Abstract

Using both the biotinyl-lectins and avidin-ferritin (or HRP) conjugates, intracellular carbohydrates of guinea pig spermatids were stained on the ultrathin sections embedded in epoxy resin. Since the Golgi vacuoles, proacrosomal granules, acrosome cap, and acrosome collar of spermatids were densely stained by the “two-step method”, sugar residues in developing acrosomes of spermatids were systematically analyzed with seven different biotinyl-lectins, such as Con A, WGA, RCA, PNA, SBA, DBA and UEA. The reaction patterns of seven lectins to carbohydrates in acrosome were different from each other. The glycoproteins in both acrosome cap and acrosome collar of the step 5-7 spermatids were stained with RCA, Con A and PNA, while WGA, SBA and DBA reacted with carbohydrates in acrosome collar. These lectins did not react with carbohydrates in acrosome cap. Furthermore, the glycoproteins in proacrosomal vesicles and in the Golgi vacuoles surrounded by proacrosomal vesicles were heavily stained with RCA and Con A, but hardly stained with other Iectins. These results seem to suggest that the glycoproteins containing a large amount of D-mannose, D-glucose, and D-galactose in the sugar chains are synthesized throughout the whole stages of spermatids, while the glycoproteins containing N-acetylgalactosamine, terminal β-galactosamine, and N-acetylglucosamine in their sugar chains are mainly synthesized after the step 5 spermatids.

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