Wheat germ agglutinin and Ticinus communis agglutinin as specific saccharide stains in light and electron microscopy

Two plant agglutinins, wheat germ agglutinin and Ricinus communis agglutinin, were used for light and electron microscopic detection of certain carbohydrate-containing cell surface components and extracellular polysaccharides. For light microscopic studies on various tissues fluorescein isothiocyanate coupled lectins were prepared. The ferritin coupling of the lectins for electron microscopy was performed by glutarldehyde in the presence of the specific hapten. The specificity of the reactions was demonstrated by blocking with the hapten.