Immunocytochemical distribution of mouse mammary tumor virus antigens in BALB/cfC3H mammary epithelium.
The distribution of mouse mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) antigens was studied in normal, preneoplastic, and neoplastic mammary epithelia from female BALB/cfC3H mice with the use of a polyvalent anti-MuMTV serum and indirect immunoperoxidase techniques. The MuMTV antigens were on the apical surface or in focal cytoplasmic aggregates or diffused throughout the infected cells. As much as 70% of all cells in adenocarcinomas and as much as 100% of all cells in preneoplastic hyperplastic alveolar nodules contained MMTV antigens. Comparable percentages of cells from mammary glands of multiparous mice were MuMTV-positive. Some mammary tissues of nullparous and primiparous mice did not contain detectable MuMTV antigen. The MuMTV antigen-containing cells in lactating mammary glands tended to be in discrete lobuloalveolar clusters surrounded by antigen-negative alveoli. The percentage of MuMTV-positive cells in a given gland was proportional to the amount of virus found in the animal's milk.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000382:microbiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000382:microbiology; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000382:microbiology*; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000382:microbiology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral