Summary
An immunocytochemical technique using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase complex (PAP) was applied to identify and characterize the LH-secreting cells in the ovine pituitary at the ultrastructural level. These cells, round or oval in shape, possessing flattened cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, contain one class of secretory granules (mean diameter 250 nm) and large dense bodies (600 to 800 nm in diameter). LH molecules and the two subunits LHα and LHβ were localized on the secretory granules and on the small granules near the Golgi complex. The large dense bodies, the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum and the saccules of the Golgi complex showed no reaction product.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- O-LH:
-
ovine luteinizing hormone
- b-LH:
-
bovine luteinizing hormone
- p-LH:
-
porcine luteinizing hormone
- p-LHα:
-
porcine LHα subunit
- p-LHβ :
-
porcine LHβ subunit
- O-FSH:
-
ovine follicle stimulating hormone
- b-TSH:
-
bovine thyrotropic hormone
- A-b LH:
-
antiserum to bovine LH
- A-pLHα:
-
antiserum to porcine LHα subunit
- A-pLHβ :
-
antiserum to porcine LHβ subunit
References
Barnes, B.G.: Electron microscope studies on the secretory cytology of the mouse anterior pituitary. Endocrinol. 71, 618–628 (1962)
Barnes, B.G.: The fine structure of the mouse adenohypophysis in various physiological states. In: Cytologie de l'adénohypophyse (J. Benoit and Da Lage, ed.). Paris: Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 1963
Beauvillain, J.C., Mazzuca, M., Dubois, M.P.: The thyrotropic cells of the guinea pig pituitary. Electron microscopic study after characterization by immunocytochemical means. Cell Tiss. Res. 174, 233–244 (1976)
Beauvillain, J.C., Tramu, G., Dubois, M.P.: Characterization by different techniques of adrenocorticotropin and gonadotropin producing cells in lerot pituitary (Eliomys quercinus). Cell Tiss. Res. 158, 301–317 (1975)
Dacheux, F., Dubois, M.P.: Ultrastructural localization of prolactin growth hormone and luteinizing hormone by immunocytochemical techniques in the bovine pituitary. Cell Tiss. Res. 174, 245–260 (1976 a)
Dacheux, F., Dubois, M.P.: Immunocytologie ultrastructurale des cellules à prolactine, et des cellules somatotropes et gonadotropes de l'hypophyse de bovins. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 72, (5), 38A (1976b)
Dacheux, F., Dubois, M.P.: Etude comparée de l'immunoréactivité des cellules à prolactine, et des cellules gonadotropes LH de l'hypophyse de béliers et de bovins. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 72, (6), 9B (1976c)
Dubois, M.P.: Les cellules à hormones glycoprotidiques du lobe antérieur de l'hypophyse: séparation par immunofluorescence des cellules thyréotropes et des cellules gonadotropes dans l'hypophyse des bovins, ovins, porcins. Ann. Recher. Veter. 2, 197–222 (1971)
Dubois, M.P.: Localisation par immunocytologie des hormones glycoproteïques hypophysaires chez les Vertébrés. Coll. “Hormones glycoprotéïques hypophysaires”. I.N.S.E.R.M. 9, 27–47 (1972)
Dubois, P.M., Dubois, M.P.: Mise en évidence par immunofluorescence de l'activité gonadotrope LH dans l'antéhypophyse foetale humaine. Coll. “Sexual Endocrinology of the perinatal period”, Lyon (M.F. Forest and J. Bertrand, eds.) I.N.S.E.R.M. 32, 37–61 (1974)
Farquhar, M.G., Rinehart, J.F.: Electron microscopic studies of the anterior pituitary gland of castrated rats. Endocrinol. 54, 516–541 (1954)
Girod, C.: Recherche sur les cellules gonadotropes antéhypophysaires du Hérisson: étude cytologique, ultrastructurale et cytophysiologique. In: Fonction gonadotrope et rapport hypothalamohypophysaire chez les animaux sauvages (M. Herlant, ed.). Paris: Masson et Cie. 1971
Herlant, M.: Ultrastructure des cellules gonadotropes de l'hypophyse chez les Mammifères. In: Hormones glycoprotéïques hypophysaires (M. Jutisz, ed.), pp. 5–29. Paris: Editors I.N.S.E.R.M. 1972
Herlant, M., Ectors, F.: Les cellules gonadotropes de l'hypophyse chez le porc. Z. Zellforsch. 101, 212–231 (1969)
Hutson, J.C., Gardner, P.J., Bauer, T.W., Moriarty, G.C.: Technical considerations in immunocytochemistry. Anat. Rec. 184, 433–434 (1976)
Kurosumi, K., Oota, Y.: Electron microscopy of two types of gonadotrophs in the anterior pituitary gland of persistent oestrus and persistent dioestrus rats. Z. Zellforsch 85, 34–46 (1968)
Li, J.Y., Dubois, M.P., Dubois, P.M.: Somatotrophs in the human fetal anterior pituitary. An electron microscopic-immunocytochemical study. Cell Tiss. Res. 181, 545–552 (1977)
Mikami, S., Daimon, T.: Cytological and cytochemical investigations of the adenohypophysis of the sheep. Arch. Histol. Japon. 29, (5), 427–445 (1968)
