Anterograde axonal transport of [125I]wheat germ agglutinin by motor neurons innervating the rat lateral rectus muscle.

Despite widespread evidence of the affinity of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) for sensory, preganglionic autonomic and other CNS neuron cell bodies, evidence of the uptake and anterograde transport of WGA by motor neurons innervating skeletal muscle is lacking. It was hypothesized that these cells might lack plasma membrane moieties with N-acetylglucosamine for selective uptake and transport of WGA. To test this, rats were anesthetized and injected intracisternally with affinity-purified [125I]-WGA in order to label abducens motor neurons. Based on results of light and electron microscopic autoradiography, it can be concluded that abducens motoneurons, and presumably other motoneurons, are capable of uptake and anterograde axonal transport of [125I]WGA.