A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF LECTIN-BINDING TO CULTURED CHICK STERNAL CHONDROCYTES AND INTACT CHICK STERNUM

Cultured chondrocytes derived from the caudal and cephalic ends of emb ryonic chick sterna have been compared with each other and with whole sternum, by using a panel of 21 lectins to probe the distribution of o ligosaccharides in glycoconjugates of cells and matrix at various time s of culture or development. On culture in collagen gels, the cells ch anged their morphology with time, degrading glycan in the surrounding culture medium and depositing new matrix, the glycan content of which reflected the site of origin of the cells, indicating that the glycan phenotype of both cells and matrix ('glycotype') was predetermined and persistent. Sterna of embryonic chicks showed unexpected complexity i n their distribution pattern of glycan, containing at least six distin ct regions. Major regional temporal differences were evident among sac charides terminating in alpha-N-acetyl galactosamine and beta-galactos e, while changes in glycans terminating in fucose, sialic acid and alp ha-mannose were somewhat less marked. Subsets of complex N-glycans cha nged little.