Ultrastructural characteristics of two distinct gonadotropes (GTH I- and GTH II-cells) in the pituitary of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

The salmonid pituitary produces two chemically distinct gonadotropins (GTHI and GTHII). Ultrastructural characteristics of GTHI- and GTHII-producing cells were studied in the trout pituitary with electronmicroscopic immunocytochemistry using antisera against salmon GTHIβ- and IIβ-subunits. In pituitaries from vitellogenic fish, GTHI-cells were characterized by numerous dilated cisternae of the granular endoplasmic reticulum (GER) and a small number of Iβ-positive granules (diameter, 100–300 nm), whereas GTHIIβ-immunoreactivity was found on granules (diameter, 200–400 nm) and large globules (diameter, 500–4000 nm) in apparently different cells (GTHII-cells). Distinct cellular distributions of GTHI and GTHII were maintained during gametogenesis, although morphological characteristics of GTHI- and GTHII-cells overlapped each other due to changes in number and size of the granules, globules and cisternae of the GER. Interestingly, the globules in the GTHI-cells were immunonegative for GTHIβ, although in the GTHII-cells they were always stained with GTHIIβ-antiserum. These results confirm that GTHIβ and GTHIIβ are synthesized in distinctly different cell-types in the salmonid pituitary and indicate that morphological characteristics cannot be used to distinguish these two cell-types.

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Résumé L'hypophyse des salmonidés produit deux gonadotropines (GTHI et GTHII) chimiquement distinctes. Les caractéristiques ultrastructurales des cellules produisant la GTHI et la GTHII ont été étudiées par immunocytochimie en microscopie électronique en utilisant des anticorps dirigés contre les sousunités GTHIβ et GTHIIβ de saumon. Chez les poissons en vitellogenèse, les cellules à GTHI se caractèrisent par un réticulum endoplasmique granulaire (REG) contenant de nombreuses citernes dilatées et un petit nombre de granules positives à la GTHIβ (diamètre 100–300 nm) tandis qu'une immunoréactivité à la GTHII était trouvée sur des granules (diamètre 200–4000 nm) et de grands globules (diamètre 500–4000 nm) dans des cellules apparemment différentes (cellules à GTHII). Des distributions cellulaires distinctes de la GTHI et la GTHII se sont maintenues à des stades plus avancées de la gamétogenèse, bien que les caractéristiques morphologiques des cellules à GTHI et GTHII se recoupent suite à des changements dans le nombre et la taiile des granules, des globules et des citernes du REG. II est à remarquer que les globules prśents dans les cellules à GTHI étaient immunonégatifs à la GTHIβ alors que dans les cellules à GTHII ils étaient toujours marqués par l'anticorps contre la GTHIIβ. Ces résultats confirment que, dans l'hypophyse des salmonidés, les GTHIβ et GTHIIβ sont synthetisées dans des types cellulaires différents et indiquent que des caractéristiques morphologiques ne peuvent être utilisées pour distinguer ces deux types cellulaires.

     

Molecular markers of cancer in cartilaginous fish: immunocytochemical study of PCNA, p-53, myc and ras expression in neoplastic and hyperplastic tissues from free ranging blue sharks, Prionace glauca (L.)

Archival formalin-fixed tissues from wild-caught adult blue sharks, Prionace glauca (L.), were used for immunocytochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), two oncoproteins from the oncogenes c-myc and pan-ras, and a protein product from the tumour suppressor gene p-53. All sharks were caught during summer months between 2000 and 2006 by recreational fishermen off the USA coast in the northwestern Atlantic. The sharks were necropsied on landing and selected organ samples were collected into elasmobranch formalin and processed for paraffin embedding and light microscopy. Paraffin-embedded sections from collected tissue were both stained with haematoxylin and eosin and processed by immunocytochemical techniques using antibodies raised against the PCNA, p-ras, c-myc and p-53 proteins. The lesions examined in this study included two well differentiated adenomatous gastric polyps, a testicular capsular mesothelioma, a gingival fibropapilloma with elements of ameloblastoma, three liver tumours, two pericardial fibropapillomas and six cases of proliferative serositis (pericarditis and peritonitis). Normal and hyperplastic tissues from blue sharks, and human neoplastic tissues served as negative and positive controls, respectively. We detected upregulation of PCNA in many neoplastic, one dysplastic and in some hyperplastic lesions, and positive p-ras and c-myc signals in some of the neoplastic lesions. None of the examined tissues showed positive p-53 signalling. This is the first literature report on immunocytochemical detection of molecular markers of cancer in sharks and in fish of the class Chondrichthyes.     

