title: Alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in cultured cardiac fibroblasts of newborn rat.
abstract: Using a panel of monoclonal antibodies to several different cytoskeletal elements in primary cultures derived from newborn rat hearts we report that fibroblasts similar to cardiac-muscle cells expressed the alpha-actin isoform of smooth muscle cells. However, striated muscle alpha-actin or desmin antibodies did not stain cardiac fibroblasts but did stain cardiac-muscle cells. The alpha-smooth muscle actin distributed as a stress fiber and in a cross-striated pattern in cardiac muscle while fibroblasts showed exclusive stress fiber staining. These results suggest that connective tissue cells during development of the heart contain muscle-specific elements which may relate to the organ-specific contractile function with which they are associated.
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Oncologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire Humaine, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brouty-Boye
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kolonias
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Savaraj
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lampidis
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003893:Desmin / Q000032:analysis; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003893:Desmin