Detection of Glycoconjugate Changes in the Embryonic Trigeminal Nucleus in Balb/C Mouse by Lectin Histochemistry

Purpose: Determination of changes of glycoconjugates, which have special terminal sugars, in embryonic developmental processes of brain stem and trigeminal nucleus in Balb/C mouse. Materials and Methods: In this study mice embryos between 10-17 embryonic days were used. They were fixed according to ordinary laboratory procedures. The specimens were embedded in paraffin and serial sections with a thickness of 5 µm were cut. To determine the presence of terminal sugars, in brain stem and trigeminal nucleus, 8 lectin conjugates with peroxidase were used. Results: The findings from this study showed that the intensity and the time of reaction of brain stem, trigeminal nucleus and its surrounding tissue, to lectins was different both with lectins and different embryonic days. The terminal sugar fucose was present in the first developmental stages in brain stem while in trigeminal nucleus it was present in later stages. The lectins SBA, PNA, MPA, and WFA identified the presence of N-acetylgalactose and D-saccharide galactose-N-acetylgalactoseamine in the trigeminal nucleus and its surrounding structures in different stages. Conclusions: Analyzing the results obtained from this study demonstrates that presence of surface glycoconjugates with N-acetylgalactoseamine, D-saccharide galactose-N-acetylgalactoseamine and fucose sugar terminals, may suggest that these sugars take part in the development neuron precursor cells in early gestation stages of brain stem and trigeminal nucleus, and be present in molecules of FGF-8 and BPM and control characteristics and differentiation of sensory dorsal neurons.