An antibody to agmatine localizes the amine in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 183; no. 1; pp. 17 - 21
• Main Authors: Wang, H., Regunathan, S., Youngson, C., Bramwell, S., Reis, D.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 02.01.1995; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adrenal Medulla; Adrenals. Interrenals; Adrenomedullary hormones. Regulation; Agmatine; Agmatine - pharmacology; Animals; Antibodies - immunology; Antibodies - physiology; Arginine decarboxylase; Binding Sites; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - chemistry; Cattle; Chromaffin System - immunology; Chromaffin System - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Imidazoline receptor; Immunohistochemistry; Polyamines; Vertebrates: endocrinology; α2-Adrenergic receptors; Imidazoline receptor; α 2-Adrenergic receptors; Arginine decarboxylase; Polyamines; Agmatine; Adrenal medulla; α2-Adrenergic receptor; Polyamine; Endocrine gland; Enzyme; Antibody; Immunocytochemistry; Ox; Lyases; Chromaffin cell; In vitro; Carbon-carbon lyases; Vertebrata; Amine; Mammalia; Carboxy-lyases; Artiodactyla; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/0304-3940(94)11104-Q

Agmatine, a newly identified amine in mammalian brain, is an endogenous ligand for imidazoline and α 2-adrenergic receptors. We sought to develop a polyclonal antibody to agmatine suitable for immunocytochemistry. Agmatine was conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and injected into rabbits. The polyclonal antiserum so generated dose-dependently recognized the agmatine conjugate but not carrier protein by dot blot. Its reaction with the conjugate was selectively antagonized by agmatine but not related compounds. The antiserum, but not pre-immune or pre-adsorbed antiserum, selectively stained cultured adrenal chromaffin cells. Our results indicate that agmatine immunoreactivity is contained in a sub-population of adrenal chromaffin cells and, thus, these antibodies are useful for immunocytochemical localization of the amine in mammalian tissues.