Skip to main content
Log in

Distribution of concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin binding sites in the rat peripheral nerve fibres revealed by lectin/glycoprotein-gold histochemistry

  • Papers
  • Published:
The Histochemical Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The affinity of rat peripheral nerve fibres for concanavalin A (Con A) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) was tested in semithin sections of Epon-embedded material. A two-step post-embedding technique was used. As a first step, Con A and WGA were used in pure form. As a second step, peroxidase-gold (for Con A) and ovomucoid-gold (for WGA) complexes were applied. The lectin-binding sites, visualized by means of signal amplification with the photochemical silver reaction, were associated mainly with the myelin sheaths and the surfaces of Schwann cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bonvicini, F., Badiali de giorgi, L., Bianchi, D. &Laschi, R. (1987). Light and electron microscopy investigation of glycoconjugates of rat hippocampus by lectin-gold technique.Drugs Exptl. Clin. Res. 13, 175–83.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dolapchieva, S., Ichev, K. &Ovtscharoff, W. (1986). Lectin binding sites in axon-myelin-Schwann cell complex.Acta Histochem. Cytochem. 19, 253–61.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Estruch, R. &Damjanov, I. (1986) Lectin histochemistry applied to human nerves.Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 110, 730–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feizi, T. (1989) InCarbohydrate Recognition in Cellular Function. Ciba Foundation Symposium 145, pp. 62–79. Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finne, J. (1989) InCarbohydrate Recognition in Cellular Function. Ciba Foundation Symposium 145, pp. 173–88. Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geoghegan, W. D. &Ackerman G. A. (1977) Absorption of horseradish peroxidase, ovomucoid and anti-immunoglobulin to colloidal gold for the indirect detection of concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin, and goat-antihuman immunoglobulin G on cell surfaces at the electron microscopic level: a new method, theory and application.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 25, 1187–200.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, I. J. &Hayes, C. E. (1978) The lectins: carbohydratebinding proteins of plants and animals.Adv. Carbohydr. Chem. Biochem. 35, 127–340.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greenfield, S., Brostoff, S., Eylar, E. H. &Morell, P. (1973) Protein composition of myelin of the peripheral nervous system.J. Neurochem. 20, 1207–16.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gulati, A. K., Zalewski, A. A., Sharma, K. B., Ogrowsky, D. &Sohal, G. S. (1986) A comparison of lectin binding in rat and human peripheral nerve.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 34, 1487–93.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ide, C., Tohyama, K., Ushiki, T., Nitatori, T., Yoshida, Y. &Hayashi, S. (1989) Histochemical aspects of the Schwann cell basal lamina.Acta Histochem. Cytochem. 22, 265–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishaque, A., Roomi, M. W., Szymanska, I., Kowalski, S. &Eylar, E. H. (1980) The PO glycoprotein of peripheral nerve myelin.Can. J. Biochem. 58, 913–21.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kitamura, K., Suzuki, M. &Uyemura, K. (1976) Purification and partial characterization of two glycoproteins in bovine peripheral nerve myelin membrane.Biochim. Biophys. Acta 455, 806–16.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koski, C. L. &Max, S. R. (1980) Comparison of the protein composition of myelin of motor and sensory nerves.J. Neurochem. 34, 449–52.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lees M. B. &Brostoff, S. W. (1984). Protein of Myelin. InMyelin (edited byMorell P.), 2nd Edn., pp. 197–224, New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Madrid, J. F., Ballesta, J., Castells, M. T. &Hernandez, F. (1990) Glycoconjugate distribution in the human fundic mucosa revealed by lectin- and glycoprotein-gold cytochemistry.Hystochemistry 95, 179–87.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maxwell, M. H. (1978) Two rapid and simple methods used for the removal of resins from 10 μm thick epoxy sections.J. Microscopy 112, 253–5.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morell, P., Quarles, R. H. &Norton, W. T. (1989). InBasic Neurochemistry: Molecular, Cellular, and Medical Aspects, Formation, Structure, and Biochemistry of Myelin (edited bySiegel G. et al.), 4th Edn, pp. 109–36. New York: Raven Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagakawa, F., Schulte, B. A. &Spicer, S. S. (1986) Lectin cytochemical evaluation of somatosensory neurons and their peripheral and central processes in rat and man.Cell Tissue Res. 245, 579–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peacock, J. S., Colsky, A. S. &Pinto, V. B. (1990) Lectins and antibodies as tools for studying cellular interactions.J. Immunol. Methods 126, 147–57.