LECTINS IMPLICATE SPECIFIC CARBOHYDRATE DOMAINS IN ELECTRIC-FIELD STIMULATED NERVE GROWTH AND GUIDANCE

Citation
R. Stewart et al., LECTINS IMPLICATE SPECIFIC CARBOHYDRATE DOMAINS IN ELECTRIC-FIELD STIMULATED NERVE GROWTH AND GUIDANCE, Journal of neurobiology, 30(3), 1996, pp. 425-437
Citations number
49
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
00223034
Volume
30
Issue
3
Year of publication
1996
Pages
425 - 437
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-3034(1996)30:3<425:LISCDI>2.0.ZU;2-6
Abstract
Both endogenous lectins and DC electric fields may control aspects of early nerve growth and nerve guidance, To test whether such endogenous cues interact, lectins of varying sugar affinity and valency were stu died for effects on electric field induced growth and reorientation of cultured Xenopus neurites, Concanavalin A (Con A), succinylated conca navalin A(S-Con A), and wheat germ agglutinin all completely inhibited field-induced cathodal reorientation, Lentil and pea lectins, which s hare the same sugar affinity as Con A/S-Con A, were only partially eff ective in inhibiting reorientation, Because S-Con A does not alter lat eral mobility of membrane receptors, the previously accepted notion th at Con A inhibited field-induced reorientation by preventing receptors from translocating and becoming redistributed asymmetrically in the m embrane may be oversimplified, There are likely to be additional steri c interactions that Con A and S-Con A share that inactivate asymmetric ally redistributed receptors and prevent reorientation, Additionally, nerves growing in an applied field branch more commonly toward the cat hode, Con A and S-Con A alone prevented this development of asymmetric branching, All the lectins tested prevented the normal field-induced increase in nerve growth rate, while all, except peanut agglutinin, pr evented the usual faster growth cathodally than anodally. We suggest t hat lectin interactions with electric field effects in vitro may invol ve modulation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, neurotrop hin receptors, or voltage-dependent calcium channels. Similar interact ions between endogenous lectins and endogenous electric fields are to be expected. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.