Retrograde axonal transport of a wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate in aplysia californica

To begin examining retrograde transport in a single invertebrate neuron we have used wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP). 18 h after the conjugate was injected extracellularly into the neuropil of the buccal ganglion of Aplysia, HRP reaction product could be detected cytochemically in putative lysosomes, cisternae and vesicles near Golgi in the giant metacerebral neuron (GCN) of the cerebral ganglion. Appearance of reaction product in the cell body was blocked by ligating GCN's axon and was inhibited by colchicine.