Distribution of concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin binding sites in the rat peripheral nerve fibres revealed by lectin/glycoprotein-gold histochemistry.

The affinity of rat peripheral nerve fibres for concanavalin A (Con A) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) was tested in semi-thin sections of Epon-embedded material. A two-step post-embedding technique was used. As a first step, Con A and WGA were used in pure form. As a second step, peroxidase-gold (for Con A) and ovomucoid-gold (for WGA) complexes were applied. The lectin-binding sites, visualized by means of signal amplification with the photochemical silver reaction, were associated mainly with the myelin sheaths and the surfaces of Schwann cells.