Demonstration of chymotryptic and tryptic activities in mast cells of rodents: comparison of 17 species of the family Muridae.
On the basis of studies in laboratory rats, mast cells were originally classified into two subgroups, namely, mucosal mast cells (MMCs), which contained chymase, and connective tissue mast cells (CTMCs), which contained both tryptase and chymase. This classification has been applied to other animal species, despite the fact that the MMCs and CTMCs of such species sometimes consist of mixed populations of mast cells in terms of tryptase and chymase constitution. This report describes the protease constitution of mast cells in 17 species of nine genera (Acomys, Apodemus, Cricetulus, Meriones, Millardia, Mus, Rattus, Sigmodon and Vandeleuria) of the family Muridae. MMCs with negative tryptase activity were detected only in the intestinal mucosa of six subspecies of Mus musculus, two Rattus spp. and Vandeleuria oleacea, and only Apodemus sylvaticus possessed CTMCs with no tryptase activity. Since mast cells conforming to the conventional classification were observed only in three of the nine genera examined, we propose that mast cells of rodents of the family Muridae should be classified by their protease constitution rather than by their location.
Shimizu
H
H
Experimental Animal Center, Miyazaki Medical College, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan.
Nagakui
Y
Y
Tsuchiya
K
K
Horii
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D053818:Chymases; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000201:enzymology; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology*; D009115:Muridae / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013321:Strongyloides / Q000502:physiology; D053802:Tryptases
D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D053818:Chymases; C509223:Tpsab1 protein, rat; C509221:Tpsb2 protein, rat; D053802:Tryptases