Abstract
Lectin staining of pseudoexfoliative material on the lens capsule, zonules, and iris showed the presence of the beta-D-galactose (1-3) galactosamine sequence, alpha-D-galactosamine, beta-D-galactose, beta-(1-4)-D-glucosamine, and terminal sialic acid. Mono and difucosyl binding sites were also found. The likelihood that the lectins were binding to two different galactosamine-containing moieties was supported by their different distributions in the photoreceptors. These affinities suggest a complex carbohydrate composition in pseudoexfoliative material, with both O-linked sialomucin-type and N-linked oligosaccharide chains.