title: Immunocytochemical localization of scorpion digestive lipase.
abstract: The scorpion hepatopancreas consists of digestive diverticula and interstitial tissue. A digestive diverticulum is composed of two differentiated cell types: the secretory zymogene-like cells and the digestive cells which are the most abundant. The scorpion digestive lipase (SDL) has been previously purified from scorpion hepatopancreas, but its cellular localization has not yet been established. Polyclonal antibodies specific to SDL were prepared and used in immunofluorescence and immunogold techniques to determine the cellular location of SDL. Our results clearly established that SDL was detected intracellularly in specific vesicles tentatively named (SDL+) granules of the digestive cells. No immunolabelling was observed in secretory zymogene-like cells. This immunocytolocalization indicates that lipid digestion might occur in specific granules inside the digestive cells, as suggested by previous studies on the scorpion digestive process.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie et de Génie Enzymatique des Lipases, ENIS, BPW route de Soukra, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nacim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zouari
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bernadac
authors.forename: Nabil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miled
authors.forename: Tarak
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rebai
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Caro
authors.forename: Souad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rouis
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carriere
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gargouri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004063:Digestion; D043143:Hepatopancreas / Q000201:enzymology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D012605:Scorpions / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D008049:Lipase