DISAPPEARANCE OF THE VICIA-VILLOSA-POSITIVITY FROM THE PERINEURONAL NET CONTAINING CHONDROITIN PROTEOGLYCAN AFTER CHONDROITINASE DIGESTION

Anti-chondroitin unsulfated proteoglycan (COS-PG) 1B5 monoclonal antib ody (MAb) and Vicia villosa agglutinin (VVA) recognize the same neuron al subset. Moreover, when in double immunofluorescence study the secti ons were digested with chondroitinase ABC (ChABC), a procedure necessa ry to create the epitope of 1B5 MAb, and incubated with VVA, no VVA po sitive neurons were detected. This finding suggests that WA binds term inal N-acetyl-galactosamine present in the glycidic chains of COS-PG o r of glycoproteins that form perineuronal molecular aggregates with CO S-PG.