title: Immunohistochemical expression of S-100 protein in human embryonal fat cells.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate immunocytochemically the presence of S-100 protein in subcutaneous fat cells during early human embryogenesis (6-12 weeks of gestation). We found that preadipocytes in the subcutaneous tissue which were at different stages of differentiation were positive for S-100 protein. The other cells in the embryonal subcutis (mesenchymal cells differentiating into fibroblasts and fibrocytes and endothelial cells) showed a negative reaction for S-100. Our results imply that the S-100 protein is expressed from the beginning of lipidogenesis and possibly acts as a factor regulating lipid storage and body fat formation. It can be used as a reliable biochemical marker of human fat cell differentiation and for distinguishing them from the mesenchymal and the fibroblast cells in the human embryonal subcutis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Higher Medical Institute, 15A V. Aprilov St., BG-Plovdiv 4002, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Atanassova
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000032:analysis; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D009418:S100 Proteins; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase