Identification of osteoclasts by rhodamine-conjugated peanut agglutinin

Rhodamine-conjugated Arachis hypogaea (peanut agglutinin, PNA) lectin, which is specific for beta-D-galactosyl and beta-D-gal-[1,3]-D-galNAC residues, was used to identify osteoclasts in paraffin-embedded bone sections of fetal rat calvaria and a human bone-derived tumor, osteoclastoma. All multinucleated osteoclasts were positive for PNA-lectin. This was also confirmed by studying smears of isolated osteoclasts from rat and chicken long bones. In addition to multinuclear cells, some mononuclear cells on the endosteal surface of the rat calvaria and some bone marrow cells also revealed specific binding of PNA lectin. Isolated rat peripheral monocytes were also studied, and these showed specific binding of PNA lectin which was maintained unchanged for at least 3 days in culture. Different lectins could be useful as membrane markers for studying bone cell origin and maturation.