Use of lectins for detection of glycoconjugate changes in mucous epithelium of the chicken proventriculus.

The lectin binding pattern in the mucous epithelium of the chicken proventriculus was studied by using a peroxidase labeling method and correlated procedure. The nature of glycoconjugates in the mucous epithelium was found to change during the upward cell migration from deep to superficial parts. The superficial mucous epithelium (plica) was found to contain predominantly neutral glycoconjugates with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues and terminal galactose-N-acetylgalactosamine disaccharides whereas the deep epithelium (sulcus) contained acidic sulfated glycoconjugates with terminal sialic acid-galactose dimer. A continuous intraluminal mucous layer over the surface epithelium was found to contain a mixture of glycoconjugates secreted from both the plica and sulcus mucous cells. The data suggests that the changes in glycoconjugates of epithelial cells were closely correlated with cellular maturation.