Evidence for sialic acid-lecithin binding at the plasma membrane in the presence of cations

Abstract It is demonstrated that interaction exists between a lecithin monolayer and N-acetylneuraminic acid in the presence of calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium ions. With calcium and potassium the interaction is most pronounced and reaches its peak value at low concentrations. The significance of the results with respect to the malignant behaviour of the cancer cell is discussed.