Binding of fluorescent lectins to the surface of germ cells from fetal and early postnatal mouse gonads

Abstract

AbstractFluorescent lectins were used to study the chemical nature of carbohydrate moieties present on the surface of female and male germ cells isolated from mouse gonads during fetal and early posnatal development. Concanavalin A (ConA), lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA), ricinus communis agglutinin (RCAI) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) bound intensely to the germ cell plasma membrane at all stages studied. Other lectins such as ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEAI) and agglutinin (SBA) did not bind or bound moderately (SBA to female germ cells only).Distinct developmental‐related changes were observed when female germ cells were labeled with fluorescein‐conjugated peanut agglutinin (PNA) or dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA). DBA and PNA binding was absent or weak in fetal female and male germ cells, but became intensely positive in oocytes in the immediate postnatal period. The percentage of oocytes stained with DBA increased during the first three days after birth, and from day 3–4 onwards all oocytes were strongly labeled.I suggest that these changes in lectin binding reflect changes in biochemical structure of the oocyte surface related to differentiative events occurring in the mouse ovary immediately after birth.