Intracellular detection of laminin alpha 2 chain in skin by electron microscopy immunocytochemistry: comparison between normal and laminin alpha 2 chain deficient subjects.
The aim of this study is to localize the alpha 2 laminin chain in normal human skin. The methods used were immuno-gold cytochemistry on cryo-ultramicrotomy sections and thin-section-fracture-label, together with electron microscopy observation. Results were compared with light microscopy peroxidase immuno-staining. Both normal skin samples and skin biopsies from laminin alpha 2 chain deficient congenital muscular dystrophy affected patients were studied. The results show that, in normal skin, the laminin alpha 2 chain is spread throughout the cytoplasm of basal keratinocytes, while it appears associated with desmosomal tonofilaments in the spinous and granular epidermal layers; in skin samples from dystrophic patients the laminin alpha 2 chain was not detectable. These data suggest that the function of the laminin alpha 2 chain is different in the epidermis as compared to that in muscle and peripheral nerve, where it is localized in the basement membrane.
Squarzoni
S
S
Istituto di Citomorfologia N.P. CNR, Bologna, Italy. squarzoni@area.bo.cnt.it
Villanova
M
M
Sabatelli
P
P
Malandrini
A
A
Toti
P
P
Pini
A
A
Merlini
L
L
Guazzi
G C
GC
Maraldi
N M
NM
D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D007797:Laminin; C102645:laminin alpha 2