To determine a role of human -Defensin-2 (HBD-2) in defense against cutaneous dermatophyte infection, we investigated the induction of HBD-2 mRNA expression by a nontumorigenic human keratinocyte-derived cell line, HaCaT cells, after co-culture with microconidia collected from the colonies of Trichophyton rubrum. Co-culture of T. rubrum or Candida albicans with HaCaT cells significantly induced...

Chlamydomonas flagella are shown to possess two zones of concanavalin A (ConA) binding carbohydrate. The first zone, distinguished by a requirement for a prolonged labelling period for visualization of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-ConA fluorescence, is localized in the flagellar coat. The second zone is characterized by a rapid FITC- and [125I]ConA labelling subsequent to disruption of the...

i.-Asparaginase is a chemotherapeutic agent that is also immunosuppressive, inhibiting both the cellular and hu moral responses. This study deals with the effects of the enzyme on lymphocyte surface receptors to the mitogen concanavalin A. We previously reported that short incu bation of lymphocytes with L-asparaginase leads to a de creased binding of the mitogen to their surface. We now re por...

Two human lymphoblasts (Raji and EB3) and normal human peripheral lymphocytes were exposed to different concentrations of Concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin. The lectin-induced agglutination was determined and correlated with lectin-induced changes in the surface morphology of these cells as studied in a scanning electron microscope. Whenever the lectin induced high agglutinability in a c...

Thraustochytrid protists are often abundant in coastal waters. However, their population dynamics and substrate preferences in the oceanic water column are poorly understood. We studied the abundance and distribution of thraustochytrids, bacteria and TEPs in the equatorial Indian Ocean waters during September 2003, October 2004 and September 2006. Thraustochytrids and bacteria were abundant, su...

Distribution and modulation of rabbit lymphocyte phytohaemagglutinin acceptors and concanavalin A acceptors during activation of rabbit lymphocytes have been examined by electron microscopy. Two types of cell surface acceptors have been tentatively identified, lectin binding acceptors that do not modulate, and receptors that are endocytosed when blast transformation is stimulated. All of the ce...

We have studied the effect of concanavalin A (Con A) on the rat electro-olfactogram response to several odorants. Each odorant was applied over a range of concentrations. For hydrophobic odorants whose response was affected by Con A, the diminution in response was maximal at odorant concentrations of about 1 microM in the olfactory mucus. The (odour) concentration-dependence of the change is co...

Plant lectins, because they bind to specific carbohydrate moieties, can be used to investigate the glyco-components of the cell surface. When considering the distribution, number, or mobility of lectin-binding sites, a distinction must be made between a natural distribution and a redistribution induced by binding with multivalent ligands (2, 4, 5, 8, 14, 15). In some cell types the induced redi...

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