Caenorhabditis briggsae and C. elegans: Partial characterization of cuticle surface carbohydrates

The presence of galactose, glucose, mannose, and N-acetylglucosamine on the exposed surface of the nematodes Caenorhabditis briggsae and C. elegans was indicated by specific binding of three iodinated plant lectins. Proteolysis experiments suggested the absence of digestible glycoproteins on the exposed surfaces of the two nematode species. High resolution micrographs of cuticle surface preparations labeled with cationized ferritin indicated that the negative charge-bearing molecules are more densely packed on the nematode surface than on animal plasma membranes.