Isolation and characterization of rat skeletal myoblast mutants resistant to lectins.

Mutants resistant to the lethal action of the lectins phytohemagglutinin A (PHA) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) have been made in a line of differentiating rat skeletal myoblasts. The WGA mutants are of two types, WGArII, resistant to low concentrations of the lectin, and WGArI, resistant to high concentrations of the lectin. WGArII and PHAr mutants are unable to differentiate, whereas WGArI mutants differentiate normally. WGArII mutants are not impaired in the binding of wheat germ agglutinin, but WGArI mutants bind the lectin only to the extent of about 50% of the wild-type values. All of the mutants are cross-resistant to lectins other than those used in their selection.