Helix pomatia lectin-binding sites in the dog gastric mucus layer

Abstract

The lectin-binding sites in mucins of the gastric surface mucus layer, mucus droplets of surface epithelial and gland mucus cells were investigated at the ultrastructural level by means of postembedding staining of resin-embedded thin sections, using Helix Pomatia Lectin-Gold Complex (HPL-GC). The saticfactory labeling and fine structure preservation were obtained by mild aldehyde fixation, Agar resin 100 embedding and postembedding staining protocol. The helix pomatia lection-binding sites were intensely observed over the gastric suface mucus layer, mucus droplets of surface mucus and gland mucus cells. This finding demonstrates that the peripheral N-acetyl-D-galactosamine residues of the carbohydrate moiety of mucin are involved in the epitope structure and HPL is specifically bound to this epitope structure.