Summary
Living dissociated cells of hydra were exposed to fluorescein- and ferritin-conjugated concanavalin A (con A) and observed by light and electron microscopy. Fluorescence microscopy indicated that the isolated cells bound con A differentially; epidermal battery cells showed the greatest binding, whereas small cells belonging to the interstitial cell class displayed the lowest levels of binding. Mature nematocytes had strong localized con A binding at the opercular region. Electron microscopy permitted accurate identification of interstitial cells, early nematoblasts, and nerve cells. The use of ferritin-labeled con A allowed quantitative assessment of lectin binding on these cells. There were significantly fewer con A-binding sites on interstitial cells as compared to nematoblasts and nerve cells, and the amount of con A binding appeared to increase with the maturation of nematocysts from nematoblasts. The findings are discussed in relation to a likely role of cell surface glycoconjugates in the development of positional signals and intercellular junctions that govern final positioning of nematocytes and nerves in hydra.
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Wood, R.L., Johnson, L.V. & Novak, P.L. Differential binding of concanavalin A by dissociated cells of Hydra attenuata . Cell Tissue Res. 241, 405–413 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217187
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217187