Immunofluorescence studies on the distribution of mouse uterine epithelial antigen in foetal, immature and adult mice
In an investigation of cellular differentiation processes, it is of great value to be able to study the appearance of specific cell products. Systems permitting this include pancreatic exocrine cells which make zymogen granules and amylase (Grobstein, 1964), the myoblast which produces myosin (Konigsberg, 1965), the chondrocyte which makes chondroitin and chondroitin synthesizing enzymes (Lash, Glick & Madden, 1964), and the melanocyte which makes melanin (Wilde, 1961). In other cases, such well-defined products are not known or are difficult to obtain and it is therefore necessary to turn to other methods for investigations of specific cell changes. Histochemical methods have been widely used but frequently give unspecific results. Advantages are obtained by using immuno-chemical methods which can demonstrate the appearance of organ- or tissue-specific antigen (Dumonde, 1966). The differentiation of the lens has been extensively studied by immuno-histological methods (for reviews, see Halbert & Manski, 1963; Dumonde, 1966). The appearance of kidney-specific antigens during metanephros differentiation was studied by Lahti & Saxén (1966).