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Lectin histochemistry of the lymphoid organs of the chicken
Julia Jörns1, Ulrich Mangold, Ulrich Neumann
1Institute for Anatomy II, Experimental Morphology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany, joerns@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Insights
Avian immune cells utilize cell surface carbohydrates (glycocalyx) for interactions, similar to mammals. Lectin histochemistry revealed diverse sugar-binding sites in chicken immune organs, with expression changing during development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Glycobiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cellular interactions in the immune system rely on the glycocalyx, a carbohydrate-rich cell membrane coat.
- Terminal carbohydrate residues on the glycocalyx are crucial for cell function and recognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution and types of terminal carbohydrate residues in key avian immune organs.
- To compare glycotope expression in young (2-day-old) versus developing (30-day-old) chickens.
Main Methods:
- Lectin histochemistry was employed to detect specific carbohydrate residues.
- Tissues examined included thymus, bursa of Fabricius, spleen, and bone marrow from chickens of two different ages.
Main Results:
- Specific lectin binding patterns were observed in macrophages, epithelial cells, and lymphocytes across different immune organs.
- Mannose, N-acetyl-glucosamine (glcNAc), and N-acetyl-galactosamine (galNAc) specific lectins highlighted distinct cell populations.
- Glycotope expression was generally more intense in 2-day-old chickens compared to 30-day-old chickens, indicating developmental changes.
Conclusions:
- The avian immune system exhibits a rich and diverse array of lectin-binding sites on its cells.
- Carbohydrate-lectin interactions play a significant role in avian immune cell communication and function, mirroring mammalian systems.
Abstract:
Cellular interactions within the immune system are in part mediated via the carbohydrate-rich coat of the cell membrane, the glycocalyx, of which the terminal carbohydrate residues are of particular functional importance. Thus, these carbohydrate residues from thymus, bursa of Fabricius, spleen and bone marrow of 2- and 30-day-old chickens were investigated by lectin histochemistry. In the thymus, mannose as well as N-acetyl-glucosamine (glcNAc)-specific lectins labelled macrophages, epithelial reticulum cells and lymphocytes within the cortex. In the bursa of Fabricius, the brush border of the lining epithelium, the macrophages and the endothelium were labelled by mannose-specific lectins. The follicle-associated epithelium was labelled by a broad spectrum of lectins. Epithelial cells that separated the cortex from the medulla and large mononuclear cells in the cortex were only being labelled by N-acetyl-galactosamine (galNAc)-specific and glcNAc-specific lectins, respectively. In the spleen, lymphocytes of the peri-ellipsoid lymphocyte sheaths and macrophages of the red pulp were labelled by lectins of nearly all sugar specificities. In general, glycotopes of these organs were more intensively labelled in the 2-day-old chicken than in the 30-day-old chicken, indicating changes in glycotope expression during post-hatching development. Thus, cells of the avian immune system are as rich and diverse in their lectin binding sites as their mammalian counterparts, indicating that similar carbohydrate lectin interactions between cells and matrices take place in birds as well.
