SIALIC ACIDS IN THE CHICKEN ANTERIOR LINGUAL GLANDS DETECTED BY LECTINS COMBINED WITH ENZYMATIC DEGRADATION AND OXIDIZING-AGENTS

The chicken anterior lingual glands contain a large amount of sialogly coconjugates. This study is aimed at discriminating between them, on t he basis of the degree of acetylation and the acceptor sugars, by mean s of lectins combined with neuraminidase digestion and treatment with oxidizing and deacetylating agents. In the anteromedial part of lingua l glands, only low concentrations of periodate-labile sialic acid havi ng alpha 2-3,6-galactose and alpha 2-6-N-acetylgalactosamine acceptor sugars were present. Mostly, C7 and/or C8 acetylated sialic acids occu rred, while C9 acetylated sialic acid linked alpha 2-3-galactose and a lpha 2-6-N-acetylgalactosamine were restricted to some cells. In the a nterolateral part, sialic acid linked alpha 2-6-N-acetylgalactosamine was not acetylated, while sialoderivatives alpha 2-3 linked to galacto se were mainly C9 acetylated.