title: Immunophenotyping of immune cell populations in the raccoon (Procyon lotor).
abstract: The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a highly adaptable carnivore that has rapidly conquered Europe over the last decades and represents a potential candidate as pathogen reservoir, bearing the risk for transmission of infectious agents, as zoonosis or spill-over, to other wild life and domestic animals and man. Comprehensive investigations of infectious diseases in raccoons require a detailed knowledge of the participating immune cell populations. To close this gap of knowledge, various antibodies were tested for cross-reactivity with leukocytes in lymphoid organs and peripheral blood of raccoons using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, respectively. Eight out of 16 antibodies, directed against CD3, CD79α, Pax-5, IgG, CD44, MHC class II, myeloid/histiocyte antigen (MAC387), and Iba-1 exhibited a specific immunoreaction with cells in distinct anatomical compartments in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lymphoid tissues. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that 7 out of 18 antibodies directed against CD11c, CD14, CD21, CD44, CD79α, MHC class I and II cross-reacted with peripheral blood-derived raccoon leukocytes. Summarized, the usefulness of several cross-reacting antibodies was determined for the characterization of raccoon immune cells in immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, offering the opportunity to study the raccoon immune system under normal and diseased conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Bünteweg 2, Hannover 30559, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Bünteweg 2, Hannover 30559, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jungwirth
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 9, Hannover 30559, Germany.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: Center for Systems Neuroscience, Bünteweg 2, Hannover 30559, Germany; Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 9, Hannover 30559, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tipold
authors.affiliation: Zoo Osnabrück gGmbH, Klaus-Strick-Weg 12, Osnabrück 49082, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Böer
authors.affiliation: Zoo Osnabrück gGmbH, Klaus-Strick-Weg 12, Osnabrück 49082, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scheibe
authors.affiliation: Hannover Adventure Zoo, Adenauerallee 3, 30175 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.affiliation: Hannover Adventure Zoo, Adenauerallee 3, 30175 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: von Dörnberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Bünteweg 2, Hannover 30559, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spitzbarth
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puff
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wohlsein
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Bünteweg 2, Hannover 30559, Germany. Electronic address: Wolfgang.Baumgaertner@tiho-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baumgärtner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000662:veterinary*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D011821:Raccoons / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D015703:Antigens, CD
keywords: Cross-reacting antibodies; Density gradient centrifugation; Flow cytometry; Immunohistochemistry; Leukocytes; Raccoon