HISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF LIZARD TESTICULAR GLYCOCONJUGATES DURING THE ANNUAL SPERMATOGENETIC CYCLE

The distribution of glycoconjugates in the testis of lizard Podarcis s . campestris De Betta was investigated by HRP-conjugated lectins durin g the annual spermatogenetic cycle. In addition, pretreatments of sect ions with neuraminidase and removal of alkali-labile O-linked sequence s by beta-elimination allowed the structure of glycoconjugates to be f urther explored. Leydig cells displayed changes of lectin-binding site s during annual cycle, and during the abortive spermatogenesis period lacked N-linked sialylgalactosyl glycans. Sertoli cells stained by Con A, WGA, RCA(1)20, BS I-B-4, showed, except in July, O-linked sialylga lactosyl glycans. Spermatogonia bound Con A and WGA. Spermatocytes bou nd also BS I-B-4, SEA, UEA I, and, during spring spermatogenesis, reve aled O-linked sialylgalactosyl glycans. The acrosomes of spermatids we re also stained by RCA(120) and PNA, whereas the heads of spermatozoa did not bind SEA and PNA. During the abortive spermatogenic period, th e acrosomes showed O-linked sialylgalactosyl glycans and N-linked glyc ans terminating in beta-galactosyl residues. During the reproductive p eriod, the acrosomes of spermatozoa expressed O- and N-linked sialylga lactosyl glycans and beta-galactosyl terminal residues on O- and N-lin ked glycans. Thus, in the testis of lizard, the two spermatogenesis pe riods show the emergence of different types of glycosylation.