title: Stage-specific nuclear antigen is expressed in rat male germ cells during early meiotic prophase.
abstract: A germ cell nuclear antigen with approximately 44-kDa molecular weight was identified by a novel monoclonal antibody designated as Mab 2F2 from the library we have accumulated against rat testicular cells. In immature 20-day-old and adult rat testis the recognized antigen was expressed in the nuclei of early meiotic cells from preleptotene to early pachytene spermatocytes exhibiting a stage-specific appearance in the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium. The immunoreactivity was clearly associated with the meiotic chromosomes. The antigen was not detected in the late pachytene spermatocytes and more advanced stages of spermatogenesis. No labeling was observed in spermatogonia and somatic Sertoli and Leydig cells. The pattern of expression of the recognized antigen during early meiotic stages of spermatogenesis but not in mitotically dividing spermatogonia could strengthen its possible role in meiotic division.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Morphology and Anthropology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Atanassova
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Russinova
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Kancheva
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Valkova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D011418:Prophase; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D009687:Nuclear Proteins