Aminoethylphosphonic acid‐containing glycoproteins: The acid mucopolysaccharide‐like components in mucus from <i>Metridium senile</i> (L.)

Abstract

Abstract The sea anemone, Metridium senile , is covered with a sticky mucus which facilitates the trapping of plankton from the sea water. Histochemical procedures indicate that this acid mucopolysaccharide‐like (AMPS‐like) mucus is secreted by the columnar epithelial cells of the body surface. High Pressure Liquid Chromatography resolves the mucus into two high molecular weight acidic glycoproteins, neither of which contains any of the typical AMPS substituents of higher organisms (sulfate esters, glucuronic acid and sialic acid). Both of these glycoprotein fractions do, however, contain 2‐aminoethylphosphonic acid (AEP). Histochemical procedures carried out in conjunction with wet chemical analyses indicate that these AEP‐glycoprotein complexes not only account for the AMPS‐like staining material on the surface (mucus) of these animals, but also may have some function in the intracellular matrix.