Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry

Laurie, G W; Leblond, C P; Cournil, I; Martin, G R

doi: 10.1177/28.12.6164715pmid: 6164715

Antibodies to type IV collagen obtained from the basement membrane of the mouse EHS tumor were incubated with sections of rat incisor teeth and other tissues for immunostaining by direct or indirect methods. In all locations, the immunostaining was pronounced in basement membranes in which it was restricted to the "basal lamina" layer, from which "bridges" often extended to nearby basal laminae. Usually no immunostaining was detectable in the cells associated with the basement membranes. However, examination of the capillaries at the posterior extremity of the rat incisor tooth, where tissues are at an early stage of development, showed immunostaining not only of the basement membrane, but also of the endothelial cells. The staining was localized in rough endoplasmic reticulum cisternae, some Golgi saccules and their peripheral distensions, and structures believed to be secretory granules. These findings suggest that the synthesis of type IV collagen proceeds along the classical secretory pathways through rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. At the same time, immunostaining was usually lacking in the cells of the capillaries that had migrated about 2 mm away from the posterior end of the incisor tooth and also in the cells of most other tissues examined, even though the associated basal laminae were reactive. It is, therefore, presumed that the production of type IV collagen may be high in cells at an early stage of development and that any later production and turnover of basement membrane collagen can only be minimal.

DeArmond, S J; Deibler, G E; Bacon, M; Kies, M W; Eng, L F

doi: 10.1177/28.12.6785343pmid: 6785343

The anatomical distribution of P2 protein was studied in human autopsy tissue. Spinal cord (SC) and peripheral nerve (PN) were stained by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method with antisera to bovine P2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and myelin basic protein (BP). P2 antiserum did not stain all of the myelin in the PN. The staining was randomly distributed and discontinuous along a given myelinated axon. P2 antiserum also stained SC myelin in a pattern similar to the PN. Only a fraction of the sheaths stained, in contrast to BP antiserum that stained all myelin sheaths in both the SC and PN. P2-positive myelin was distributed throughout the SC white matter, including an occasional myelinated fiber in the SC grey matter. P2 and BP antisera did not stain regions of demyelination in a case of idiopathic polyneuritis, while adjacent myelinated PN stained normally. Absorption of the P2 antiserum with P2, bovine PN or bovine SC (carefully dissected to eliminate PN contamination) nullified the specific staining in both the PN and SC; however, absorption with BP or hemispheric myelin did not eliminate P2 staining. The P2 antiserum formed a single immunodiffusion line with pure P2 and acid extracts of bovine SC and PN myelin, but not with an acid extract of bovine hemispheric myelin. Electrophoresis of defatted bovine SC produced a distinct band corresponding to P2. Therefore, three lines of evidence, immunocytochemical, immunodiffusion and electrophoretic, suggest that P2 is present in PN and SC but not in hemispheric myelin.

Malouf, N N; Meissner, G

doi: 10.1177/28.12.6453153pmid: 6453153

Enzymatic properties of a canine cardiac muscle microsomal fraction were determined to localize in situ a "basic," divalent cation dependent adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) by ultrastructural cytochemistry. The microsomal fraction had a buoyant density of 1.08--1.13 (20--30% [w/w] sucrose) and hydrolyzed adenosine triphosphate in the presence of Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, or Co2+, but not in that of Sr2+ or Ni2+, under conditions that inhibited interfering (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activities. "Basic" ATPase was localized in paraformaldehyde-fixed tissue in a medium containing Mg2+ or a high Ca2+ concentration (4 mM). A free Pb2+ concentration of less than 1 microM was used to capture enzymatically released phosphate anions. Electron-dense lead precipitates were present at the plasmalemma, T-system, and intercalated disc membranes with the exception of the nexus. These studies suggest that "basic" ATPase activity is associated with surface membrane structures of canine cardiac muscle.

