Reduced lectin binding on erythrocytes of monkeys infected with malaria.

The number of binding sites for Axinella lectin (specific for D-galactose) on monkey erythrocytes containing schizonts of Plasmodium knowlesi was found to be reduced by about a third, from approximately 11 X 10(6) sites on normal erythrocytes to approximately 8 X 10(6) sites on parasitized erythrocytes. In contrast, only minor differences were found in the amounts of iodinatable external proteins. The results indicate that there is a general reduction of accessible sugars to which lectins may bind on parasitized erythrocytes.