Glycan diversity in the vomeronasal organ of the Korean roe deer, Capreolus pygargus: A lectin histochemical study

Glycans in the epithelium play an important role in cell-to-cell communication and adhesion. No detailed evaluation of glycoconjugates in the vomeronasal organs (VNO) of the roe deer has been published previously. The aim of this study was to characterize glycan epitopes in the vomeronasal sensory epithelium (VSE) and non-sensory epithelium (VNSE) using lectin histochemistry. Glycan epitopes identified by lectin histochemistry were grouped as follows: N‐acetylglucosamine (s-WGA, WGA, BSL-II, DSL, LEL, STL), mannose (Con A, LCA, PSA), galactose (RCA120, BSL-I, Jacalin, PNA, ECL), N-acetylgalactosamine (VVA, DBA, SBA, and SJA), fucose (UEA-I) and complex type N-glycan (PHA-E and PHA-L) groups. The free border of the VSE was positive for all 21 lectins, and 18 of the lectins (excluding DBA, SJA, and PHA-L) showed weak and/or moderate staining in the receptor cells. The supporting cells were weakly positive for 19 lectins (excluding PNA and SJA). Moreover, 17 lectins (excluding BSL-II, Jacalin, PNA, and SJA) were expressed in the basal cells. In the VNSE of roe deer, the free border showed staining for all 21 lectins examined. The ciliated cells were positive for 16 lectins (excluding BSL-II, DSL, PNA, VVA, and SJA). Furthermore, 15 lectins (excluding DSL, LEL, ECL, UEA-I, PHA-E, and PHA-L) were expressed in goblet cells. Twenty lectins (excluding SJA) were expressed in the acini of the vomeronasal glands. Collectively, both VSE and VNSE were rich in N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, galactose, N‐acetylgalactosamine, fucose, and complex-type N-glycans, although the different cell types of the VSE and VNSE expressed different glycoconjugates of varying intensities, suggesting that these carbohydrate residues may be involved in odor perception as well as cell-to-cell communication in the VNO.