Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution of glycoconjugates in normal human skin using biotinyl lectins and avidin-horseradish peroxidase

  • Published:
Histochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Lectin binding patterns in normal human skin were studied using five different biotinyl lectins and avidin-horseradish peroxidase. The staining pattern was specific for each lectin. In the epidermis, peanut agglutinin (PNA) and soybean agglutinin (SBA) preferentially stained the cell membranes of keratinocytes in the spinous and granular cell layers, indicating changes in the saccharide residues during keratinocyte differentiation. In the secretory segment of an eccrine sweat gland, the superficial cells gave a strong granular staining with Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA). Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) and SBA, on the other hand, strongly stained the basal cells. With these lectins, two types of cells in the secretory segment were clearly distinguished. These results show that (1) PNA and SBA binding sites increase during the course of keratinocyte differentiation, and (2) RCA, DBA, and SBA are good markers to distinguish two types of cells in the secretory segment of an eccrine sweat gland.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Boland CR, Montgomery CK, Kim YS (1982) A cancer-associated mucin alteration in benign colonic polyps. Gastroenterology 82:664–672

    Google Scholar 

  • Brabec RK, Peters BP, Bernstein IA, Gray RH, Goldstein IJ (1980) Differential lectin binding to cellular membranes in the epidermis of the newborn rat. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:477–479

    Google Scholar 

  • Gahmberg CG, Hakomori S (1973) Altered growth behavior of malignant cells associated with changes in externally labeled glycoprotein and glycolipid. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 70:3329–3333

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldman R (1974) Effect of concanavalin A on phagocytosis by macrophages. FEBS Lett 46:209–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein IJ, Hayes CE (1978) The lectins: Carbohydrate-binding proteins of plants and animals. Adv Carbohydr Chem Biochem 35:127–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirano H, Parkhouse B, Nicolson GL, Lennox ES, Singer SJ (1972) Distribution of saccharide residues on membrane fragments from a myeloma-cell homogenate: Its implications for membrane biogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 69:2945–2949

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt PJA, Anglin JH Jr, Nordquist RE (1979) Localization of specific carbohydrate configurations in human skin using fluorescein-labelled lectins. Br J Dermatol 100:237–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Holthöfer H, Virtanen I, Pettersson E, Törnroth T, Alfthan O, Linder E, Miettinen A (1981) Lectins as fluorescence microscopic markers for saccharides in the human kidney. Lab Invest 45:391–399

    Google Scholar 

  • Hori T, Nishiyama F, Teramoto A, Matsutani M, Takakura K, Hirano H (1983) Localization of concanavalin A binding sites in human pituitary adenoma cells as revealed by HRP-labeling method. Acta neuropathol (in press)

  • Howard DR, Batsakis JG (1980) Cytostructural localization of a tumor-associated antigen. Science 210:201–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawai N, Nishiyama F, Hirano H (1979) Changes of lectin-binding sites on the embryonic muscle cell surface in the developing ascidian, Halocynthia aurantium. Exp Cell Res 122:293–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Munger BL (1961) The ultrastructure and histophysiology of human eccrine sweat glands. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 11:385–402

    Google Scholar 

  • Pena SDJ, Gordon BB, Karpati G, Carpenter S (1981) Lectin histochemistry of human skeletal muscle. J Histochem Cytochem 29:542–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauvala H, Carter WG, Hakomori S (1981) Studies on cell adhesion and recognition 1. Extent and specificity of cell adhesion triggered by carbohydrate-reactive proteins (glycosidases and lectins) and by fibronectin. J Cell Biol 88:127–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosati F, Santis RD (1980) Role of the surface carbohydrates in sperm-egg interaction in Ciona intestinalis. Nature 283:762–764

    Google Scholar 

  • Takata K, Hirano H (1983) Changes in soybean agglutinin (SBA) and peanut agglutinin (PNA) binding pattern in the epidermis of the developing chick embryo. Dev Growth Differ 25:299–305

    Google Scholar 

  • Yokoyama M, Nishiyama F, Kawai N, Hirano H (1980) The staining of Golgi membranes with Ricinus communis agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate in mice tissue cells. Exp Cell Res 125:47–53

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Shinkawa, 181, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan

    Y. Ookusa & M. Nagashima

  2. Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Shinkawa, 181, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan

    K. Takata & H. Hirano

Authors
  1. Y. Ookusa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Takata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Nagashima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. H. Hirano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

To whom offprint requests should be sent

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ookusa, Y., Takata, K., Nagashima, M. et al. Distribution of glycoconjugates in normal human skin using biotinyl lectins and avidin-horseradish peroxidase. Histochemistry 79, 1–7 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00494336

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00494336

Keywords

Search

Navigation