sites on the surfaces of baby hamster kidney cells were studied by utilizing the multivalent ligand, polycationic ferritin, as a visual probe. Our observations revealed that anionic sites are distributed over the entire cell surface, with the highest density of sites being located on cell surface microextensions. Following the initial binding of polycationic ferritin to the surface of unfixed cells, the ligand-bound anionic sites redistributed by migrating from the surface of microextensions to the surface of the cell body. In 20 min, this migration resulted in a total clearing of anionic sites from the surface of microextensions concomitant with the formation of patches of anionic sites on the surface of the cell body. Polycationic ferritin-induced migration and patch formation of anionic sites was not prevented by 2,4-dinitrophenol, N-ethylmaleimide, colchicine, or cytochalasin B. However, the ligand-induced redistribution of cell surface anionic sites was prevented by prefixation of cells with glutaraldehyde.