Brain, nerves and muscles: Neoglycoproteins in the practice of neuromorphology and neuropathology

Abstract

The application of plant lectins and carbohydrate-specific monoclonal antibodies has provided a wealth of information on the spatial and temporal regulation of the expression of defined carbohydrate sequences in cellular glycoconjugates. However, the functional implication of the expression in such a controlled fashion for this particular kind of biochemical structure remains to be elucidated. It is a reasonable proposal to ascribe functional relevance to carbohydrate structures by a glycobiological interplay with respective receptors. Their experimental detection in histochemistry with appropriate laboratory tools may thus mimic an actual functional aspect. The implicitly suggested presence of endogenous receptors for the carbohydrate part of cellular glycoconjugates consequently needs to be substantiated. To obtain the desired information, we have taken advantage of procedures, using chemically derived appropriate tools. By covalently conjugating suitable carbohydrate ligands to an inert carrier, the ligands themselves are employed as detection devices for the receptors. Since the conjugate, termed neoglycoprotein (see also contribution of Lee and Lee, this volume), can additionally be conveniently labeled, e.g. biotinylated, routinely performed protocols for staining can thus be carried out.