Immunohistochemical Characterization of the Distribution of Galectin-4 in Porcine Small Intestine

• Published in: The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry Vol. 53; no. 2; pp. 197 - 205
• Main Authors: Wooters, Melissa A, Hildreth, Michael B, Nelson, Eric A, Erickson, Alan K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA Histochemical Soc 01-02-2005; SAGE Publications
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibody Specificity; Cytoplasm - metabolism; Cytoplasm - ultrastructure; Duodenum - metabolism; Duodenum - ultrastructure; Enteroendocrine Cells - metabolism; Enteroendocrine Cells - ultrastructure; Epithelial Cells - metabolism; Epithelial Cells - ultrastructure; Galectin 4 - immunology; Galectin 4 - metabolism; Galectin 4 - ultrastructure; Ileum - metabolism; Ileum - ultrastructure; Immunohistochemistry; Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism; Intestinal Mucosa - ultrastructure; Intestine, Small - metabolism; Intestine, Small - ultrastructure; Jejunum - metabolism; Jejunum - ultrastructure; Swine; porcine intestine; epithelial cells; galectin-4; monoclonal antibodies
• ISSN: 0022-1554; 1551-5044
• DOI: 10.1369/jhc.4A6439.2005

Galectins are an evolutionarily conserved family of 15 different lectins found in various combinations in virtually every type of animal cell. One of the primary galectins expressed in intestinal epithelium is galectin-4, a tandem-repeat galectin with two carbohydrate-recognition domains in a single polypeptide chain. In the current study, we produced an anti-galectin-4 monoclonal antibody (MAb) for determining the distribution of galectin-4 in porcine small intestine to enhance our understanding of where galectin-4 performs its functions in the small intestine. In immunohistochemistry studies, this MAb detected galectin-4 primarily in the cytoplasm of absorptive epithelial cells lining intestinal villi. Mature epithelial cells at the villous tips stained the most intensely with this MAb, with progressively less intense staining observed along the sides of villi and into the crypts. In addition to its cytoplasmic localization, galectin-4 was also associated with nuclei in villous tip cells, indicating that some galectin-4 may migrate to the nucleus during terminal maturation of these cells. In intestinal crypts, a specific subset of cells, which may be enteroendocrine cells, expressed galectin-4 at a relatively high level. Galectin-4 distribution patterns were similar in all three regions (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) of porcine small intestine.