A versatile immunoadsorbent capable of binding lectins of various specificities and its use for the separation of cell populations.

A procedure for cell fractionation using lectin-affinity chromatography is described. It consists of a single affinity adsorbent, hog gastric mucin blood group A+H substance covalently coupled to Sephadex or Sepharose, to which lectins of various specificities can bind. The complex formed, lectin in equilibrium hog A+H substance-Sephadex, then serves as an affinity probe for isolating and fractionating cells. The lectins from Ulex europaeus, Lotus tetragonolobus, Helix pomatia, Dolichos biflorus, and Phaseolus lunatus were used with the same blood group substance as adsorbent. The affinity columns retained erythrocytes with blood group specificity for the adsorbed lectin and thus fractionate cells in mixtures. Cells as well as lectins are eluted by specific sugar inhibitors. Mixtures of two kinds of cells can be separated when the proportion of the adsorbed cells is not too low.