Mucosubstance histochemistry in control and acid-stressed epidermis of brown bullhead catfish, Ictalurus nebulosus (LeSueur)
Glycoprotein components of epidermal mucous cells in control (pH 6.8) and acid-stressed (pH 5.8, 4.8, 4.0) brown bullhead catfish were studied by histochemical and autoradiographic methods. Following exposure to acid, increased numbers of epidermal mucous cells were noted in all tissue sites studied, particularly dorsal and ventral skin. Mucous cells of control fish and acid-stressed (pH 5.8) fish contained a mixture of neutral and acidic mucosubstances, the latter including both sialomucins and sulfomucins, with sialomucins predominating. An apparent shift toward increased sulfomucin production was observed in skin from fish exposed to pH 4.8 and 4.0. In addition, autoradiographic studies using /sup 35/S showed increased labeling of mucous cells in acid-exposed (pH 4.0) epidermis, offering further support for a shift toward sulfomucin production in acid-stressed fish. Absence of appreciable sulfomucin production in younger fish (less than 1 year old) suggested that this shift may be partly age-dependent. The functional significance of increased sulfomucin production in acid-stressed epidermal mucous cells is uncertain but may be related to maintenance of ionic equilibrium.
- OSTI ID:
- 5591762
- Journal Information:
- Anat. Rec.; (United States), Vol. 4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
EPIDERMIS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
GLUCOPROTEINS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
MUCOUS MEMBRANES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
AGE DEPENDENCE
BIOCHEMISTRY
FISHES
PH VALUE
SKIN
SULFUR 35
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARBOHYDRATES
CHEMISTRY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
EPITHELIUM
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MEMBRANES
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PROTEINS
RADIOISOTOPES
SACCHARIDES
SULFUR ISOTOPES
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques