The leukocyte receptor CD62, which is expressed on activated platelets and endothelial cells, is shown to mediate cell adhesion by binding a sialylated carbohydrate structure, sialyl-Lewis x, found on neutrophils, monocytes, and tumor cells. This structure has previously been identified as the ligand for another member of the LEC-CAM family of cell adhesion molecules, endothelial cell-eukocyte adhesion molecule 1, which also binds neutrophils and monocytes. The results demonstrate that although the two LEC-CAMs differ in their biological activities by their distribution and mode of expression, they are capable of mediating cell adhesion by recognition of the same carbohydrate ligand.Leukocyte trafficking and recruitment to sites of inflammation are mediated by three adhesion receptor families, the integrin and immunoglobulin superfamilies and the recently described LEC-CAM, or selectin family (1)(2)(3)(4) (100 nm) (13). Neutrophils were isolated from fresh human blood by centrifugation at room temperature through mono-poly resolving medium (Flow Laboratories) followed by three washes in ice-cold Hanks' balanced salt solution (GIBCO) containing 20 mM Hepes (GIBCO) and 0.2% glucose (Fisher). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were obtained as described (6). HL-60 cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 containing 10%6 fetal calf serum. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-Ki) cells, glycosylation mutants , and the carcinoma line were cultured in the a modification of Eagle's minimal essential medium (a-MEM) containing ribonucleosides, deoxyribonucleosides, and 10%1o fetal calf serum.Assays for CD62-Mediated Adhesion to Activated Platelets. Two assays were used, a fluid phase assay and a plate assay. The fluid phase assay (see Figs. 2-4) was performed essentially as described (10) for PADGEM (CD62). Platelets at 2 x 108 per ml were activated with thrombin at 0.25 units/ml for 20 min at room temperature without stirring. Twenty microliters of the activated platelet suspension was then mixed with an equal volume ofa suspension ofthe cells (2 x 106 cells per ml) to be assessed for adhesion. Adhesion was evaluated microscopically and was scored as the percent ofthe test cells that had bound two or more platelets. The plate assay used was a modification of the endothelial cell-neutrophil adherence assay previously described (20). A suspension of platelets (300 ,l) at 108 per ml was applied to each well of a 48-well plate that had previously been coated with 0.1% gelatin. The Gal431-4 GlcNAc / FUCCY1 3 Le' Abbreviations: LEC-CAM, a family of cell adhesion molecules, each of which contains an N-terminal lectin domain followed by an epidermal growth factor-like domain and a series of consensus repeats similar to those found in complement regulatory proteins; ELAM-1, endothelial cell-leukocyte adhesion molecule