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Lectin‐binding patterns in the olfactory system of the lizard, Physignathus lesueurii
Author(s) -
Franceschini Valeria,
Lazzari Maurizio,
Ciani Franco
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4687(200101)247:1<34::aid-jmor1001>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - vomeronasal organ , biology , lectin , olfactory system , glycoconjugate , microbiology and biotechnology , ficolin , receptor , olfactory receptor , olfactory mucosa , olfactory receptor cell , glycoprotein , biochemistry , neuroscience , mannan binding lectin
Lectin binding histochemistry was performed on the olfactory system of Physignathus lesueurii to investigate the distribution and density of defined carbohydrate terminals on the cell‐surface glycoproteins of the olfactory and vomeronasal receptor cells and their terminals in the olfactory bulbs. The lectin staining patterns indicate that the vomeronasal and olfactory receptor cells are characterized by glycoconjugates containing α‐ D ‐galactose and N ‐acetyl‐ D ‐glucosamine terminal residues. The presence of specific glycoproteins, whose terminal sugars are detected by lectin binding, might be related to the chemoreception and transduction of the odorous message into a nervous signal or to the histogenesis and development of the olfactory system. The olfactory and vomeronasal receptor cells are vertebrate neurons that undergo a continual cycle of proliferation not only during development but also in mature animals. J. Morphol. 247:34–38, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.