title: Immunohistochemical study of subepidermal connective of molluscan integument.
abstract: Sections of integument from gastropod, bivalve and cephalopod species were studied immunohistochemically to determine reactivity to antibody against the type I-like collagen from Sepia cartilage and antibodies against components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of vertebrate connective tissue: type I, III, IV, V, and VI collagens, laminin, nidogen and heparan sulphate. All samples exhibited similar reactivities to the antibodies, although differences in the intensity and localization of the immunostaining were found that were clearly correlated with between-species differences in integumental ultrastructure. These findings indicate that the composition of the integumental ECM is similar in the three classes of molluscs examined and that several types of collagen are present. However molluscan subepidermal connective tissue differs from the ECM of vertebrate dermis: molluscan integumental ECM contains collagens similar to type I, V and VI collagens but has no type III-similar collagen. Furthermore molecules similar to the type IV collagen, laminin, nidogen and heparan sulphate of vertebrates were present ubiquitously in molluscan basement membrane, confirming the statement that the structure and composition of basement membrane have remained constant throughout the evolution of all animal phyla.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisiologia e Biochimica Generali, sezione di Istologia ed Anatomia Umana, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy. corbetta@utenti.unimi.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corbetta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bairati
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vitellaro Zuccarello
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000378:metabolism; D024062:Collagen Type V / Q000378:metabolism; D024142:Collagen Type VI / Q000378:metabolism; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005399:Fishes; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008974:Mollusca / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D051381:Rats; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D016707:Tissue Fixation
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D024061:Collagen Type III; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D024062:Collagen Type V; D024142:Collagen Type VI; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D007797:Laminin; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C029967:nidogen