title: Wheat germ agglutinin as a counterstain for immunofluorescence studies of equine hoof lamellae.
abstract: Equine laminitis is a common, painful, debilitating condition of the hoof that is a leading cause of disability in horses, often necessitating euthanasia. The equine hoof represents an extreme evolutionary adaptation of an epidermal structure homologous to the human or murine nail units. Immunohistochemistry is frequently utilized in the study of the pathophysiology of laminitis. The complex, multilayered, extensively interdigitated epidermal-dermal lamellar interface renders precise interpretation of immunofluorescence localization difficult, especially when effective technique and reagents render non-reactive tissues completely dark. Fluorescent-conjugated wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) selectively labels dermal extracellular matrix fibres and epidermal cell membranes in tissue sections of horse hoof lamellae, is compatible with indirect immunofluorescence and augments interpretation of indirect immunofluorescence antigen localization. The current report details the use of WGA as a rapid, simple, economical counterstain for immunofluorescence studies of the equine hoof and may have application to other complex epidermal tissue structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA, USA; STEM and Health Division, Cumberland County College, Vineland, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Hannah L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Galantino-Homer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004396:Coloring Agents; D051180:Desmoplakins / Q000378:metabolism; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary; D006724:Hoof and Claw / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D006736:Horses / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D053547:Keratin-14 / Q000378:metabolism; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D051180:Desmoplakins; D053547:Keratin-14; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins
keywords: counterstain; epidermis; histology; laminitis; lectins