Schachter, M; Peret, M W; Moriwaki, C; Rodrigues, J A

doi: 10.1177/28.12.7014710pmid: 7014710

The sensitive immunoperoxidase method was used to localize kallikrein in the submandibular gland of the cat, guinea pig, dog, and man. In every instance, kallikrein was localized in the apical region of duct cells, a location suggesting its secretion into the duct system. There was no evidence of the enzyme in other cells or interstitial tissue in the gland. The major source of submandibular gland kallikrein, therefore, must be of ductal origin. The classification of kallikreins with the widely distributed group of serine proteases is discussed, as is their possible significance in regulating physiological processes by specific and limited proteolysis.

Mason, A Z; Nott, J A

doi: 10.1177/28.12.7229337pmid: 7229337

A procedure is described that prepares chemically untreated biological sections for X-ray microanalysis in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The method aims to retain and localize labile components in tissue sections by a procedure that is both rapid and routine. Large quantities of fresh tissue can be processed for analysis within a single day. Thick cryosections are cut with a steel knife in a conventional cryostat, freeze-dried, and then ashed by either low or high temperature incineration procedures. Controlled microincineration attenuates the organic matrix to reveal sufficient surface relief for effective SEM of some cytological structure and microanalysis of the residual inorganic components. The detectability of various elements is enhanced because the relative concentrations in the residues are increased and the level of nonspecific background in the X-ray spectra is reduced. The technique is applied to different tissues from the visceral complex of the marine prosobranch Littorina littorea. In animals exposed to elevated levels of zinc it can be demonstrated tht the metal is localized both as an insoluble form in granules and as a labile form within the cytoplasm. Other metals, including magnesium, potassium, calcium, manganese, and iron, have been identified and localized. The effectiveness of this technique for retaining labile elements is compared, in outline, with that of conventional fixation procedures.

Eng, L F; Lasek, R J; Bigbee, J W; Eng, D L

doi: 10.1177/28.12.7014711pmid: 7014711

Antibodies prepared in rabbits against Myxicola infundibulum neurofilaments have been employed to stain neurofilaments immunohistochemically in intact Myxicola infundibulum nervous tissue. Paraffin-embedded and frozen sections (5--6 mu) were examined at the light microscopic level with Sternberger's peroxidase-antiperoxidase method, and Vibratome (20--40 mu) sections were studied at the ultrastructural level with Nakane's conjugated peroxidase method. The neurofilament antibody stained only neurons and axons at the light microscopic level. The staining pattern at the electron microscopic level corresponded to the neurofilaments within axons and neurons. Glial cells, which surround the axons, contain large bundles of filaments that resemble astrocytic filaments in mammalian astrocytes. These filaments do not stain with the anti-neurofilament antibody. Neurons, neurofilaments, glial cells, glial filaments, and nonnervous tissue showed no peroxidase staining when specific antiserum absorbed with neurofilaments was used. These structures were also unstained when antiserum to the glial fibrillary acidic protein of mammalian central nervous system astrocytes was substituted for the neurofilament antiserum. Therefore, in Myxicola infundibulum, the antigenic determinants of the neurofilament protein, as recognized immunohistochemically by anti-neurofilament protein antibodies, are not shared with those of glial filaments.

