title: Positional cell surface antigens in an insect appendage.
abstract: Mice were immunized with membrane preparations of epidermal cells taken from different parts (internal and external face of femur and apex and base of tibia) of the metathoracic legs of cockroach larvae. Using indirect immunofluorescence, anti-internal face of femur antibodies were observed to bind preferentially to membranes from the internal face of the femur; similarly, anti-external face of femur antibodies bound preferentially to membranes from the external face of the femur. We also found a preferential binding of anti-apex of tibia antibodies to membranes from the apex of the tibia and anti-base of the tibia antibodies to membranes from the base of the tibia. When anti-tibia sera were tested on membranes from the femur, anti-apex of tibia antibodies bound preferentially to membranes from the apex of the femur, and anti-base of tibia antibodies bound preferentially to membranes from the base of the femur.This demonstrates that epidermal cell membranes from the different parts of the leg differ in their antigenic properties, and that these differences are related to their position around the appendage and along the proximodistal axis of segments.These results are in agreement with those of previous graft experiments and with the concept of ordered sequences in insect appendages.
authors.affiliation: ERA CNRS 621, Laboratoire de Zoologie et Biologie Animale, Université Scientifique et Médicale de Grenoble, BP 53, XF-38041, Grenoble Cédex.
authors.forename: Désiré
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bullière
authors.affiliation: ERA CNRS 621, Laboratoire de Zoologie et Biologie Animale, Université Scientifique et Médicale de Grenoble, BP 53, XF-38041, Grenoble Cédex.
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bullière
authors.affiliation: ERA CNRS 621, Laboratoire de Zoologie et Biologie Animale, Université Scientifique et Médicale de Grenoble, BP 53, XF-38041, Grenoble Cédex.
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mounaji
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Immunologie INSERM-CNRS de Marseille-Luminy, Case, 906, F-13288, Marseille Cédex.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Reggi
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Immunologie INSERM-CNRS de Marseille-Luminy, Case, 906, F-13288, Marseille Cédex.
authors.forename: Bouchra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gharib
keywords: Cell recognition; Cell surface antigens; Insect appendage; Positional information