Related Experiment Videos
Distribution of an endogenous 16-kd S-lac lectin in the chicken retina
1Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina.
Purpose:
To examine by indirect immunofluorescence the distribution of an endogenous 16-kd S-lac lectin (soluble lactose binding lectin) during development of the chicken retina.
Methods:
Cryosections of retinal tissue at different developmental stages and cultured retinal cells (either not permeabilized or permeabilized with acetone) were incubated with a rabbit antiserum that specifically reacts with the retinal 16-kd S-lac lectin. After incubation with a fluorescent-labeled secondary antibody, tissue sections and cultured cells were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy.
Results:
Retina was weakly stained with the antiserum on early embryonic day 7, whereas on embryonic days 13 and 18 it showed a restricted "granular" staining in the outer retina. At embryonic day 18, in addition, there was widespread staining in all retinal layers. This pattern was maintained by postnatal day 5 and in the adult retina, although the intensity of the staining of the outer retina was weaker. In retinal cell cultures, glial-like flat cells and monopolar, bipolar, and multipolar neurons were stained with the antiserum, but only if they had been previously permeabilized with acetone.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that the distribution of a 16-kd S-lac lectin changes during retinal development. Cell culture experiments indicate that most often the lectin is localized intracellularly in the different retinal cell types.