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Histochemical procedures for the simultaneous visualization of neutral sugars and either sialic acid and its side chainO-acyl variants orO-sulphate ester. I. Methods based upon the selective periodate oxidation of sialic acids

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Summary

Five new methods, based upon the selective oxidation of sialic acid residues with 0.4mm periodic acid in approximately 1m hydrochloric acid at 4°C for 1 h (PA*), have been devised for the simultaneous visualization of neutral sugars and either sialic acid and its side chainO-acyl variants orO-sulphate ester. In the first of these, the selective periodate oxidation—borohydride reduction—saponification—selective periodate oxidation—Thionin Schiff—saponification—borohydride reduction—periodic acid—Schiff (PA*—Bh—KOH—PA*—T—KOH—Bh—PAS) technique, sialic acids withO-acyl substituents at C7, C8 or C9 (or which have two of three side chainO-acyl substituents) stain blue while neutral sugars with periodate-sensitivevicinal diols (hexose, 6-deoxyhexose, andN-acetylhexosamine) stain magenta. The second method, the saponification—selective periodate oxidation—Thionin Schiff—saponification—borohydride reduction—periodic acid—Schiff (KOH—PA*—T—KOH—Bh—PAS), stains all sialic acids blue and neutral sugars magenta. In the third procedure, the selective periodate oxidation—Thionin Schiff—borohydride reduction—periodic acid—Schiff—saponification (PA*—T—Bh—PAS—KOH) method, sialic acids without side chain substituents (or which have anO-acyl substituent at C7) stain blue and neutral sugars stain magenta. In the fourth method, the saponification-selective periodate oxidation—borohydride reduction—Alcian Blue pH 1.0—periodic acid—Schiff (KOH—PA*—Bh—AB1.0—PAS) technique,O-sulphate esters stain aquamarine blue and neutral sugars stain magenta. In all of these techniques mixtures of the components stain in various shades of purple. Performance of the KOH—PA*—Bh—AB1.0—PAS technique without the Alcian Blue pH 1.0 step provides a method for the selective identification of neutral sugars in macromolecules that also contain sialic acids.

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  1. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, V6T 1W5, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    D. Volz, P. E. Reid, C. M. Park, D. A. Owen & W. L. Dunn

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  1. D. Volz
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  2. P. E. Reid
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Volz, D., Reid, P.E., Park, C.M. et al. Histochemical procedures for the simultaneous visualization of neutral sugars and either sialic acid and its side chainO-acyl variants orO-sulphate ester. I. Methods based upon the selective periodate oxidation of sialic acids. Histochem J 19, 249–256 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01675683

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