Concanavalin A agglutinability of developing mouse trophoblast

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Abstract
Utilizing the hemagglutination technique of Furmanski, Phillips and Lubin, blastocysts were examined for Con-A [Concanavalin A] agglutinability on the 4th day of development when the trophoblast consists of a relatively uniform population of cells and on the 5th day when the trophoblast undergoes regional differentiation. At this time the mural trophoblast cells lining the blastocoele stop dividing and undergo transformation into a population of migratory giant cells, while the polar trophoblast cells overlying the inner cell mass begin to form the ectoplacental cone. The Con-A agglutinability exhibited by the 4-day trophoblast is characteristic of early embryonic cells (Nicolson). The absence of regional differentiation with respect to Con-A agglutinability is consistent with the presence of homogeneous population of trophoblast cells at this time (3.5 days post coitum). The next day, when there is overt differentiation of trophoblast into 2 distinct populations, there is also differentiation with respect to Con-A agglutinability, with the polar trophoblast losing the capacity to agglutinate while the newly formed giant cells show the same degree of agglutinability as their progenitor cells. The agglutinability exhibited by these terminal stage migratory giant cells is in accord with the hypothesis that Con-A agglutinability is related to surface properties associated with migratory behavior. Loss of Con-A agglutinability may be due to many factors including reduction in the number of receptor sites, loss of receptor mobility and masking of receptor sites.

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