Localization of ganglioside 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 in point contacts of neuronal growth cones

Gangliosides are a large group of sialylated glycosphingolipids widely expressed in mammalian tissues. We have shown previously that the expression of 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 is highly correlated with periods of neurite outgrowth in the developing nervous system, and that the advance of dorsal root ganglia growth cones on laminin was halted in presence of an antibody specific for 9‐O‐acetyl GD3. In this work, we examined by immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy whether this ganglioside is localized in point contacts in neuronal growth cones. We identified point contacts by immunoreactions with proteins, such as vinculin and β1 integrin, known to be associated with these structures in growth cones. Our observations indicate that 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 is specifically associated with vinculin and β1 integrin in point contacts of growth cones, suggesting a possible role for this particular ganglioside in the modulation of these contacts during neurite outgrowth. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 57: 31–37, 2003