Distribution of Aleuria aurantia fucose-specific lectin binding sites in neuronal projection, during mouse morphogenic periods

Various investigations have shown that fucosylated glycoconjugates components of the cell surface and extracellular matrix play crucial roles in critical morphogenetic and histogenetic events along neuronal projections of immature neurons during embryonic development. In addition, fucosylated glycoconjugate within the axoplasm of the adult neurons is involved in fast transporting protein molecules (FTP). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether fucose terminal sugar is present during early projection of developing central nervous system. In this experimental study, 24 female Balb/C mice were selected randomly and from embryonic day 10 to 15, all specimens were sacrificed and their embryos were fixed, serially sectioned and lectin histochemistry carried out. by using LTA-1, UEA-1 and OFA which are all specific to fucose. Our study revealed that among the three fucose binding lectins tested only OFA (Aleuria aurantia) reacted with the neural tube during development.These reactions in motor and sensory zones of spinal cord started on the eleventh day of embryonic period and ended by the fourteenth day. During this period anterior, lateral and posterior funiculus, neuronal fibers in alar and basal plates as well as medium-sized neurons around posterior root ganglion showed reactions. The other fucose specific lectins, UEA-1 and LTA, failed to bind to any part of spinal cord during neurolation These data indicate that fucosylated glacoconjugate specific for Aleuria aurantia appears to play a crucial role in neuronal projection during early mouse neurolation and may illustrate also the decisive function of this molecule in controlling cell surface interactions during neuronal development