Unique Carbohydrate Appearance of the Floor Plate During Early Neurolation

During early neurogenesis, the floor plate plays an essential role(s) in the differentiation of the ventral portion of neural tube. In this study, we detected the specific distribution of unique glycoconjugate during the floor plate differentiation. Formalin fixed paraffin sections of BALB/c mice (10-14 embryonic days) were processed for histochemical studies using horseradish peroxidase-labelled Nacetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) sensitive lectins. Histochemical analysis has revealed the presence of unique Wisteria floribunda (WFA)-sensitive glycoconjugate reaction in the floor plate area and surrounding extracellular matrix. Weak reaction also was observed in the outer surface of the basal zone of the neural tube. Extensive differences among the GalNAc lectins were demonstrated during the sensitive time of motoneuron differentiation. There was no reaction with other tested GalNAc lectins. The duration and distribution of WFA lectin reactions suggest that these molecules may play a key role(s) in tissue interactions and subsequent formation of the adjacent tissues including floor plate and basal plate differentiation during critical morphogenic period. Furthermore, our findings indicate that among considered early neuronal morphogenic (embryonic) days, WFA reactions were increased and expanded near the end of gestation period. Iran. Biomed. J. 7 (3): 133-137, 2003