lectin-binding patterns in the microenvironment of the mouse developing t-cells

glycoconjugates and their programmed changes during the course of development in the cell-surface as well as in the extracellular matrix, are known to affect cell differentiation, cellular interaction and other developmental phenomena during embryogenesis. the purpose of this study was to localize n-acetylgalactosamin as well as fucose-containing glycoconjugates in situ during thymus development. staged embryos or thoracic segments were fixed and processed for lectin histochemistry studies. five microns paraffin-embedded sections were incubated with horseradish peroxidase conjugated lectins from dolichos biflorus and aleuria aurantia specific for n-acetylgalactosamine and fucose, respectively. our results revealed unique reaction of t-cells with dolichos biflorus and the presence of a fucosylated glycoconjugate in microenvironments of the developing thymus including extracellular matrix and developing hassall bodies. the time and distribution of staining with these two lectins suggest that fucosylated glycoconjugates and n-acetylgalactosamin terminal sugars may play significant role in intrathymic microenvironment that might cause differentiation of t-lymphocytes