LECTIN HISTOCHEMICAL-STUDY OF BOVINE LINGUAL GLANDS

Bovine lingual glands consist of mucous acini capped by demilunes. Inf ormation on the chemical structure of their secretory glycoconjugates was obtained by means of a battery of peroxidase-conjugated lectins wi th affinity for specific terminal sugars. Sialidase procedures followe d by lectin staining were also used to visualize the sugar sequences. Stored secretions in mucous acinar cells contained fucose, N-acetylglu cosamine, alpha and beta-N-acetylgalactosamine as terminal sugar resid ues and beta-galactose as penultimate sugar in a heterogeneous distrib ution. Demilunar cells failed to react with any of the lectins examine d except that of Dolichos biflorus.