Lectin and ultrastructural cytochemistry of glycoconjugates in the cecal epithelium of the chicken.

In the cecal epithelium of the chicken, glycoconjugates were studied by light microscopy with lectin-peroxidase and correlated procedures, and by electron microscopy with high iron diamine-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate (HID-TCH-SP) and periodic acid (PA)-TCH-SP methods. Mucous granules of goblet cells and striated border of columnar cells at the basal cecum contained acidic and neutral glycoconjugates with sulfate ester, vicinal diol groupings and alpha-D-mannose, alpha-D-glucose, beta-D-galactose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and sialic acid-galactose dimers. In addition, terminal galactose-(1-3)N-acetylgalactosamine disaccharides were detected. In the apical cecum, similar glycoconjugates involved in the mucous granules of goblet cells and the striated border of columnar cells were found to be smaller in amount. Terminal galactose-(1-3)N-acetylgalactosamine disaccharides together with glycogen particles were also visualized in columnar cells of the basal and apical cecum. The histophysiological significance of glycoconjugates involved in the chicken cecal epithelium was discussed.