Furcht, L T; Smith, D; Wendelschafer-Crabb, G; Mosher, D F; Foidart, J M

doi: 10.1177/28.12.7014712pmid: 7014712

Fibronectin is a major constituent of the fibroblast extracellular matrix. Fibronectin binds to collagen, mediates fibroblast adhesion to collagen, and is synthesized and secreted into the medium of cultured fibroblasts. Affinity-purified antibodies to fibronectin and collagen were localized using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method or with ferritin-coupled secondary antibodies. Using human fibroblasts cultured under routine conditions, fibronectin and procollagen I react in a nonperiodic manner with: 1) approximately 10 nm extracellular fibrils, 2) cell membrane, and 3) membrane-associated vesicles. All fibrils react with both antibodies, suggesting some form of codistribution of fibronectin and collagen in these fibrils. Treatment with ascorbate leads to the development of a larger diameter extracellular fibril, approximately 40 nm in diameter. These large diameter fibrils are clearly collagen fibrils as documented by the procollagen antibody reaction. Importantly, fibronectin is bound to or a constituent of these "native" or cellular made collagen fibrils. Fibronectin and procollagen antibodies localized with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method have a 70 nm axial repeat of reaction product on ascorbate-treated fibroblasts. Localization of antibodies with ferritin-labeled secondary antibodies is less satisfactory, but supports the basic observations made with the unlabeled antibody enzyme method. This observation rules out any potential criticisms. Although it is more difficult to observe with immunoferritin, there is an indication that antibodies to fibronectin react with an axial periodicity on cellular produced collagen fibrils.

Ackerman, G A; Wolken, K W; Gelder, F B

doi: 10.1177/28.12.7014713pmid: 7014713

The cholera toxin-colloidal gold-labeled IgG-F(ab')2 anti-cholera toxin ultrastructural immunocytochemical procedure has been used for the localization of GM1 monosialogangliosides on the surface of human bone marrow cells. The number of gold particles per micron of cell surface was counted and the data subjected to statistical analysis. Cholera toxin (CT) binding characteristics assessed in several subjects showed consistent labeling patterns for the various types of marrow cells, although minor quantitative differences were noted in surface labeling densities between subjects. Surface labeling was nonuniformly distributed along the cell membrane of the marrow cells and label clusters or domains were commonly noted. Data analysis indicated that CT labeling was related to cell type, to cell lineage, and to the stage of maturation. Mature neutrophils were the most reactive of the marrow cells and the CT labeling of this cell series increased stepwise from the promyelocyte stage to the segmented neutrophil. A similar pattern occurred during eosinophil maturation and the maturation of the monocyte. A different labeling pattern was found during the differentiation of the erythrocytic cell series with low labeling of proerythroblasts increasing modestly to the early normoblast stage and then decreasing during the final phase of maturation. Exposure to neuraminidase prior to the immunocytochemical sequence induced a major increase in surface CT labeling of the various types of marrow cells, as was particularly evident for the platelet, promyelocyte, myelocyte, monocyte, promonocyte, and erythrocyte cell groups. The data indicated that the number of cryptic GM1 and/or higher gangliosides exposed by neuraminidase in the cell membrane varied during cell differentiation and was directly related to specific cell types. Exogenous GM1 also was demonstrated to be incorporated into the surface of the bone marrow cells in a differential manner and the extent of incorporation was found to be related to specific cell types and to their stage of maturation.

Camilleri, J P; Phat, V N; Bariety, J; Corvol, P; Menard, J

doi: 10.1177/28.12.7014714pmid: 7014714

The use of anti-human renin antibodies made possible the intrarenal localization of renin in human kidney by immunofluorescence. In normal kidney, only some juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA) were fluorescent. In these JGA, granular or diffuse fluorescence was only seen in afferent arterioles and was not present in all cells. In the ischemic areas of partially infarcted kidney, fluorescence was seen in all JGA and in interlobular arteries. In these arteries the most eccentric cells were often the most positive. In the nonischemic areas of the same kidneys, fluorescence was not seen in JGA, but was observed in proximal tubular cells, suggesting the reabsorption of filtered renin at this site.

Meuris, S; Soumenkoff, G; Malengreau, A; Robyn, C

doi: 10.1177/28.12.7014715pmid: 7014715

Prolactin-like immunoreactivity has been localized by an immunoenzymatic method in the decidual cells of the endometrium in cases of early (10 weeks) normal pregnancy, (12 weeks) molar pregnancy, (8--10 weeks) tubal pregnancy, and of a nonpregnant woman under progestogen (lynestrenol) treatment. A specific endocrine influence, predominantly progestogenic, rather than the implantation of trophoblastic tissue seems to be required for the appearance of prolactin-like immunoreactivity in the decidual cells of the endometrium.