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Distribution of catechol-O-methyltransferase enzyme in rat tissues

Karhunen, T. ; Tilgmann, C. LU orcid ; Ulmanen, I. ; Julkunen, I. and Panula, P. (1994) In Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 42(8). p.1079-1090
Abstract

In the present study we show the distribution of catechol-O- methyltransferase (COMT) in various rat tissues with a highly specific antiserum prepared against recombinant rat COMT. Immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemical controls confirmed the COMT-specificity of the antibodies. The antiserum detected both the 24 KD soluble and the 28 KD membrane-bound forms of the enzyme. By immunohistochemical staining the COMT enzyme was found in most rat tissues. Staining was most intense in the liver and in the kidney, in agreement with previous studies and our immunoblotting results. In the gastrointestinal tract, epithelial cells of the stomach, duodenum, and ileum were immunoreactive for COMT. In pancreas, COMT immunoreactivity was found in... (More)

In the present study we show the distribution of catechol-O- methyltransferase (COMT) in various rat tissues with a highly specific antiserum prepared against recombinant rat COMT. Immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemical controls confirmed the COMT-specificity of the antibodies. The antiserum detected both the 24 KD soluble and the 28 KD membrane-bound forms of the enzyme. By immunohistochemical staining the COMT enzyme was found in most rat tissues. Staining was most intense in the liver and in the kidney, in agreement with previous studies and our immunoblotting results. In the gastrointestinal tract, epithelial cells of the stomach, duodenum, and ileum were immunoreactive for COMT. In pancreas, COMT immunoreactivity was found in insulin-producing β-cells and somatostatin-producing D-cells but not in glucagon-producing α-cells of the islets of Langerhans. In pituitary, COMT immunoreactivity was found in cleft cells, in pituicytes of the posterior lobe, and in the anterior lobe, partly in the same cells containing luteinizing hormone (LH). In other endocrine organs, COMT immunoreactivity was found in epithelial cells of the thyroid gland and in zona glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex. In the brain, brightest immunofluorescence was seen in ependymal cells of the cerebral ventricles and choroid plexus. Weak to moderate immunofluorescence was found in the neuropil of several brain areas, including striatum and cortex. Scattered small neurons in spinal sensory ganglia were also COMT immunoreactive. Previous immunocytochemical studies, enzyme activity determinations, and distribution of the COMT mRNA are in general agreement with the results presented here. The wide distribution of COMT in different tissues suggests an important role for this protein in inactivation of catechol compounds.

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author
; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Astrocytes, Catecholamines, Choroid plexus, Ependyma, Median eminence, Pituitary gland, S-COMT
in
Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
volume
42
issue
8
pages
12 pages
publisher
Histochemical Society
external identifiers
  • scopus:0028291661
  • pmid:8027527
ISSN
0022-1554
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
60ec06da-6957-41d7-b60f-ee9d9b7b4d2a
date added to LUP
2016-04-11 13:22:09
date last changed
2024-05-03 22:16:48
@article{60ec06da-6957-41d7-b60f-ee9d9b7b4d2a,
  abstract     = {{<p>In the present study we show the distribution of catechol-O- methyltransferase (COMT) in various rat tissues with a highly specific antiserum prepared against recombinant rat COMT. Immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemical controls confirmed the COMT-specificity of the antibodies. The antiserum detected both the 24 KD soluble and the 28 KD membrane-bound forms of the enzyme. By immunohistochemical staining the COMT enzyme was found in most rat tissues. Staining was most intense in the liver and in the kidney, in agreement with previous studies and our immunoblotting results. In the gastrointestinal tract, epithelial cells of the stomach, duodenum, and ileum were immunoreactive for COMT. In pancreas, COMT immunoreactivity was found in insulin-producing β-cells and somatostatin-producing D-cells but not in glucagon-producing α-cells of the islets of Langerhans. In pituitary, COMT immunoreactivity was found in cleft cells, in pituicytes of the posterior lobe, and in the anterior lobe, partly in the same cells containing luteinizing hormone (LH). In other endocrine organs, COMT immunoreactivity was found in epithelial cells of the thyroid gland and in zona glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex. In the brain, brightest immunofluorescence was seen in ependymal cells of the cerebral ventricles and choroid plexus. Weak to moderate immunofluorescence was found in the neuropil of several brain areas, including striatum and cortex. Scattered small neurons in spinal sensory ganglia were also COMT immunoreactive. Previous immunocytochemical studies, enzyme activity determinations, and distribution of the COMT mRNA are in general agreement with the results presented here. The wide distribution of COMT in different tissues suggests an important role for this protein in inactivation of catechol compounds.</p>}},
  author       = {{Karhunen, T. and Tilgmann, C. and Ulmanen, I. and Julkunen, I. and Panula, P.}},
  issn         = {{0022-1554}},
  keywords     = {{Astrocytes; Catecholamines; Choroid plexus; Ependyma; Median eminence; Pituitary gland; S-COMT}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{1079--1090}},
  publisher    = {{Histochemical Society}},
  series       = {{Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry}},
  title        = {{Distribution of catechol-O-methyltransferase enzyme in rat tissues}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{1994}},
}