A study of lectin bindings to the fetal membranes

Human tissues contain carbohydrates for a main component, functioning as a source and reservoir of energy, connective and supporting element, recognition site and related tasks. Our main interest is to reveal the synthesis and distribution of carbohydrate elements in human fetal membranes. The aim of our work was to clarify, which kinds of elements containing carbohydrates, existed in the fetal membranes. Therefore we applied a lectin-binding study using the following FITC labelled lectins: ConA, WGA, PNA, LCA, RCA. This lead to the result, that ConA, LCA, WGA and RCA produced a positive reaction in the amnion epithelium, which was negative when using PNA. The basement membrane I showed an intense fluorescence when we used ConA, LCA and WGA, using RCA it was weaker and using PNA fluorescence was nearly missing. The examination of the amniotic fibroblast and intercellular substance showed a positive reaction with all lectins, but the intercellular substance lead to weaker fluorescence. The chorionic fibroblasts, intercellular substance and basement membrane II produced fluorescence using ConA, LCA, WGA and PNA, but no reaction could be examined, when using RCA. The trophoblastic cells did not react with LCA and RCA. The intercellular substance reacted positively with all lectins.