Redistribution of cell surface receptors induced by cell-cell contact.

Abstract

Cell surface lectin receptors underwent rapid redistribution after embryonic Xenopus myotomal muscle cells were manipulated into contact in culture. Soybean agglutinin (SBA) receptors became highly concentrated at the contact area and concanavalin A (Con A) and ricin receptors were depleted at the same region. The accumulation of SBA receptors was greatly reduced by the presence of SBA specific sugars in the incubating medium, by precontact binding of SBA to the surface and by lowering the temperature, but it was unaffected by prolonged treatments with metabolic inhibitors. It is culture-age dependent: older cultures showed a markedly reduced extent of accumulation, and the high accumulation resulting from contact made in younger cultures disappeared with time in culture. These findings are consistent with the notion that specific molecular interaction between the contacting surfaces results in a redistribution of preexisting rapidly diffusing surface receptors. In support of this notion, ligand-free SBA and Con A receptors were shown to be laterally mobile in the membrane, and at least a subpopulation of the SBA receptors contains physically distinct molecules from the Con A receptors. We suggest that such contact-induced redistribution of various surface components may play a role in the interaction between embryonic cells.Cell surface components play an important role in cell-cell recognition, intercellular communication, and cellular differentiation during embryonic development (for reviews, see 2,7,[9][10][11]19). Specific interaction between molecules on the surfaces of contacting cells within the tissue seems to be an essential step for many of these developmental processes. Previous studies of selective cell-cell adhesion have clearly implicated the involvement of specific cell surface glycoproteins (8,11,20,21). During the past decade, it has also become quite clear that the physical state of cell surface glycoproteins is highly dynamic. Many glycoproteins, especially those in the embryonic plasma membrane, are capable of rapid lateral migration in the plane of the membrane (5,12,16,17). Two questions immediately arise: does lateral migration of membrane components play any role in establishing specific cellcell interaction; or conversely, can specific intercellular interaction be responsible for inducing lateral rearrangement of membrane components into specific patterns of membrane topography that is characteristic of many differentiated cells?As a first step in studying these problems, we examined the distribution of plasma membrane glycoproteins on cultured embryonic muscle before and after the cells were manipulated into contact. Preliminary findings indicated that many surface soybean agglutinin receptors, presumably glycoproteins containing n-galactose and/or N-acetyl-t~-D-galactosamine residues, are induced to accumulate at the site of cell-cell contact. The rate of this accumulation of surface receptors is consistent with the idea that the contact site serves as a trap for rapidly diff...

Distribution and lateral mobility of voltage-dependent sodium channels in neurons [published erratum appears in J Cell Biol 1989 May;108(5):preceding 2001]

“…Restriction of sodium channel mobility at neuritic terminals might occur by mechanisms similar to those proposed for the axon hillock region although cell-cell contacts and interactions with extracellular components specific to these regions may also contribute (14,58). The extensive glycosylation of the channel protein, which is required to maintain functional sodium channels in neuroblastoma cells (56), may also be involved in confining channels to specific cellular regions.…”

Localized surface antigens of guinea pig sperm migrate to new regions prior to fertilization.

“…Migrations of cell surface molecules into specific domains also apparently occurs during flagellar regeneration of Euglena (11) and during sea urchin zygote cleavage (9). It has also been suggested that lateral migrations are responsible for the segregation of surface components during erythrocyte differentiation (6), the spontaneous clustering of low density lipoprotein receptors into coated pits (l) and the accumulation of wheat germ agglutinin receptors into sites of cell-cell contact (2). The redistribution of both PT-1 and PH-20 antigens on the sperm surface resulted from a lateral migration of pre-existing surface molecules in the absence of added ligands.…”

“…The arrangement of molecules into discrete domains on the surface of cells is now known to be of widespread occurrence (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). Membrane topography may reflect the functional geometry of the cell; for example, in intestinal epithelial cells digestive enzymes are enriched on the apical surface (12).…”

The role of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in defining synapse-specific function and plasticity

“…In the early study, it has been shown that the cell-cell interaction induces the redistribution of the cell surface receptors (Chow & Poo, 1982). More recent studies have shown that CAM-mediated contact between pre-and postsynaptic neurons triggers rapid redistribution of both pre-and postsynaptic compartments and promotes synapse formation.…”