Figure 1

Detection of frutalin specific glycoconjugates expressed in sections of human prostate tissues by immunohistochemistry. Samples of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from benign prostate hyperplasia (A, B) and prostate carcinoma (C to H) were immunostained with recombinant frutalin (A, C, E, G) and native frutalin (B, F, H). A negative control proves that the binding responses observed in the prostate carcinoma tissues corresponded to the lectins (D). No detectable recombinant frutalin binding was observed in hyperplasic cells (A), while weak staining was detected for native frutalin (B). Both lectins bound to cytoplasm cells of carcinoma glands (C, E, F, G and H, shown by the white arrows). The binding of recombinant frutalin to the carcinoma tissues was heterogeneous, with closed glands having strong and weak staining (C). The native frutalin staining was strong and homogeneous in carcinoma glands (F and H). Recombinant frutalin was able to specifically recognise carcinoma cells in middle of a benign lesion (E and G).