A histochemical comparison of human corneal stromal glycoconjugates with eight other species

Abstract

Frozen sections of human, calf, rabbit, rat, cat, dog, goat, lamb, and hog corneas were stained with various lectins using an avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex to study glycoconjugates of stromal matrix. Staining of the stromal matrix and keratocytes with an alpha-galactose-specific lectin, Griffonia simplicifolia I (GSA-I) was species-dependent. The stromal matrices of cat, dog, and hog corneas invariably reacted intensely with this lectin, whereas those of the human, calf, rabbit, rat, and lamb did not react. A positive reaction with GSA-I could be abolished in each instance by preincubation of the sections with alpha-galactosidase. The stromal matrices and keratocytes of all nine species reacted positively with wheat germ agglutinin, concanavalin A, and Ricinus communis agglutinin but did not react with soybean agglutinin. Results of this study may help select an appropriate animal model for further investigate human corneal stromal glycoconjugates.

Sialyl Lewis X, Lewis X, and N-acetyllactosamine expression on normal and glaucomatous eyes

“…One possible answer is that different species of animals have different abilities to produce specific enzymes necessary for the biosynthesis of sLe x (23,24). This biosynthetic reaction begins with a core N-acetyllactosamine sequence bound to carbohydrate groups of glycoproteins and glycolipids.…”

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of the cornea and asialo GM1

“…Hakomori and E. Nudelman, Biomembrane Institute, Seattle, Wash.) and antisulfatide (MAb BRD1; positive control, provided by F. B. Jungalwala, E. K. Shriver Center, Waltham, Mass. ), using an avidin biotin peroxidase method (10). The specificity of MAb TKH-7 to asialo GM 1 was confirmed by HPTLC-immunostain analysis (Fig.…”