title: Histochemical analysis of rat testicular glycoconjugates. 3. Non-reducing terminal residues in seminiferous tubules.
abstract: Lectins of Helix pomatia (HPA), Glycine max (SBA), Vicia villosa (VVA), Dolichos biflorus (DBA), Ulex europaeus (UEA-1), Tetragonolobus purpureus (LTA), Griffonia simplicifolia (BSA-1B4), Maclura pomifera (MPA), Sambucus nigra (SNA) and Maackia amurensis (MAA) were used to explore the distribution of saccharides characteristic of non-reducing termini of O- and N-linked glycoprotein glycans in the seminiferous tubules of rat testis. Sialyl residues (both alpha 2,3- and alpha 2,6-linked, as shown by MAA and SNA respectively) and alpha-L-fucosyl residues (shown by UEA-1 and LTA) were expressed on spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatozoa, but not on spermatids. In contrast, 2-deoxy-2-acetamido-alpha-D-galactosyl termini were abundant on spermatozoa, but not on any of their precursors (as shown by HPA, SBA and VVA). All occurred on both O- and N-linked glycans. Sertoli cells expressed small amounts of fucose and alpha 2,3-linked sialic acid, and abundant alpha 2,6 sialyl residues, largely on N-glycans. alpha-Galactosyl residues were readily detected on the tubular basement membrane, but not elsewhere.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Stoddart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D005643:Fucose / Q000032:analysis; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000032:analysis*; D037102:Lectins; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000737:chemistry*; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D013087:Spermatids / Q000737:chemistry; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000737:chemistry; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006001:Glycoconjugates; D037102:Lectins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012794:Sialic Acids; D005643:Fucose; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid