Lectin binding to olfactory system in a shark, Scyliorhinus canicula

Lectin histochemical studies were performed on the olfactory system of Scyliorhinus canicula to identify specific glycoconjugates on the cell surface of primary olfactory neurons. The olfactory receptor cells, the olfactory nerve fibers and their terminals in the bulbs were labelled with SBA, BSA-I and BSA-I-B4. The lectin staining patterns indicate that the membranes of small-spotted catshark olfactory neurons had glycoproteins with alpha-galactose residues. This carbohydrate moiety could be related to modulation of the cell-cell interactions in the olfactory system.