Age- and region-dependent concanavalin A reactivity of chick wing-bud mesoderm cells

Stage- and region-dependent responses of chick wing-bud mesenchymal cells to retinoic acid in serum-free microcultures

Retinoic acid (RA) has been shown to affect skeletal patterning in vivo in both developing and regenerating limbs. Regional differences in RA concentrations alone cannot account for the region-specific cell behaviors involved in limb-skeletal morphogenesis. The present study explores a role for regional differences in signal interpretation in RA's effects along the anteroposterior and proximodistal axes of stage 21-22 and 23-24 chick wing-buds. Mesenchymal cells isolated from specific limb regions were grown in chemically defined medium and exposed to 5 or 50 ng/ml of RA for 4 days in high-density microtiter cultures. Previous studies showed that RA's effects on chondrogenesis and growth in such cultures differed depending on the position along the limb's proximodistal axis from which the cells were isolated. The present study is the first to show that such differences in RA-responsiveness also exist along the limb's anteroposterior axis, especially in the distal subridge mesenchyme. The region-dependent relationships between RA's effects on growth and chondrogenesis suggest that RA affects these two behaviors through different mechanisms. The regional differences in the responsiveness of these cells to exogenous RA are discussed with respect to their correspondence to the in vivo patterns of expression of RA-binding proteins, RA-receptors, and other patterning-related genes.

Lack of chondrogenic expression in mouse limb bud micromass cultures exposed to exogenous beta galactosidase or N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase

The effect of two exoglycosidases, beta-galactosidase and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (GlcNAc-ase) on chondrogenic expression of stage 19 mouse limb bud micromass cultures was investigated. Chondrogenic expression was monitored by Alcian blue staining and immunofluorescent localization of cartilage-specific proteoglycan and type II collagen. Chondrogenesis was inhibited by exposure to 0.1 U/ml beta-galactosidase or 0.025 U/ml GlcNAc-ase for 24 h or longer in culture. The effect of both enzymes was concentration and time dependent. Exoglycosidic hydrolysis of galactose or N-acetylglucosamine was substantiated by treatment with HRP-conjugated peanut agglutinin and succinylated wheat germ agglutinin, respectively. Cells treated with beta-galactosidase appeared to be flattened with a stellate morphology, whereas GlcNAc-ase-treated cells were bipolar forming ridge-like mounds that had a directional orientation. The antichondrogenic effect was not alleviated when the cells were induced to assume a spherical shape upon treatment with cytochalasin D. DNA measurements indicated that the lack of chondrogenic expression was not related to cell attachment or cell proliferation. These data support the hypothesis that the expression of specific terminal sugars on cell surface glycoconjugates of limb bud cells represents an important component of the chondrogenic process.

Spatial and temporal changes in the pattern of glycosylation of the developing chick limb tissue components as revealed by fluorescent conjugated lectin probes

The changing pattern of expression of glycoconjugates during the differentiation of the chick leg bud between stages 17 to 34 (days 3 to 8 of incubation) was studied using fluorochrome-labelled plant lectins. Limb buds were fixed in cold acetic-alcohol and wax-embedded. Agglutinins of peanut (PNA), soybean (SBA) and succinylated wheat germ (WGAs) revealed a specific binding pattern in the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) between Hamburger and Hamilton stages 19-32. These stages coincide with the period of elevation of the AER. This specific binding pattern was absent from the adjacent dorsal and ventral ectoderm. Prechondrogenic cells were positive for WGA and for PNA, and the PNA-binding capacity was intensified after neuraminidase treatment. Premyogenic cells at stage 23 can be identified as negative to PNA after neuraminidase, while the blood vessels became positive. PNA, SBA, WGA, WGAs and, in addition, Ricinus communis (RCA-I) lectins stained the basal membrane. Strands of extracellular matrix which connect with the basal membrane and cross the limb transversely between dorsal and ventral ectoderm were stained by RCA-I, SBA and PNA after neuraminidase.

Alterations of lectin binding during chondrogenesis of mouse limb buds

The binding of six different FITC-labelled lectins to mesenchyme, blastemal cells and cartilage was investigated in limb buds of mouse embryos during their development from day 10 to day 13. Concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin and phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin labelled mesenchymal cells of earlier stages, day 10 or 11, distinctly more than those of later stages. Chondrogenic blastema, basement membrane and muscle were always strongly stained. The galactosamine-specific ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA) bound preferentially to the blastema, whereas the mesenchyme was only weakly labelled. The galactose-specific peanut agglutinin (PNA), however, stained solely the blastema. In the mesenchyme, no binding was detectable light microscopically with this lectin. In cartilage, RCA- and PNA-staining was found to a lesser extent. With the fucose-specific lectin Lotus A, no staining was detectable. Due to the apparent differences in the binding of PNA in mesenchyme and blastema, peroxidase-labelled PNA was used to study the binding behaviour electron microscopically. It is shown that peroxidase-PNA very strongly labelled the intercellular matrix and the plasma membrane of cells in the late blastemal stages, whereas in young blastema no reaction product was detectable. In contrast to light microscopic findings, some label could be demonstrated also in the mesenchyme. The results show a general reduction of lectin receptors in more developed mesenchyme of later stages and the occurrence of galactose and galactose derivatives during early chondrogenesis in the matrix and at the cell membrane. The significance of these changes for chondrogenesis, however, remains to be elucidated.

The involvement of microfilaments and microtubules in the lateral mobility of lectin binding sites of normal and brachypod mouse limb mesenchyme

It has been demonstrated that differences exist in the lateral mobility of Con A- and WGA-binding sites in the membranes of normal and brachypod mouse limb mesenchymal cells (Hewitt et al., 1978). The work presented here investigates the involvement of microtubules and microfilaments as mediators of binding site mobility in this system. Treatment of cells with colchicine suggests that microtubules are not involved in the mobility of either type of lectin-binding site. Disruption of microfilaments with cytochalasin B prevents the redistribution of Con A-binding sites but not those of WGA. the results were found to be the same for both genotypes. This suggests that the differences which have been found between genotypes are related to some mechanism of restraining the lateral mobility of lectin binding sites other than by attachment to microtubules and microfilaments.

Freeze-etch localization and distribution of concanavalin A in normal and irreversibly sickled erythrocytes

Normal red blood cells and irreversibly sickled red cells (ISCs) were incubated in Concanavalin A (Con A) prior to freeze-etching. The Con A molecules could be visualized on the cells without conjugating the Con A to a larger molecule. No differences in the number or distribution of the Con A binding sites were observed between normal red cells and ISCs. Moreover, the number and distribution of the intramembranous particles (IMP) present on the fracture face of the cytoplasmic membrane leaflet were the same in normal cells and ISCs. Thus, the membrane differences that do exist between normal red cells and ISCs in terms of cell shape and adhesiveness are not reflected in Con A binding or IMP number and distribution.