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Mucin in epithelial cells in oesophagus and stomach of black tetra, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (Characidae, Teleostei)

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Abstract

Histochemical properties of the mucus cells in oesophagus and stomach in a teleost, black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi), are described and compared. These cells were sac-shaped, very numerous, and embraced by ordinary epithelial cells with highly variable shape, throughout the entire length of oesophagus. The stomach luminal epithelial cells were filled with mucin apically, whereas the gastric gland cells lacked mucin. When treated with alcian blue (pH 2.5) before periodic acid–Schiff, the oesophagus mucin displayed a colour between blue and magenta, whereas it was strongly magenta in stomach. After high iron diamine followed by alcian blue (pH 2.5), the oesophagus mucin displayed a clean blue colour, whereas the stomach mucin was uncoloured. The present results for the lectin affinities in mucus cells in oesophagus of black tetra were similar to those of stomach and together suggest that these mucins contain significant amounts of N-acetylglucosamines, galactose-N-acetylgalactosamines sequences, and probably some sialic acid in terminal positions attached to the N-acetylglucosamine, but the mucin seems nearly or entirely to lack glucose and mannose. In addition, all its N-acetylgalactosamines in oesophagus, unlike in stomach, seem to be attached to galactose, as these amines were not coloured by DBA in oesophagus, but intensely coloured by PNA. Together the present results suggest that the oesophagus mucin in black tetra contains both neutral and carboxylated glycoproteins, but lacks sulphated glycoproteins, whereas the stomach mucin contains neutral glycoproteins only. The present results for black tetra suggest that the large amounts of oesophageal mucus and its increased toughness caused by anions may largely compensate for the lack of salivary glands. The stomach mucin lacks anions, a feature which may enhance the flow of the mucus and therefore also its ability to clean and protect the stomach wall against the gastric juice.

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  1. Faculty of Teacher Education and Sport, Sogn og Fjordane University College, 6851, Sogndal, Norway

    Ingvar Leiv Leknes

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Correspondence to Ingvar Leiv Leknes.

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Communicated by A. Schmidt-Rhaesa.

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Leknes, I.L. Mucin in epithelial cells in oesophagus and stomach of black tetra, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (Characidae, Teleostei). Zoomorphology 134, 269–277 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-015-0256-9

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