P. Debbage et al., IMMUNOLOGICAL CROSS-REACTIVITIES BETWEEN PROTEINS SECRETED BY THE SUBCOMMISSURAL ORGAN, AND PLANT-LECTINS, Acta histochemica, 94(2), 1993, pp. 131-140
The glial subcommissural organ (SCO) discharges a glycoprotein-rich se
cretory product into the third ventricle to form Reissner's fibre (RF)
. The SCO proteins bear N-linked oligosaccharides, such as mediate man
y cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. In such interactions the cor
responding partner molecule recognising the sugar chain is often a sug
ar-specific protein (lectin). We present here evidence that the consti
tuents of the SCO secretory product include proteins immunologically c
ross-reactive with certain plant lectins. Polyclonal antisera directed
against Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin-L (PHA-L) labelled the apically
released RF-material of the rat SCO. Indirect ELISA studies shows in
addition that anti-RF antisera bound to certain plant lectins (PHA-L,
Con A). Dot spot assays demonstrated binding of anti-PHA-L to RF prote
ins. In Western blots of RF proteins anti-PHA-L, anti-RCA and anti-Con
A bound to distinctive subsets of the RF protein fractions.