Concanavalin A receptors on normal rat liver cells, on rat liver cells in vivo transformed by diethylnitrosamine and on Zajdela ascites hepatoma cells of the rat: morphokinetic analysis of cell surface dynamics.

Comparative electron microscopic investigations were performed in living cultures of normal rat liver cells, of rat liver cells in vivo transformed by diethylnitrosamine and on Zajdela ascites hepatoma cells of the rat concerning the mobility of the Concanavalin A cell surface receptors. The cells were incubated in Concanavalin A and peroxidase and subsequently washed. They were then reincubated for various periods at +37 degrees C in PBS prior to fixation. In the case of the Zajdela ascites hepatoma cells the cells were reincubated after Concanavalin A incubation followed by fixation and peroxidase incubation. The cytochemical procedure allowed us to show differences in the mobility of Concanavalin A surface receptors between normal and transformed rat liver cells. The cell surface label disappeared completely within 15 min of reincubation in the transformed cells, whereas in normal cells the same degree of loss in surface label was visible after 120 min reincubation. In both cases an internalization of labelled plasma membrane areas occurred. After complete disappearance of cell surface label in diethylnitrosamine transformed cells a complete relabelling of the cell surface occurred after 60 min reincubation caused by an exocytosis.