title: Immunohistochemistry of prostasomes from human semen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To elucidate the origin of so-called "prostasomes" in human semen, a polyvalent rabbit antiserum was produced against a highly purified preparation of these secretory particles.
  
  
  METHODS
  An immunoaffinity selected fraction of the antiserum contained one antibody which in Western blots of prostate extracts showed a 100 kDa band.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Semithin sections processed for immunohistochemistry by using this immunoselected antibody presented a distinct immunoreaction at the apical plasma membrane of secretory cells. The immunoreaction was not organ specific, but was present also in seminal vesicles, epididymis, salivary glands, and kidney. As spermatozoa present in epididymis and seminal vesicles were likewise immunoreactive, a polytopic origin of the respective antigen was concluded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prostatsomes therefore should rather be designated as "seminosomes" which more clearly refers to the composite origin of these particles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Philipps Universität, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Renneberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dammshäuser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aumüller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011467:Prostate / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera