Summary
Specific antisera to α-melanotropin (α-MSH) and corticotropin (ACTH 1-39) were used to obtain immunocytochemical evidence for the differential localization of α-MSH and ACTH in the secretory granules of corticotropes of rat anterior pituitary. The specificity of the antisera was established by binding 131I-labeled α-MSH and ACTH 1-39 to their respective antisera. Double-labeling immunocytochemistry (for α-MSH, ferritin; for ACTH, colloidal gold) was performed. Some secretory granules were labeled with ferritin particles (α-MSH), whereas others contained gold particles (ACTH). Only a few granules showed both ACTH and α-MSH. In typical corticotropes (stellate in form with a small number of secretory granules aligned along the cell periphery) only some of the secretory granules that were labeled with anti-ACTH serum were also immunoreactive to anti-α-MSH. In atypical corticotropes (polygonal in shape and containing a large number of secretory granules) almost all of the immunoreactive ACTH secretory granules were also positive to anti-α-MSH serum. An intermediate type of corticotrope was observed containing a small number of secretory granules, almost all of which were labeled with anti-α-MSH. Thus, rat anterior pituitary corticotropes may be classified into three types according to the distribution and content of α-MSH. The light-microscopic immuncytochemistry provided similar results.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bendayan M, Zollinger M (1983) Ultrastructural localization of antigenic sites on osmium-fixed tissues applying the protein A-gold technique. J Histochem Cytochem 31:101–109
Cantin M, Ballark M, Lu CL, Seidah NG, Chrétien M (1983) Corticotropin (ACTH) and the N-terminal fragment of proopiomelanocortin are located in the same granules in cells of rat pituitary gland. J Histochem Cytochem 31: 479–487
Chrétien M, Seidah NG (1981) Chemistry and biosynthesis of proopimelanocortin. Mol Cell Biochem 34:101–127
Dacheux F (1981) Ultrastructural localization of corticotropin, β- lipotropin, and α- and β-endorphin in the porcine anterior pituitary. Cell Tissue Res 215:87–101
Dubé D, Lissitzky JC, Leclerc R, Pelletier G (1978) Localization of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in rat brain and pituitary. Endocrinology 102:1283–1291
Eipper BA, Mains RE (1980) Structure and biosythesis of proadenocorticotropin/endorphin and related peptides. Endocrinol Rev 1:1–27
Frens G (1973) Controlled nucleation for the regulation of the particle size in monodisperse gold suspension. Nature Phys Sci 241:20–22
Girod C, Dubois MP (1974) Mise en évidence, par immunofluorescence, des cellules corticotropes et des cellules mélanotropes dans l'adénohypophyse du Hamster doré (Mesocricetus auratus Waterh.) CR Soc Biol 168:751–754
Graham RC, Karnovsky MJ (1966) The early stages of absorption of injected horseradish peroxidase in the proximal tubules of mouse kidney: Ultrastructural cytochemistry by a new technique. J Histochem Cytochem 14:291–302
Greenwood FC, Hunter WH, Glover GS (1963) The preparation of 131I-labeled human growth hormone of high specific radioactivity. Biochem J 89:114–118
Guy J, Leclerc R, Pelletier G (1980) Localization of a 16,000-dalton fragment of the common precursor of adrenocorticotropin and β-lipotropin in the rat and human pituitary gland. J Cell Biol 86:825–830
Imai K, Imai K (1984) Absence of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone from the pituitary of the domestic fowl as revealed by immunocytochemical technique. In: Yoshirmura F, Gorbman A (eds) Proceedings of International Symposium on the Pituitary Gland. Elservier Science (in press)
Imai Y, Sue A, Yamaguchi A (1968) A removing method of the resin from epoxy-embedded sections for light microscopy. J Electron Microsc 17:84–85
Inoue K, Kurosumi K, Deng Z-P (1982) An improvement of the device for rapid freezing by use of liquid propane and the application of immunocytochemistry to the resin section of rapidfrozen, substitute-fixed anterior pituitary gland. J Electron Microsc 31:93–97
Kurosumi K, Inoue K, Taniguchi Y (1983) Evidence for two types of ACTH-secreting cells of the rat anterior pituitary: Ultrastructural, morphometric and immunocytochemical studies. Biomed Res 4 (Suppl): 117–134
Kurosumi K, Taniguchi Y, Inoue K (1984) Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry by the protein A-gold method of two types of rat anterior pituitary ACTH cells. Arch Histol Jpn 47:279–291
Martin R, Weber E, Voigt K (1979) Localization of corticotropinand endorphin-related peptides in the intermediate lobe of the rat pituitary. Cell Tissue Res 196:307–319
Moriarty GC, Halmi NS (1972) Electron microscopic study of the adrenocorticotropin-producing cell with the use of unlabeled antibody and the soluble peroxidase-antiperoxidase complex. J Histochem Cytochem 20:590–603
Pelletier G, Leclerc R, Labrie F, Côté J, Chrétien M, Lis M (1977) Immunohistochemical localization of β-ipotropic hormone in the pituitary gland. Endocrinology 100:770–776
Pelletier G, Leclerc R, Benjannet S, Seidah NG, Chrétien M (1981) Immunohistochemical localization of γ-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in the rat pituitary gland. Regul Pept 2:81–89
Phifer RF, Orth DN, Spicer SS (1974) Specific demonstration of the human hypophyseal adrenocortico-melanotropic (ACTH/ MSH) cell. J Clin Endocrinol 39:684–692
Roth J (1983) The colloidal gold marker system for light and electron microscopic cytochemistry. In: Bullock GR, Petrusz P (eds) Techniques in immunocytochemistry. Academic Press, London, pp 218–284
Schäfer M, Reiner J, Geis R, Voigt KH, Martin R (1983) Cooccurrence of immunoreactive corticotropin-like and α-melanotropin-like material in pituitary cells: differences between young and adult rats. Neuropeptides 3:387–397
Sternberger LA, Hardy PH Jr, Cuculis JJ, Mayer HG (1970) The unlabeled antibody enzyme method of immunocytochemistry. Preparation and properties of soluble antigen-antibody complex (horseradish peroxidase-antihorseradish peroxidase) and its use in identification of spirochetes. J Histochem Cytochem 18:315–333
Usategui R, Oliver C, Vaudry H, Lombardi G, Rozenberg I, Mourre, AM (1976) Immunoreactive α-MSH and ACTH levels in rat plasm and pituitary. Endocrinology 98:189–196
Vaudry H, Pelletier G, Guy J, Leclerc R, Jegou S (1980) Immunohistochemical localization of β-endorphin in the rat pituitary gland and hypothalamus. Endocrinology 106:1512–1520
Weber E, Martin R, Voigt KH (1979) Corticotropin/β-endorphin precursor: Concomitant storage of its fragments in the secretory granules of anterior pituitary corticotropin/endorphin cells. Life Sci 25:1111–1118
Yoshimura F, Nogami H (1981) Fine structural criteria for identifying rat corticotrophs. Cell Tissue Res 219:221–228
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tanaka, S., Kurosumi, K. Differential subcellular localization of ACTH and α-MSH in corticotropes of the rat anterior pituitary. Cell Tissue Res. 243, 229–238 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00251036
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00251036