Cell surface modifications in neuronal maturation

Changes in carbohydrate composition of the cell surface related to neuronal maturation have been studied on neuroblastoma and embryonic dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cultures by using fluorescein conjugated lectins. In neuroblastoma cells, it has been found that the surface of the fibers differs from that of the cell body as shown by concanavalin A (Con A) and WGA binding. In primary cultures of embryonic DRG, lectin binding has also shown that the neuron surface undergoes changes during maturation. In fact, lectin binding which is absent at early stages (5--6 day old embryos) becomes first detectable at the 7th day and then increases progressively. At day 7, the Con A binding pattern resembles that observed in neuroblastoma cells. The possibility of correlating these surface changes with cell adhesive properties and cell differentiation is discussed.