MEMBRANE GLYCOCONJUGATES EXPRESSED ON SHEEP AIRWAY EPITHELIUM

In mammalian lung, selective airway inflammatory reactions have been a ssociated with viral infections, transplant rejection, and autoimmune diseases. Although the molecular basis for this selective reactivity i s unknown, the importance of carbohydrates in immunologic processes su ggests a potential role for membrane glycoconjugates in tissue-specifi c inflammatory reactions. In the present work we examined a panel. of 39 lectins for their pattern of:reactivity in the peripheral airways o f the sheep lung. The size of the panel facilitated a comprehensive de scription of the glycoconjugate localization on the airway epithelium. Four lectins (agglutinins for Helix aspersa, Psophocarpus tetragonolo bus, Trichosanthes kirilowii, and Griffonia simplifolia II) revealed s elective reactivity with the small airway epithelium. On lectin Wester n blotting, these four lectins demonstrated a common low molecular wei ght banding profile that was distinct from control lectins. The histoc hemical staining patterns and Western blotting profiles provide eviden ce for the selective expression of membrane glycoconjugates in the per ipheral airways of the sheep lung.