Abstract
Carbohydrates in the mucous cells of the epidermis of the fish Mastacembelus pancalus were studied by means of electron-microscopic cytochemical methods using physical development procedures. Three types of mucous cells (types A-C) were differentiated on the basis of the reactivities of the secretory products elaborated by them. The carbohydrate contents of mucous globules predominantly comprised sulfate esters and traces of oxidizable vicinal diols in type-A cells, oxidizable vicinal diols in type-B cells, and moderate amounts of both sulfate esters and oxidizable vicinal diols in type-C cells. Glycogen particles were also found to occur in the cytoplasm of these cells, and glycoproteins containing oxidizable vicinal diols were visualized in Golgi cisternae, rough endoplasmic reticulum, nuclear envelopes, and plasma membranes. In the type-A and type-B cells situated in the superficial layers of the epidermis, extensive cisternae of the Golgi apparatus and copious rough endoplasmic reticulum suggested the active syntheses of secretory contents, in contrast to the type-C mucous cells, which displayed poor development of these organelles, in the deeper layers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Freeman JA (1962) Fine structure of the goblet cell mucous secretory process. Anat Rec 144:341–358
Freeman JA (1966) Goblet cell fine structure. Anat Rec 154:121–148
Fukami K, Ohyama M (1988) Histochemical study of the glycoconjugates in the upper air-way mucosa. In: Ohyama M, Muramatsu T (eds) Glycoconjugates in medicine. Proceedings of the International Symposium Kagoshima, Japan. Professional Postgraduate Services, Tokyo, pp 214–218
Hughes RC (1975) The complex carbohydrates of mammalian cell surfaces and their biological roles. Essays Biochem 11:1–36
Iger Y, Wendelaar Bonga SE (1994) Cellular responses of the skin of carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to acidified water. Cell Tissue Res 275:481–492
Imaki H, Chavin W (1984) Ultrastructure of mucous cells in the sarcopterygian integument. Scanning Electron Microsc 1:409–422
Jones R (1977) Modification of mucus in animal models of disease. Adv Exp Med Biol 89:397–412
Kitamura H (1990) Diamine-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinatephysical development methods for the histochemical detection of acidic glycoconjugates in electron microscopy. Acta Histochem Cytochem 23:281–294
Kitamura H, Nakamura M, Yamada K (1988) The utility of two physical developers for certain histochemical methods for glycoconjugates in light and electron microscopy. In: Ohyama M Muramatsu T (eds) Glycoconjugates in medicine. Proceedings of the International Symposium Kagoshima, Japan. Professional Postgraduate Services, Tokyo pp 24–28
Luft JH (1961) Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 17:477–489
Mittal AK, Banerjee TK (1980) Keratinization versus mucus secretion in fish epidermis. In: Spearman RIC Riley PA (eds) The skin of vertebrates. Linnean Society Symposium Series no 9. Academic Press, London, pp 1–12
Mittal AK, Whitear M (1978) A note on cold anaesthesia of poikilotherms. J Fish Biol 13:519–520
Mittal AK, Whitear M, Agarwal K (1980) Fine structure and histochemistry of the epidermis of the fish Monopterus cuchia. J Zool 191:107–125
Mittal AK, Ueda T, Fujimori O, Yamada K (1994) Histochemical analysis of glycoproteins in the epidermal mucous and sacci-form cells of an Indian fresh water fish Mastocembelus pancalus (Hamilton). J Histochem Cytochem 42:1017
Nakamura M, Kitamura H, Yamada K (1985) A sensitive method for the histochemical demonstration of vicinal diols of carbohydrates. Histochem J 17:477–485
Neutra M, Leblond CP (1966) Synthesis of the carbohydrate of mucus in the Golgi complex as shown by electron microscope radioautography of goblet cells from rats injected with glucose-H3. J Cell Biol 30:119–136
Newman GR, Jasani B, Williams ED (1983) A simple post-embedding system for the rapid demonstration of tissue antigens under the electron microscope. Histochem J 15:543–555
Park CM, Reid PE, Owen DA, Volz D, Dunn WL (1987) Histochemical studies of epithelial cell glycoproteins in normal rat colon. Histochem J 19:546–554
Reid L (1978) Animal models in clinical disease. In: Porter R, Rivers J, O'Connor M (eds) Respiratory tract mucus. Ciba Foundation Symposium 54. North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 297–307
Reynolds ES (1963) The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 17:208–212
Shinohara H (1977) On glycoproteins (in Japanese). Biochemistry 49:1219–1237
Suprasert A, Fujioka T, Yamada K (1986) Glycoconjugates in the secretory epithelium of the chicken mandibular gland. Histochem J 18:115–121
Suprasert A, Fujioka T, Yamada K (1987) The histochemistry of glycoconjugates in the colonic epithelium of the chicken. Histochemistry 86:491–497
Tadano Y, Yamada K (1978) The histochemistry of complex carbohydrates in the ovarian follicles of adult mice. Histochemistry 57:203–215
Tsukise A, Yamada K (1981) The histochemistry of complex carbohydrates in the scrotum of the boar. Histochemistry 72:511–521
Tsukise A, Yamada K (1987) Secretory glycoconjugates in the epithelium of the goat prostate. Histochem J 19:345–350
Tsukise A, Meyer W, Fujimori O, Yamada K (1988) The cytochemistry of glycoconjugates in the planum nasolabial gland of the goat as studied by electron microscopic methods. Histochem J 20:617–623
Uchida Y, Tsukada Y, Sugimori T (1979) Enzymatic properties of neuraminidases from Arthrobacter ureafaciens. J Biochem 86:1573–1585
Ueda H, Yanase Y, Fujimori O, Yamada K (1991) Cytochemical studies on vicinal diol-containing carbohydrates in the endothelium of the rat splenic blood vessels. Nagoya Med J 36:115–127
Watson ML (1958) Staining of tissue sections for electron microscopy with heavy metals. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 4:475–485
Whitear M (1986) The skin of fishes including cyclostomes: epidermis. In: Bereiter-Hahn J, Matoltsy AG, Richards KS (eds) Biology of the integument, vol 2. Vertebrates. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 8–38
Yamada K (1987) The detection of carbohydrates (in Japanese). In: Histochemistry — Fundamentals and practices for beginners. Nanko-do, Tokyo, pp 234–247
Yamada K (1993) Histochemistry of carbohydrates as performed by physical development procedures. Histochem J 25:95–106
Yamada K, Kitamura H, Fujimori O (1988) Applications of physical development procedures to electron microscopic histochemical techniques for carbohydrates (in Japanese). In: The Japan Society of Histo- and Cytochemistry (eds) Histo- and cytochemistry 1988. Gakusai-Kikaku, Tokyo, pp 95–106
Yamada K, Ueda H, Kitamura H (1992) A postembedding method for histochemical demonstration of acidic glycoconjugates by electron microscopy. Histochem J 24:528
Zaccone G, Licate A (1983) Histochemistry and fine structure of the secretory epidermis and sucking disc in the clingfish Lepadogaster candollei Risso (Gobiesociformes, Pisces). Zool Jb Anat 109:319–334
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mittal, A.K., Fujimori, O., Ueda, H. et al. Carbohydrates in the epidermal mucous cells of a fresh-water fish Mastacembelus pancalus (mastacembelidae, Pisces) as studied by electron-microscopic cytochemical methods. Cell Tissue Res 280, 531–539 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318357
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318357