Lectin receptors on the peri- and early post-implantation mouse embryo

Mouse embryos at the blastocyst, blastocyst outgrowth, and primitive streak (day 7.5) stages of development were analysed for expression of lectin receptors using a panel of six FITC-conjugated lectins with affinities for five distinct saccharides (BSL, ConA, DBA, LTL, UEA and WGA). Blastocyst trophoblast expressed receptors for all the lectins but later tissues of the trophectoderm lineage lost receptors for distinct but overlapping subsets of the lectin panel. The inner cell mass (ICM) of the early blastocyst lacked receptors only for UEA. Differentiation of primary endoderm was accompanied by the aquisition of UEA receptors but subsequent differentiation into visceral and parietal endoderm involved the loss of receptors for both fucose binding lectins (UEA and LTL). Embryonic ectoderm in the day 7.5 egg cylinder retained receptors only for ConA and WGA. Thus, in general, differentiation during the peri- and early post-implantation period was associated with a differential loss of lectin receptors in all cell lineages of the mouse conceptus.