Histochemistry of Mucosubstances in the Mantle of the Clam, Mercenaria mercenaria. I. A Glycosaminoglycan in the First Marginal Fold

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Abstract
Neutral formalin-fixed sections of the mantle from the quahog clam M. mercenaria were subjected to a variety of hlstochemical re-actlons for mucosubstances. The results of these reactions on the first, or outer, fold indicate that a sulfated connective tissue glycosaminoglycan is secreted beneath the outer epithelium in the area where most of the new shell is deposited. The mucus is strongly alcianophllic at pH 1.0 and 2.5, and the alclanophilia persists when the tissues are stained with alcian blue in concentrations of up to 0.6 M magnesium chloride. The material also reacts strongly with aldehyde fuchsln and high iron diamine when these reagents are followed by alcian blue. Interestingly, the mucus is also periodic acid-Schiff positive, which is unusual for sulfated connective tissue mucosubstances. Testlcular hyaluronldase has no effect on the staining characteristics of the mucus. Because of the localization of the mucus in the shell-forming area of the mantle, and positive von Kossa reactions for Ca, it is suggested that this material may play some role in shell deposition.

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