Direct Evidence for in vitro Binding of a Lectin from Arachis hypogea to Endoblastic Primordial Germ Cells of Amphibian Embryos

Peanut agglutinin was previously shown to have a specific affinity for primordial germ cells (PGCs) from anuran amphibian embryos. For separation of these cells from endoblastic ones, suspensions of dissociated cells from the endoblastic masses of Xenopus laevis and Rana dalmatina embryos were treated with peanut agglutinin. This treatment resulted in agglutination of a small number of cells, and these aggregates were separated from unaggregated single cells by gravity in 50% calf serum medium. Histological and ultrastructural analysis of numerous sections of the aggregated cells showed that they contained the germinal plasm characteristic of PGCs. The specificity of the PGCs agglutination was confirmed by disocciation of the aggregates with 0, 2 M D-galactose solution.
This embryonic cellular population of PGCs should be useful in further in vitro experiments.