Summary
Brush cells represent a population of epithelial cells with unknown function, which are scattered throughout the epithelial lining of both the respiratory system and the alimentary system. These cells are reliably distinguished from other epithelial cells only at the ultrastructural level by the presence of an apical tuft of stiff microvilli and extremely long microvillar rootlets that may project down to the perinuclear space. In the present study we show that brush cells can be identified in tissue sections even at the light microscopic level by immunostaining with antibodies against villin and fimbrin, two proteins that crosslink actin filaments to form bundles. In brush cells, villin and fimbrin are not only present in the actin filament core bundles of apical microvilli and their long rootlets but, in addition, both proteins are also associated with microvilli extending from the basolateral cell surface of the brush cells. Basolateral immunostaining specific for villin and fimbrin does not occur in any other epithelial cell type of the respiratory and alimentary tract. Thus immunostaining with antibodies against both proteins allows unequivocal identification of individual brush cells even in sectional planes that do not contain the brightly stained apical tuft of microvilli and their long rootlets.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achler C, Filmer D, Merte C, Drenckhahn D (1989) Role of microtubules in polarized delivery of apical membrane proteins to the brush border of intestinal epithelium. J Cell Biol 109:179–189
Adams DR (1976) The bovine vomeronasal organ. Arch Histol Jpn 49:211–225
Arpin M, Blair L, Coudrier E, Dodouet B, Finidori J, Garcia A, Huet C, Pringault E, Robine S, Sahuguillo-Merino C, Louvard D (1988) Villin, a specific marker for some epithelia specialized in transport, to study the differentiation of intestinal and kidney cells in vivo and in human colon adenocarcinoma line HT29 in culture. Mol Aspects Med 10:257–272
Bretscher A, Weber K (1978) Purification of microvilli and an analysis of the protein components of the microfilament core bundle. Exp Cell Res 116:397–407
Bretscher A, Weber K (1980) Fimbrin, a new microfilament-associated protein present in microvilli and other surface structures. J Cell Biol 86:335–340
Burnette WN (1981) Western blotting: electrophoretic transfer of proteins from sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels to unmodified nitrocellulose and radiographic detection with antibody and radioiodinated protein A. Anal Biochem 112:195–203
Carstens PHB, Broghamer WL Jr, Hire D (1976) Malignant fibrillo-caveolated cell carcinoma of the human intestinal tract. Hum Pathol 7:505–517
Chang L-Y, Mercer RR, Crapo JD (1986) Differential distribution of brush cells in the rat lung. Anat Rec 216:49–54
Drenckhahn D, Dermietzel R (1988) Organization of the actin filament cytoskeleton in the intestinal brush border: a quantitative and qualitative immunoelectron microscope study. J Cell Biol 107:1037–1048
Drenckhahn D, Franz H (1986) Identification of actin-, α-actinin-, and vinculin-containing plaques at the lateral membrane of epithelial cells. J Cell Biol 102:1843–1852
Drenckhahn D, Mannherz HG (1983) Distribution of actin and the actin-associated proteins myosin, tropomyosin, alpha-actinin, vinculin, and villin in rat and bovine exocrine glands. Eur J Cell Biol 30:167–176
Drenckhahn D, Merte C (1987) Restriction of the human kidney band 3-like anion exchanger to specialized subdomains of the basolateral plasma membrane of intercalated cells. Eur J Cell Biol 45:107–115
Drenckhahn D, Hofmann H-D, Mannherz HG (1983) Evidence for the association of villin with core filaments and rootlets of intestinal epithelial microvilli. Cell Tissue Res 228:409–414
Drenckhahn D, Engel K, Höfer D, Merte C, Tilney L, Tilney M (1991) Three different actin filament assemblies occur in every hair cell: each contains a specific actin crosslinking protein. J Cell Biol 112:641–651