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pettitt, J. M. &Humphris, D. C. (1991) Double lectin and immunolabelling for transmission electron microscopy: pre-and post-embedding application using the biotin-streptavidin system and colloidal gold-silver staining.Histochem. J. 23, 29–37.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poduslo, J. F. (1984) Regulation of myelination: Biosynthesis of the major myelin glycoprotein by Schwann cells in the presence and absence of myelin assembly.J. Neurochem. 42, 493–503.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quarles, R. H. (1989) InNeurobiology of Glycoconjugates. Glycoproteins of Myelin and Myelin-Forming Cells (edited byMargolis R. U. andMargolis R. K.) pp. 243–74. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quatacker, J. R., Annaert, W. G. &de Potter, W. P. (1990). Detection of sialic acid residues in the axonal reticulum of rat superior cervical ganglion cells by lectin-gold cytochemistry.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 38, 1445–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roomi, M. W., Ishaque, A., Kahn, N. R. &Eylar, E. H. (1978) The PO protein: the major glycoprotein of peripheral nerve myelin.Biochim. Biophys. Acta 536, 112–21.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, J. (1983) Application of lectin-gold complexes for electron microscopic localization of glycoconjugates on thin sections.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 31, 987–99.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, J., Lucocq, J. M. &Charest, P. M. (1984) Light and electron microscopic demonstration of sialic acid residues with the lectin fromLimax flavus: A cytochemical affinity technique with the use of fetuin-gold complexes.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 32, 1167–76.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, J., Lucocq, J. M. &Taatjes, D. J. (1988) Light and electron microscopical detection of sugar residues in tissue sections by gold labelled lectins and glycoproteins. I. Methodological aspects.Acta Histochem. Suppl.36, 81–99.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schrevel, J., Gros, D. &Monsigny, M. (1981)Progress Histochem. Cytochem. Vol.14/2. Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharon, N. &Lis, H. (1989) Lectins as cell recognition molecules.Science 246, 227–34.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slot, J. W. &Geuze, H. J. (1985) A new method of preparing gold probes for multiple-labeling cytochemisiny.Eur. J. Cell Biol. 38, 87–93.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Streit, W. J., Schulte, B. A., Spicer, S. S. &Balentine, J. D. (1985) Histochemical localization of galactose-containing glycoconjugates at peripheral nodes of Ranvier in the rat.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 1, 33–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki, S., Tsuyama, S. &Murata, F. (1982) Post-embedding staining of rat gastric mucous cells with lectins.Histochemistry 73, 563–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taatjes, D. J. &Roth, J. (1990) Selective loss of sialic acid from rat small intestinal epithelial cells during postnatal development: demonstration with lectin-gold techniques.Eur. J. Cell Biol. 53, 255–66.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tohyama, K. (1985) The localisation of lectin-binding sites on Schwann cell basal lamina.J. Neurocytol. 14, 49–61.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tohyama, K. &Ide, C. (1984) The localisation of laminin and fibronectin on the Schwann cell basal lamina.Arch. Histol. Jap. 47, 519–32.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Uyemura, K. &Kitamura, K. (1991) Comparative studies on myelin proteins in mammalian peripheral nerve.Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 98C, 63–72.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vorbrodt, A. W., Dobrogowska, D. H., Lossinsky, A. S. &Wisniewski, H. M. (1986) Ultrastructural localisation of lectin receptors on the luminal and abluminal aspects of brain micro-blood vessels.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 34, 251–261.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vorbrodt, A. W., Dobrogowska, D. H., Kim, Y. S., Lossinsky, A. S. &Wisniewski, H. M. (1988) Ultrastructural studies of glycoconjugates in brain micro-blood vessels and amyloid plaques of scrapie-infected mice.Acta Neuropath. 75, 277–287.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. G. &McLaughlin, B. J. (1975) The visualization of concanavalin-A binding sites in the interperiod line of rat sciatic nerve myelin.J. Neurochem. 24, 233–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yamada, K. M. (1981) InCell Biology of Extracellular Matrix (edited byE. D. Hay) pp. 95–114. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dolapchieva, S. Distribution of concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin binding sites in the rat peripheral nerve fibres revealed by lectin/glycoprotein-gold histochemistry. Histochem J 28, 7–12 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02331422

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02331422

Keywords

Navigation