PMID: 3754855Jan 1, 1986Paper

Electron microscopic localization of chitin using colloidal gold labelled with wheat germ agglutinin

Histochemistry
W Peters, I Latka

Abstract

The lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) has a binding site which is able to bind a sequence of three N-acetyl-glucosamine residues. Therefore, it has a very strong affinity for the polymers of this sugar, especially chitin. Colloidal gold can be labelled with WGA and used as a specific electron-dense marker for the electron-microscopic localization of chitin. The specificity of the WGA-gold binding can be checked by competitive inhibition with 5-10 mM triacetyl chitotriose. The reliability of this method was tested in three species. In the formation zone of the radula of the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata Say, chitin or chitin precursors were localized in vesicles of the odontoblasts, outside the extremely long microvilli of odontoblasts and in the newly formed teeth. The inner peritrophic envelope of the earwig, Forficula auricularia L., is characterized by an orthogonal texture of bundles of microfibrils that are thought to contain chitin. The presence of chitin was proved using the present method. In the peritrophic membranes of the blowfly, Calliphora erythrocephala Meigen, it was possible to differentiate between chitin and glycoproteins which have N-acetylglucosamine residues.

References

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Citations

May 29, 2001·Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology·P Wang, R R Granados
Jan 1, 1989·Tissue & Cell·J S Martin, J B Kirkham
Jan 1, 1989·Tissue & Cell·A Volkmann, W Peters
Oct 1, 1987·Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology·L J BrydonT P King
Aug 17, 1990·Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta·S A Moore
Jan 1, 1994·Micron : the International Research and Review Journal for Microscopy·B T Stokke, A Elgsaeter
May 29, 2003·Journal of Insect Physiology·R A. Steinbrecht, B A. Stankiewicz
Oct 25, 2000·Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology·R L Tellam, C Eisemann
Apr 10, 1999·Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology·R L TellamP Willadsen
Jan 1, 1997·Annual Review of Entomology·M J Lehane
Jan 21, 2014·Genome Biology and Evolution·Anne-C ZakrzewskiHarald Hausen
Sep 1, 2009·Journal of Insect Physiology·Fernanda P BiagioAlberto F Ribeiro
Mar 16, 2007·Matrix Biology : Journal of the International Society for Matrix Biology·Bernard MoussianHeinz Schwarz
Jun 27, 2017·Systematic and Applied Microbiology·Florencia BiancalanaCecilia Alonso
Feb 21, 2016·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Brittany M OttRita V M Rio
Mar 5, 2015·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·Yanina-Yasmin PeschMatthias Behr
Nov 14, 2020·Carbohydrate Polymers·Mikhail V TsurkanHermann Ehrlich

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