CHARACTERIZATION OF GLYCOCONJUGATES IN THE EPIDIDYMAL EPITHELIUM AND LUMINAL FLUID DURING POSTNATAL-DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOUSE

The qualitative nature and distribution of glycoproteins in the mouse epididymis during postnatal development was examined by using lectin c ytochemical procedures on paraffin sections and lectin blots on electr ophoretically separated luminal fluid polypeptides transferred onto ni trocellulose. Histochemical results revealed the presence of glycoprot eins with terminal alpha-D-mannose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and neurami nic acid in the principal cells along the epididymis during early stag es of development (1st week), and glycoproteins containing terminal al pha-L-fucose, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and alpha-D-galactose in specif ic regions of the duct during the differentiation state (2nd-3rd week) . Lectin staining localized in the Golgi region and at the apical surf ace increased during development. Specific changes occurred with age a nd between cell types. Examination of the epididymal luminal fluid gly copeptides by lectin blot analysis revealed the presence of a large nu mber of glycoproteins with various saccharide moieties at 7 days of ag e. Epididymal differentiation was accompanied either by the disappeara nce of some glycoproteins (apparent molecular mass: 16, 17.5, 22, 28, 30 and 74 kDa) or the appearance of new glycoproteins in the proximal (23, 13 kDa) and distal regions (29, 20.5, 19, and 14.4 kDa), or along the entire epididymal duct (26 kDa). The main changes occurred in the epididymis of 21-day-old mice and were completed before spermatozoa r eached the epididymal lumen.