Development of the chick thymus microenvironment: a study by lectin histochemistry

The microenvironment of the chick thymus has been examined during development using lectin histochemistry. We have assayed WGA, Con A, RCA-I and TPA on thymic sections from 13, 15, 17 and 19 d chick embryos and 0, 5, 10 and 15 d chicks. All lectins were immunoperoxidase and colloidal gold-conjugated for transmission electron microscope observations. WGA labelled both the cortical and medullary thymic stroma at all the stages analysed. An intense reaction to WGA was observed in the subcortical region from stage 18 embryos to 5 d chicks. On the other hand, WGA did not stain medullary areas of the chick thymus. Con A lectin detected several cell clusters of stromal cells and thymocytes in cortical regions. These clusters could represent a lymphostromal complex with which Con A receptors are associated, probably in relation to cell adhesion. The residues detected by RCA were distributed both in stromal cells and thymocytes of the developing chick thymus. There was an increase of the reaction to RCA between the 19 d embryos and the 5 d chicks. This increase might be interpreted in terms of the secretion of thymic humoral factors at these stages. The thymic stromal cells stained with immunoperoxidase conjugated-TPA showed a reticular pattern in the medulla. There is a possibility that the fucosyl residues may be expressed in the Ia antigen as has previously been suggested in other species.