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The Reaction between Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Concanavalin A¹

Roswell Park Memorial Institute, New York State Department of Health, and the State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203

The binding reaction between carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and concanavalin A (Con A) has been studied. CEA, prepared from liver metastases in patients with carcinoma of the colon, was tested against Con A for precipitation. By using the techniques of immunodiffusion and counterelectrophoresis, a precipitate line between CEA and Con A was observed, which was different from that seen between either Con A-anti-Con A or CEA-anti-CEA. CEA can be bound by Con A in solution using the double antibody technique. However, Con A does not inhibit the titration reaction of CEA and anti-CEA by Hansen's Z-gel method. Mannose, known to inhibit specific reactions of Con A, inhibits the binding of CEA by Con A. These findings help to characterize the surface structure of the CEA molecule and suggest the potential utilization of Con A and affinity chromatography to isolate CEA.

¹ Supported in part by funds from N01-CB-33858, RR-05648-7, USPHS, and a grant from Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. Presented in part at the Federation Meeting of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Atlantic City, N. J., April 18, 1973.

Received 8/13/73. Accepted 10/19/73.