Reissner's fiber, massa caudalis and ampulla caudalis in the spinal cord of lamprey larvae (Geotria australis)

Abstract

The subcommissural organ (SCO), Reissner's fiber (RF) and its massa caudalis of lamprey larvae (Geotria australis) were investigated immunocytochemically by use of an antiserum raised against bovine RF as primary antibody. The affinities of RF and massa caudalis for Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA) with and without previous acid hydrolysis, concanavalin A (Con A), wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA), aldehyde fuchsin, and PAS reaction were also studied. SCO and massa caudalis were strongly immunoreactive, whereas RF proper was distinctly negative. RF did not react with Con A and RCA. Only the periphery of RF was WGA-positive. RCA showed affinity for RF only after acid hydrolysis. RF was homogeneously stained by the aldehyde-fuchsin and PAS-methods. At variance with RF proper, the periphery of the massa caudalis reacted with RCA without previous acid hydrolysis, but its core was WGA-positive and reacted with RCA only after hydrolysis. It is suggested that (i) RF has a coat of glycoproteins containing sialic acid as terminal residue, whereas the massa caudalis possesses a coat with galactose as terminal residue; (ii) in RF proper and the massa caudalis the spatial arrangement of glycoproteins might be different. Routine transmission electron-microscopic observations indicate that in larvae of Geotria australis an open communication exists between the ampulla caudalis and blood capillaries via large cavities or lacunae.