PHGPx在体外共培养山羊睾丸生精细胞中的定位研究

为探讨磷脂氢谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(PHGPx)在雄性动物生殖机能中的作用及其在体外培养山羊睾丸生精细胞的定位,在已成功构建的山羊睾丸支持细胞-生精细胞共培养的基础上,制作细胞爬片,采用免疫细胞化学技术定位PHGPx的表达。结果显示,PHGPx在支持细胞、精原细胞中不表达,在圆形精子细胞细胞质检测到阳性表达产物。表明PHGPx在精子发生后期圆形精子的变态发育中起特定的调节作用,但作用机制有待深入研究。     

发情期家兔输卵管上皮细胞和基质细胞的分离培养与鉴定

【目的】探讨输卵管上皮细胞和基质细胞的体外分离培养方法及在激素刺激下基质细胞对上皮细胞的作用。【方法】通过差速贴壁法体外分离纯化兔输卵管上皮细胞和基质细胞;免疫组织化学染色和免疫荧光染色方法鉴定上皮细胞和基质细胞的类型和纯度;并在无胎牛血清的DMEM/F12培养液和含体积分数15%胎牛血清的DMEM/F12培养液中,分别添加不同浓度的雌激素(17β-E2)和孕激素(P4),比较上皮细胞和基质细胞的增殖情况及其对上皮细胞/基质细胞共培养的影响。【结果】体外成功地分离到兔输卵管上皮细胞和基质细胞;兔输卵管上皮细胞经鼠抗人细胞角蛋白单克降抗体(anti-CK18)免疫组织化学染色后呈阳性,细胞质呈棕色,免疫荧光染色检测其纯度在98%以上;兔输卵管基质细胞经鼠抗人波形蛋白单克降抗体(anti-Vimentin)免疫组织化学染色后呈阳性,细胞质呈棕色,免疫荧光染色检测其纯度在95%以上。17β-E2和P4均能促进兔输卵管上皮细胞和基质细胞的增殖,使其数量明显增加。基质细胞与上皮细胞共培养,上皮细胞增殖较快。【结论】差速贴壁法能够获得纯度较高的输卵管上皮细胞和基质细胞,在17β-E2和P4共同作用下,少量基质细胞能促进上皮细胞生长。     

Ultrastructural and immunocytochemical investigation of pathogen development and host responses in resistant and susceptible wheat spikes infected by Fusarium culmorum

Pathogen development and host responses in wheat spikes of resistant and susceptible cultivars infected by Fusarium culmorum causing Fusarium head blight (FHB), were investigated by means of electron microscopy as well as immunogold labelling techniques. The studies revealed similarities in the infection process and the initial spreading of the pathogen in wheat spikes between resistant and susceptible cultivars. However, the pathogen’s development was obviously more slow in the resistant cultivars as in comparison to a susceptible one. The structural defence reactions such as the formation of thick layered appositions and large papillae were essentially more pronounced in the infected host tissues of the resistant cultivars, than in the susceptible one. β -1,3-glucan was detected in the appositions and papillae. Furthermore, immunogold labelling of lignin demonstrated that there were no differences in the lignin contents of the wheat spikes between susceptible and resistant cultivars regarding the uninoculated healthy tissue, but densities of lignin in host cell walls of the infected wheat spikes differed distinctly between resistant and susceptible cultivars. The lignin content in the cell walls of the infected tissues of the susceptible wheat cultivar increased slightly, while the lignin accumulated intensely in the host cell walls of the infected wheat spikes of the resistant cultivars. These findings indicate that lignin accumulation in the infected wheat spikes may play an important role in resistance to the spreading of the pathogen in the host tissues. Immunogold labelling of the Fusarium toxin DON in the infected lemma showed the same labelling patterns in the host tissues of resistant and susceptible cultivars. However, there were distinct differences in the toxin concentration between the tissues of the susceptible and resistant cultivars. At the early stage of infection, the labelling densities for DON in resistant cultivars were significantly lower than those in the susceptible one. The present study indicates that the FHB resistant cultivars are able to develop active defence reactions during infection and spreading of the pathogen in the host tissues. The lower accumulation of the toxin DON in the tissues of the infected spikes of resistant cultivars which results from the host’s defence mechanisms may allow more intensive defence responses to the pathogen by the host.     

中华乌塘鳢嗅觉系统孕酮受体的免疫细胞化学研究

为了进一步探讨中华乌塘鳢[Bostrichthys sinensis(Lacépède)]感受性信息素(17α-P和17α,20β-P)的作用机制,以免疫细胞化学(SABC)法进行中华乌塘鳢嗅觉系统孕酮受体的免疫定位和数量分析。结果显示,孕酮受体免疫阳性细胞在性成熟中华乌塘鳢的嗅上皮、嗅神经和嗅球上均有分布,免疫阳性细胞数量由高到低依次为:嗅上皮、嗅球、嗅神经。半定量分析结果表明,中华乌塘鳢嗅觉系统的孕酮受体免疫阳性细胞的数量与其性腺发育程度有关。性成熟雄鱼和雌鱼嗅上皮的免疫阳性细胞数量分别显著或极显著(P<0.05或P<0.01)高于性未成熟雄鱼和雌鱼;性未成熟鱼嗅神经上未发现孕酮受体免疫阳性细胞;性成熟雌鱼嗅球上的免疫阳性细胞数量显著高于性未成熟雌鱼(P<0.05)。本研究证实了硬骨鱼类嗅觉系统中存在孕酮受体免疫阳性细胞。     

Close association of gonadotropin-releasing hormone fibers and gonadotropin, growth hormone, somatolactin and prolactin expressing cells in pejerrey, Odontesthes bonariensis

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is any association between immunoreactive (ir) gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) fibers with different pituitary endocrine cell types in the pejerrey, Odontesthes bonariensis. Using a monoclonal antibody raised against mammalian GnRH (mGnRH) (LRH13), ir-GnRH fibers were observed passing through the pituitary stalk and reaching the three areas of the pituitary gland: rostral (RPD) and proximal pars distalis (PPD) and pars intermedia (PI). Double labeled immunocytochemistry showed ir-GnRH fibers in close association with prolactin (PRL)-producing cells in the RPD, growth hormone (GH)-producing cells in the PPD, gonadotropin (GtH)-producing cells in the PPD and the external border of the PI, and with somatolactin (SL)-producing cells in the PI. Our results show, direct morphological evidences of a close association of GnRH fibers with GH, PRL, GtH and SL-expressing cells. These results would suggest that GnRH has a broad role in the regulation of the secretion of different pituitary hormones.     

疫木切面上松材线虫抗原的免疫学检测方法

利用抗松材线虫血清建立在疫木切面上直接进行免疫组化染色检测松材线虫抗原的方法。ELISA和免疫斑点印迹的结果表明:该方法对松材线虫具有较好的特异性,可以检测出木材表面0·1μg的线虫抗原,显示了较好灵敏度。自然感染松材线虫的黑松疫木免疫组化的染色结果表明:该方法可以清晰地检出管胞处松材线虫蛋白抗原的存在。