Subcellular localization of the carbohydrate Lewis x adhesion structure in hippocampus cell cultures

Abstract

The Lewis x (Le x) epitope (Gal(β1–4)[Fuc(α1–3)]GlcNAc-R) has been associated with the development of the central nervous system of diverse species including human and rodents. In this work, Le x has been found in the tetanus neurotoxin insensitive vesicle-associated membrane protein (TI-VAMP) compartment of rat hippocampus neurons in culture, at 7 days in vitro (DIV), when neurite extension is abundant. The TI-VAMP compartment is known to be associated with neurite outgrowth. Le x was found predominantly in neurites but also in somata and in growth cones. Abundant Le x-carrier glycoproteins specific to neurons have been identified at this stage of differentiation. At a later stage of differentiation, at 14 DIV, Le x appeared in extrasynaptic sites of GABAergic neurons, and in synaptic sites of glutamatergic neurons.