D-aspartate localization in the rat pituitary gland and retina.
Rat pituitary gland and retina were probed with anti-D-aspartate (D-Asp) antibody previously prepared in this laboratory [Lee et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 231 (1997) 505-508]. D-Asp immunoreactivity (IR) was observed only in the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland of 3-day-old rats, whereas the anterior and posterior lobes were also positive in 3-week and 6-week-old rats, respectively. In the anterior lobe, intense IR was scattered throughout the lobe and the D-Asp-positive cells appeared to be prolactin-containing cells or some other very closely related type of cell. In the retina, D-Asp IR was observed only in the ganglion cell and nerve fiber region of 3-day-old rats. In contrast, during the transient increase in D-Asp levels in 7-day-old rats, D-Asp IR was additionally evident in regions where differentiating bipolar cells had begun to make contact with other types of cells. The functional relevance of D-Asp localization in these tissues is discussed.
Lee
J A
JA
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Homma
H
H
Tashiro
K
K
Iwatsubo
T
T
Imai
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000737:chemistry*; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000737:chemistry*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D001224:Aspartic Acid