title: The histological localization of heparin in the northern quahog clam, Mercenaria mercenaria.
abstract: The cellular location of heparin in Mercenaria mercenaria, the northern quahog clam, was identified histologically by azure II and alcian blue/safranin staining. A survey of various organs indicates that heparin was found in several morphological cell subpopulations of the labial palp, ctenidia, intestine, siphon, and pallium. Cells containing these compounds were restricted to areas proximal to epithelial surfaces and granules were observed in all of the cell types except those of the intestine. The "mast-like" cells that we report here may play a role analogous to that of mammalian mast cells in inflammatory responses, using heparin proteoglycan as a supportive defense molecule.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Houghton College, Houghton, NY 14744, USA. pnathanu@udel.edu
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Boon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006493:Heparin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin