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Selective neuronal glycoconjugate expression in sensory and autonomic ganglia: relation of lectin reactivity to peptide and enzyme markers

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Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

Several plant lectins were used to characterize the cell-surface carbohydrates expressed on sensory ganglion cells and their central terminals in the spinal cord dorsal horn. In the rat, galactose-terminal glycoconjugates on a large subpopulation of small neurons whose central axons project to the substantia gelatinosa were demonstrated with the α-D-galactose-specificGriffonia Simplicifolia I-B4 (GSA) lectin. This neuron subset was labelled by alternative D-galactose-, N-Acetylgalactosamine-, and βGal(1,3)NAcGal-binding lectins. Similar GSA lectin reactivity was also illustrated in selected peripheral autonomic, gustatory and visceral sensory and enteric neurons, and the accessory olfactory bulb. The sensory neuron-specific isoenzyme, fluoride-resistant acid phosphatase (FRAP) co-localized with the GSA lectin, as did the monoclonal antibody (MAb) 2C5, which is directed against a lactoseries carbohydrate constituting a backbone structure of ABH human blood group antigens. In contrast, calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactivity (CGRP-IR), used as a representative marker of peptidergic neurons, exhibited limited co-localization with GSA. A polyclonal anti-rat red blood cell (RBC) antibody co-localized with GSA, suggesting that lectin-reactive carbohydrates on rat sensory neurons are related to rat RBC antigens. In the human spinal cord, thel-fucose-bindingUlex europaeus-I (UEA) lectin also labelled the substantia gelatinosa; in rabbit, a small sensory ganglion cell subset and the spinal cord substantia gelatinosa was co-labelled by both the GSA and UEA lectins.

These studies illustrate significant lectin-reactive cell surface carbohydrate expression by non-peptidergic, FRAP(+) sensory ganglion cells in the rat, and provide a means for visualizing the extensive, non-peptidergic, small sensory ganglion cell subpopulations, probably including a substantial proportion of nociceptive and unmyelinated peripheral axons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences, 90024, Log Angeles, CA, USA

    J. D. Silverman & L. Kruger

  2. Department of Anatomy and Anesthesiology, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences, 90024, Log Angeles, CA, USA

    L. Kruger

  3. Department of Anatomy and the Brain Research Institute, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences, 90024, Log Angeles, CA, USA

    J. D. Silverman & L. Kruger

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Silverman, J.D., Kruger, L. Selective neuronal glycoconjugate expression in sensory and autonomic ganglia: relation of lectin reactivity to peptide and enzyme markers. J Neurocytol 19, 789–801 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01188046

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