Lectin-binding pattern of neuroepithelial and respiratory epithelial cells in the mouse nasal cavity

Abstract

Sections from the nasal cavity of 12-day-old Swiss albino mice (NMRI strain) were subjected to lectin histochemistry. A panel of biotinylated lectins (Con A, WGA, s-WGA, PNA, SBA, DBA and UEA I) and a horseradish peroxidase-conjugated lectin (GSA II) showed marked differences in binding to the respiratory and the neuroepithelial cells. SBA (affinity for galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine), PNA (galactose) and WGA (sialic acids and N-acetylglucosamine) labelled the receptor neurons in the olfactory and vomeronasal epithelium. DBA (N-acetylgalactosamine) labelled a subgroup of about 5% of the olfactory receptor neurons, but most neurons in the vomeronasal organ. UEA I (fucose) and s-WGA (N-acetylglucosamine) intensely labelled the entire nerve cell population in the vomeronasal organ, but in the olfactory epithelium the labelling with these lectins was stratified. In the respiratory epithelium the ciliated cells were labelled with WGA and s-WGA, while the secretory cells bound most of the lectins. Thus different sugars are exposed on the surface of the different types of epithelia in the nasal cavity, providing a basis for selectivity in microbial attacks on these areas.

Lectin-Binding Patterns in the Olfactory Epithelium and Vomeronasal Organ of the Common Marmoset.

“…The present results on the free borders, dendrites and cell bodies of the receptor cells are contrary to the previous reports that a larger number of lectins bound to the free border, dendrites and cell bodies of the receptor cells in the vomeronasal organ than those in the olfactory epithelium in the rodents [20,25,27]. This finding suggests that the vomeronasal organ is less active in some physiological functions, including signal transduction, with which sugar residues are associated, than the olfactory epithelium in the common marmoset unlike the rodents.…”

“…Odorant or pheromonal molecules are thought to bind to their receptor sites on the cilia or microvilli on the free border to induce olfactory or vomeronasal transduction, respectively [3,4,17]. Since previous studies reported that the olfactory receptor cells were stimulated by volatile chemicals and the vomeronasal receptor cells responded mainly to non-volatile odorant stimuli [16,34], the difference of the sugar residues expressed on the free border between the olfactory epithelium and vomeronasal organ may reflect the difference of the property of odor received by the olfactory epithelium and vomeronasal organ as described by Lundh et al [20].…”

“…These dendrites were scattered throughout the olfactory and vomeronasal epithelium. Since the olfactory and vomeronasal receptor cells of the rodents were shown to be divided into several subtypes by lectin histochemistry or immunohistochemistry [8,20,27], the present lectin-binding patterns in the dendrites may represent such subtypes of the olfactory and vomeronasal receptor cells.…”

“…Histochemistry using lectins, sugar residue binding proteins, was demonstrated to be useful to detect sugar residues expressed in various tissues including olfactory receptor organs [7,13,20,25,27]. No specific reactivity for all lectins used was observed in the olfactory epithelium and vomeronasal organ, when sections were incubated with the lectins blocked their binding sites with 0.4 M of their corresponding specific sugars, or ABC was replaced by PBS.…”

Interaction of Influenza A/H1N1pdm Virus with Human Neuronal and Ocular Cells

“…In humans, the syndrome of post-viral olfactory dysfunction (PVOD), consisting of olfactory loss and/or histological alterations in the olfactory epithelium, has been described following infections with respiratory viruses [34][35][36]. With respect to sialic-acid receptor expression patterns on ORNs, it has been shown that mouse ORNs can be stained with a pattern of lectins which recognize galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine and sialic acids, although subtypes and expression on human ORNs have not been determined [37].…”