title: Resolution of sensory and mucoid glycoconjugates with terminal alpha-galactose residues in the mucomicrovillar complex of the vomeronasal sensory epithelium by dual confocal laser scanning microscopy.
abstract: The organization of the mucomicrovillar complex of the vomeronasal sensory epithelium of adult rats was examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy. In specimens labeled with the FITC-conjugated isolectin B4 of Bandeiraea simplicifolia, which recognizes terminal alpha-galactose sugar residues of glycoconjugates, we demonstrated that the mucomicrovillar complex was composed of islet-like structures with a high-density alpha-galactose core. The mucomicrovillar complex was further resolved into sensory and mucoid components in double-labeling and dual scanning experiments. The sensory component, which consists of the dendritic terminals of olfactory marker protein-immunoreactive vomeronasal receptor neurons, contained cytosolic glycoconjugates with terminal alpha-galactose sugar residues. The extracellular mucoid component consisted of glycoconjugates containing terminal alpha-galactose derived from the glands associated with the vomeronasal organ. These results demonstrated the complex microchemical organization of the sensory and mucoid components of the mucomicrovillar complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington 40536-0084, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takami
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Getchell
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Getchell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000032:analysis*; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008871:Microvilli / Q000737:chemistry; D009093:Mucus / Q000737:chemistry; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D006001:Glycoconjugates; D005690:Galactose