DISTRIBUTION OF CARBOHYDRATES IN SOLUBLE AND INSOLUBLE FRACTION OF STROMA OF FISH CORNEAS

1. 1. Corneal stromas of the dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula L.) and teleostean fishes, cod (Gadus luscus L.) and whiting (Merlangus merlangus L.), were fractioned, and the sugar constituents and the hydroxyproline content of the whole cornea and its fractions were determined. 2. 2. The mannose content and the hydroxyproline-uronic acid ratio of these corneas increased proportionally to their dry weight and to the proportion of insoluble stroma. 3. 3. The remarkable resistance to swelling of the dogfish cornea may be related to the high content of mannose containing glycoproteins (structural glycoproteins) in the insoluble fractions of the stroma. © 1969.