[Electron-cytochemical study of carbohydrate components in the surface membrane of cultured Helix pomatia neurons].

Abstract

The structure and topography of carbohydrates on the surface of nerve cells of snail Helix pomatia cultured in vitro have been characterized with a series of colloidal gold-labelled lectins of different sugar specificity. The analysis of the lectin binding has shown substantial differences in the carbohydrate pattern between the soma of monoaminergic and peptidergic neurons. It has been found that the surface of monoaminergic and peptidergic neurons contains N-acetylglucosamine (WGA+) and N-acetyllactosamine (RCA-1-) determinants and does not contain neuraminic acid (LPA-) and complex branched N-glycosyl chains (PVA-). At the same time N-acetylgalactosamine (HPA+) was detected on the peptidergic neuron membrane only. It has been concluded that terminal residues of sialic acid are absent on the most of snail nerve cells. Differences in lectin binding between monoaminergic and peptidergic neurons can serve as a basis for formation of specific connections of cells by different types in the developing brain.