Variety of sialic acids occurring in the bovine sublingual gland.

Sialoglycoconjugates were investigated in the bovine sublingual gland by direct visualization of sialic acid with specific lectins (LPA, SNA) and by histochemical procedures combined with sialidase digestion and lectins. The most reactive histological structures were found to be acini which contained glycoconjugates with terminal disaccharides consisting of sialic acid linked to galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine. Resistance to periodate oxidation was interpreted as demonstrating a relevant presence of C7, C8 and C9 acetylated sialic acids. KOH-Sialidase-DBA and KOH-Alcian blue sequences allowed the identification of C4 acetylated sialic acids.