Distribution of vimentin and desmin filaments in smooth muscle tissue of mammalian and avian aorta |
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Authors: | Erika Schmid Mary Osborn Elisabeth Rungger-Brndle Giulio Gabbiani Klaus Weber Werner W Franke |
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Institution: | 1. Division of Membrane Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Cell and Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center, D-6900 Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany;2. Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, D-3400 Göttingen, Federal Republic of Germany;3. Department of Pathology, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland |
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Abstract: | The presence of intermediate filament proteins in vascular tissue cells has been examined by immunofluorescence microscopy on frozen sections of the aortic wall of diverse vertebrates (rat, cow, human and chicken) and by gel electrophoresis of cytoskeletal proteins from whole aortic tissue or from stripped tunica media of cow and man. Most cells of the aortic wall in these species contain vimentin filaments, including smoooth muscle cells of the tunica media. In addition, we have observed aortic cells that are positively stained by antibodies to desmin. The presence of desmin in aortic tissue has also been demonstrated by gel electrophoresis for rat, cow and chicken. In aortic tissue some smooth muscle cells contain both types of intermediate filament proteins, vimentin and desmin. Bovine aorta contains, besides cells in which vimentin and desmin seem to co-exist, distinct bundles of smooth muscle cells, located in outer regions of the tunica media, which contain only desmin. The results suggest that (i) intermediate-sized filaments of both kinds, desmin and vimentin, can occur in vascular smooth muscle in situ and (ii) smooth muscle cells of the vascular system are heterogeneous and can be distinguished by their intermediate filament proteins. The finding of different vascular smooth muscle cells is discussed in relation to development and differentiation of the vascular system. |
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