Changes in the sensitivity of chick fibroblasts to Ricinus lectin (RCA I) toxicity in relation to the stage of embryo development.

The toxic effect of Ricinus lectin RCA I, as estimated by the inhibition of [3H]leucine incorporation, was investigated on chick-embryo fibroblasts at different stages of development. There appeared to be a differential susceptibility of chick-embryo fibroblasts to lectin RCA I. Fibroblasts from 16-day embryos were the most sensitive to its toxic effect in terms of both concentration and time, and cells from 8-day embryos were the least sensitive. This differential sensitivity to the toxic effect of lectin RCA I was closely related to the binding of the lectin: fibroblasts from 16-day embryos had more binding sites (1.5 x 10(7)/cell) with a high affinity than did 12-day (0.45 x 10(7)/cell) or 8-day embryos (0.2 x 10(7)/cell). Studies on the specificity and the removal of bound lectin RCA I by D-galactose indicated that the lectin binding was necessary but not sufficient in itself to cause the toxic effect and that the lectin needed to enter the cells in order to be toxic. The amount of lectin RCA I needed to induce a 50-60% toxicity enters fibroblasts of 16-day embryos more rapidly than those of 12- and 8-day embryos.