Glycoconjugate localization in larval and adult skin of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana: a lectin histochemical study.

This study investigates whether or not the distribution of specific glycoconjugates within the skin is related to the regulation of water balance in the aquatic larvae and semiaquatic adults of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. A lectin histochemical study was carried out on paraffin sections of dorsal and ventral skin from tadpoles in representative stages as well as from adult frogs. Sections were stained with the following horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated lectins, which bind to specific terminal sugar residues of glycoconjugates: UEA 1 for alpha-L-fucose, SBA for N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, WGA for N-acetyl-B-D-glucosamine, and PNA for beta-galactose.