BASIC AND LECTIN HISTOCHEMISTRY FOR STUDYING GLYCOCONJUGATES IN THE LINGUAL SALIVARY-GLANDS OF THE JAPANESE-QUAIL (COTURNIX-COTURNIX-JAPONICA)

Traditional non-lectin staining methods and lectin histochemistry comb ined with specific exoglycosidase digestion were used to investigate t he histological structure of these glands and to visualize the occurre nce and composition of salivary glycoconjugates. The quail lingual gla nds comprise the anterior lingual gland, with rostral and caudal porti ons that differ in morphology and histochemical staining, and the post erior lingual gland devoid of regional differences. Carbohydrate histo chemistry further differentiated the secretory structures by revealing a heterogeneous cell population of tubules within the rostral and cau dal portions of the anterior gland, and a rather homogeneous staining of the tubuloalveolar elements in the rostral portion of the anterior lingual gland and in the posterior gland. Tubuloalveolar secretory cel ls mainly produced sulphate-containing molecules. In addition, sialogl ycoconjugates were present in both anterior and posterior lingual glan ds, whereas fucoglycoconjugates were visualized only in the anterior g land.