Expression of HNK-1 carbohydrate and its binding protein, SBP-1, in apposing cell surfaces in cerebral cortex and cerebellum.

Sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate is the terminal moiety of neolacto-oligosaccharides, expressed on several glycoproteins of the immunoglobulin superfamily involved in cell-cell recognition and on two glycolipids. Sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate is temporally and spatially regulated in the developing nervous system. It appears to be involved in neural cell recognition and in cell adhesion processes through its interaction with specific proteins on cell surfaces. Previously we have characterized a specific sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate-binding protein in rat brain. Sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1 is structurally similar to a 30,000 mol. wt adhesive and neurite outgrowth promoting protein amphoterin [Rauvala and Pihlaskari (1987) J. biol. Chem. 262, p. 16,625]. The pattern of expression of sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1 in developing rat nervous system was studied to understand the significance of its interaction with sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate-bearing molecules. Biochemical analyses showed that the expression of sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1 was developmentally regulated similarly to sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate. Immunocytochemical localization of sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1 and sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate was performed by bright-field and fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy. In postnatal day 7 rat cerebellum, sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1 was primarily associated with neurons of the external and internal granule cell layers. The sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1 immunoreactivity was absent in Purkinje cell bodies and their dendrites in the molecular layer, as well as in Bergmann glial fibres and in white matter. In contrast, sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate (reactive with HNK-1 antibody) was localized in processes surrounding granule neurons in the internal granule cell layer. Sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate was also expressed in Purkinje neurons and their dendrites in the molecular layer and their axonal processes in the white matter. To a lesser extent Bergmann glial fibres were also positive for sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate. In the cerebral cortex, at embryonic day 21, sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1 was mainly observed in immature neurons of the cortical plate and subplate and dividing cells near the ventricular zone. Whereas, sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate was strongly expressed in the fibres of the subplate and marginal zone. Sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate was also found in the processes surrounding the sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1-expressing neuronal cell bodies in the cortical plate and in ventricular zone. The specific localization of sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein- in cerebellar granule neurons and neurons of the cerebral cortex was also confirmed by immunocytochemistry of the dissociated tissue cell cultures. The complementary localization of sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate and sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding protein-1, both in cerebral cortex and cerebellum, in apposing cellular structures indicate possible interaction between the two and signalling during the process of cell migration and arrest of migration.