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Lectin staining of the dendrite sheath in contact chemosensitive sensilla of Periplaneta americana

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Abstract

The two sensillum lymph cavities of contact chemosensitive sensilla of insects are separated by the dendrite sheath. The composition of the dendrite sheath in the contact chemosensitive sensilla of the ventral sensory field on the maxillary palps of Periplaneta americana L. has been studied using lectin cytochemistry. The dendrite sheaths can be isolated from the surrounding tissue and the autofluorescent cuticle by incubation of cryostat sections in phosphate-buffered saline containing 1% Triton X-100. Various lectins bind specifically to the dendrite sheath indicating the presence of sugar residues. Enzymatic digestion with hyaluronidase or trypsin prior to lectin cytochemistry decreases staining intensity, whereas treatment with neuraminidase and chitinase causes no visible change. The material of the dendrite sheath can thus be assumed to contain acid mucopolysaccharides that probably are similar to those of the receptor lymph cavities. The negatively charged, hydrophilic acid mucopolysaccharides may make the dendrite sheath permeable for small cations. These findings are discussed in the context of the functional significance of the dendrite sheath in contact chemosensory sensilla of insects.

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  1. Institut für Zoologie, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Siegfried Seidl

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  1. Siegfried Seidl
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Seidl, S. Lectin staining of the dendrite sheath in contact chemosensitive sensilla of Periplaneta americana . Cell Tissue Res 274, 373–382 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318756

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