Flock A, Bretscher A, Weber K (1982) Immunohistochemical localization of several cytoskeletal proteins in inner ear sensory and supporting cells. Hearing Res 6:75–89
Goldstein D, Djeu J, Latter G, Burbeck S, Leavitt J (1985) Abundant synthesis of the transformation-induced protein of neoplastic human fibroblasts, plastin, in normal lymphocytes. Cancer Res 45:5643–5647
Gomi T, Kimura A, Kikushi Y, Higashi K, Tsuchiya H, Sasa S, Kishi K (1991) Electron-microscopic observations of the alveolar brush cell of the rat. Acta Anat 141:294–301
Gröne H-J, Weber K, Helmchen U, Osborn M (1986) Villin — a marker of brush border differentation and cellular origin in human renal cell carcinoma. Am J Pathol 124:294–302
Iseki S (1991) Postnatal development of the brush cells in the common bile duct of the rat. Cell Tissue Res 266:507–510
Iseki S, Kondo H (1989) Specific localization of hepatic fatty acidbinding protein in the gastric brush cell of rats. Cell Tissue Res 257:545–548
Luciano L, Reale E (1979) A new morphological aspect of the brush cell of the mouse gallbladder epithelium. Cell Tissue Res 201:37–44
Luciano L, Reale E (1990) Brush cells of the mouse gallbladder — a correlative light- and electron-microscopical study. Cell Tissue Res 262:339–349
Luciano L, Reale E, Ruska H (1968) Über eine “chemorezeptive” Sinneszelle in der Trachea der Ratte. Z Zellforsch 85:350–375
Luciano L, Reale E, Ruska H (1969) Bürstenzellen im Alveolarepithel der Rattenlunge. Z Zellforsch 95:198–201
Luciano L, Catellucci M, Reale E (1981) The brush cells of the common bile duct of the rat. Cell Tissue Res 218:403–420
Major HD, Hampton JC, Rosario B (1961) A simple method for removing the resin from epoxy-embedded tissue. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 9:909–910
Meyrick B, Reid L (1968) The alveolar brush cell in the rat lung — a third pneumocyte. J Ultrastruct Res 23:71–80
Osborn M, Mazzoleni G, Santini D, Marrano D, Martinelli G, Weber K (1988) Villin, intestinal brush border hydrolases and keratin polypeptides in intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer: an immunohistologic study emphasizing the different degrees of intestinal and gastric differentiation in signet ring cell carcinomas. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat 413:303–312
Rhodin J, Dalham T (1956) Electron microscopy of the tracheal ciliated mucosa in rat. Z Zellforsch 44:345–412
Robine S, Huet C, Moll R, Sahuguillo-Merino C, Coudrier E, Zweibaum A (1985) Can villin be used to identify malignant and undifferentiated normal digestive epithelial cells? Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82:8488–8492
Rodman JS, Mooseker M, Farquhar MG (1986) Cytoskeletal proteins of the rat kidney proximal tubule brush border. Eur J Cell Biol 42:319–327
Sato Y, Miyoshi S (1988) Ultrastructure of the main excretory duct epithelial of the rat parotid and submandibular glands with a review of the literature. Anat Rec 220:239–251
Silva DG (1966) The fine structure of multivesicular cells with large microvilli in the epithelium of the mouse colon. J Ultrastruct Res 16:693–705
Sugimoto K, Ishikawa Y, Nakamura I (1983) Endogenous peroxidase activity in brush cell-like cells in the large intestine of the bullfrog tadpole, Rana catesbeiana. Cell Tissue Res 230:451–461
Trier JS, Allan CH, Marcial MA, Madara JL (1987) Structural features of the apical and tubulovesicular membranes of rodent small intestinal tuft cells. Anat Rec 219:69–77
Wattel W, Geuze JJ (1978) The cells of the rat gastric groove and cardia. Cell Tissue Res 186:375–391
Weyrauch KD, Schnorr B (1976) Die Feinstruktur des Epithels des Ductus pancreaticus major des Schafes. Acta Anat 96:232–247
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Höfer, D., Drenckhahn, D. Identification of brush cells in the alimentary and respiratory system by antibodies to villin and fimbrin. Histochemistry 98, 237–242 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271037
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271037