Moriarty, G.C.: Adenohypophysis: ultrastructural cytochemistry. A review. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 21, 855–894 (1973 b)
Moriarty, G.C.: Electron microscopic-immunocytochemical studies of rat pituitary gonadotrophs: a sex difference in morphology and cytochemistry of LH cells Endocrinol. 97, 1215–1225 (1975)
Moriarty, G.C.: Immunocytochemistry of the pituitary glycoprotein hormones. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 24, (7), 846–863 (1976)
Moriarty, G.C., Garner, L.L.: Immunocytochemical studies of cells in the rat adenohypophysis containing both ACTH and FSH. Nature (Lond.) 265, 5592, 356–358 (1977)
Moriarty, G.C., Halmi, N.S.: 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 (1972 a)
Moriarty, G.C., Halmi, N.S.: Adrenocorticotropin production by the intermediate lobe of the rat pituitary. An electron microscopic-immunohistochemical study. Z. Zellforsch. 132, 1–14 (1972 b)
Moriarty, G.C., Moriarty, C.M., Sternberger, L.A.: Ultrastructural immunocytochemistry with unlabeled antibodies and the peroxidase-antiperoxidase complex. A technique more sensitive than radioimmunossay. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 21, 825–833 (1973 a)
Moriarty, G.C., Tobin, R.B.: Ultrastructural immunocytochemical characterization of the thyrotroph in rat and human pituitaries. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 24 (11), 1131–1139 (1976)
Nakane, P.K.: Classifications of anterior pituitary cell types with immunoenzyme histochemistry. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 18, 9–20 (1970)
Nakane, P.K.: Application of peroxidase-labeled antibodies to the intracellular localization of hormones. Acts endocr. (Kbh). (Suppl.) 153, 190–202 (1971)
Nakane, P.K.: Identification of anterior pituitary cells by immunoelectron microscopy. In: The anterior pituitary (A. Tixier-Vidal and M.G. Farquhar eds.), pp. 45–61. New York: Acad. Press 1975
Pelletier, G., Leclerc, R. Labrie, F.: Identification of gonadotropic cells in the human pituitary by immunoperoxidase technique. Molec. Cell. Endocrinol. 6, 123–126 (1976)
Petrali, J.P., Hinton, D.M., Moriarty, G.C., Sternberger, L.A.: The unlabeled antibody enzyme method of immunocytochemistry. Quantitative comparison of sensitivities with and without peroxidaseantiperoxidase complex. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 22, 782–801 (1974)
Stefanini, M., Martino, C. de, Zamboni, L.: Fixation of ejaculated spermatozoa for an electron microscopy. Nature (Lond.) 216, 173–174 (1967)
Sternberger, L.A. Hardy, P.H., JR., Cuculis, J.J., Meyer, H.G.: The unlabeled antibody enzyme method of immuno-histochemistry: preparation and properties of soluble antigen-antibody complex (horseradish peroxidase-antiperoxidase) and its use in identification of spirochetes. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 18, 315–333 (1970)
Tixier-Vidal, A.: Ultrastructure of anterior pituitary cells in culture. In: The anterior pituitary (A. Tixier-Vidal and M.G. Farquhar, ed.), pp. 181–229. New York: Acad. Press 1975 b
Tixier-Vidal, A., Kerdelhue, B., Berault, B., Picart, R., Justisz, M.: Action, in vitro du facteur hypothalamique de libération de l'hormone luteinisante (LRF) sur l'antéhypophyse d'agnelle. Etude ultrastructurale des tissues incubés. J. comp. Endocrinol. 17, 33–59 (1971)
Tixier-Vidal, A., Tougard, C., Kerdelhue, B., Jutisz, M.: Light and electron microscopic studies on immunocytochemical localization or gonadotropic hormones in the rat pituitary gland with antisera against ovine FSH, LH, LHα and LHβ. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 254, 433–461 (1975 a)
Tixier-Vidal, A., Tougard, C., Picart, R.: Subcellular localization of some protein and glycoprotein hormones of the hypothalamus hypophyseal axis as revealed by the peroxidase-labeled antibody method. Symposium “Immunoenzymatic techniques”. I.N.S.E.R.M., Feldmann et al., ed., 307–321 (1976)
Tougard, C., Kerdelhue, B., Tixier-Vidal, A., Jutisz, M.: Light and electron microscope localization of binding sites of antibodies against ovine luteinizing hormone and its two subunits in rat adenohypophysis using peroxidase labeled antibody technique. J. Cell Biol. 58, 503–521 (1973)
Yoshimura, F., Harumiya, K.: Electron microscopy of anterior lobe of pituitary in normal and castrated rats. Endocr. jap. 12, 119–152 (1965)
Zamboni, L., Martino, C. de,: Buffered picric acid formaldehyde: a new rapid fixation for electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol. 35, 148A (1967)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dacheux, F., Dubois, M.P. LH-producing cells in the ovine pituitary. Cell Tissue Res. 188, 449–463 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219783
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219783