title: Characterization of glycoconjugates in the human cameral mucous gel by lectins.
abstract: A cameral mucous gel (CMG) has been described in human eyes lining the anterior and posterior ocular chambers. We assay a battery of 11 lectins to characterize the accessible sugars of the presumed glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans present in the gel. Results show a predominance of alpha-linked sugars over beta-linked ones. There is evidence for the prominence in the gel of alpha-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and/or alpha-D-galactose, together with alpha-N-acetyl-glucosamine. The second most important sugars are beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and the dissacharide beta-D-galactose-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine. beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine could possibly be identified in third place. Neither fucose nor mannose are detected. These results point towards heparan and perlecan as possible components of the glycidic fraction of the gel, although a specific proteoglycan adapted to the osmotic role of the CMG is not at all unlikely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Porcel
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: López-Caballero
mesh_terms: D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000737:chemistry*; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000737:chemistry; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D037102:Lectins / Q000032:analysis*; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D009093:Mucus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D037102:Lectins; D009005:Monosaccharides; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid