Live staining and isolation of specific hormone-producing cells from rat anterior pituitary by cytochemistry with lectins and cholera toxin B subunit.

ABSTRACT: Anterior pituitary glands contain five types of hormone-producing cells. Distinguishing and isolating specific types of living cells are essential for studying their function. Although many such attempts have been made, the results have been disappointing. In the present study, we labeled specific types of living hormone-producing cells by using potential differences in sugar chains on the cell surfaces. Cytochemical analysis with lectins and cholera toxin B subunit revealed that PNA, S-WGA, and cholera toxin B subunit recognized sugar chains specific to prolactin cells, ACTH cells, and GH cells, respectively, and that UEA-I recognized most of prolactin cells and GH cells. Next, fluorescence-activated cell sorting was used to isolate GH cells labeled by fluoresceinated cholera toxin B. The

SUBMITTER: Kikuchi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3168761 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature