title: Characterization of macrophages from the bony fish gilthead seabream using an antibody against the macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor.
abstract: Two major professional phagocyte populations have been described in fish, namely granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages. Although the distribution and localization of macrophages have been documented in several teleost species using mainly light and/or electron microscopy, the lack of appropriate markers for these cells has hampered our in-depth knowledge of their biology. We report here the generation of a monospecific rabbit polyclonal antibody against the gilthead seabream macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor (Mcsfr), which is an excellent marker of macrophages in mammals and the zebrafish. The anti-Mcsfr has been found to be very useful in immunohistochemistry (IHC) to specifically immunostain the purified macrophages (adherent cells) obtained from the head-kidney as well as different cell populations in paraffin-embedded organs, including the head-kidney, spleen, thymus, gills and liver. Unexpectedly, however, no Mcsfr immunoreactive (Mcsfr(+)) cells were observed in the brain and intestine of the gilthead seabream. We also show that the distribution of Mcsfr(+) cells in the head-kidney and the spleen is unaltered following infection with the fish pathogenic bacterium Vibrio anguillarum and that the Il1b-producing cells in these two organs after infection are exclusively acidophilic granulocytes. Finally, as the epitope recognized by the anti-Mcsfr is well conserved, we illustrate the potential usefulness of this antibody in other teleost species, such as the European seabass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mulero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pilar Sepulcre
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meseguer
authors.forename: Alfonsa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Ayala
authors.forename: Victoriano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mulero
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000276:immunology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D016186:Receptor, Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D016186:Receptor, Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor