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The tapetal cell: A unique melanocyte in the tapetum lucidum cellulosum of the cat (Felis domestica L.)

An electron microscopic, cytochemical and chemical study

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Summary

The postnatal development of the tapetum lucidum cellulosum of the cat was studied with cytochemical, histochemical, microspectrofluorimetric, and chemical methods. At birth, the prospective tapetal cells exhibit a cytoplasmic, formaldehyde-induced catechol fluorescence which, by spectrographical criteria, is due to the presence of a thioether of DOPA, most likely 5-S-cysteinyldopa. These cells show a positive DOPA-reaction in the GERL, a Golgi-associated system of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Beyond the third postnatal week, tyrosinase activity is found in the GERL and in the premelanosomal-like tapetal rods. Shortly thereafter, cells in the innermost layers of the tapetum reveal a change in the colour of the fluorophore from green (formaldehyde-induced) to orange-yellow (autofluorescent). Concomitant with the appearance of the yellow fluorophore (having spectral characteristics similar to authentic riboflavin), the DOPA-reactivity in the tapetal cells is no longer detectable and the cells attain the feature of mature tapetal elements with typical elongated, parallelly arranged, electron-dense rods. The increases and decreases in tyrosinase activity are parallelled by similar time-dependent changes in DOPA and cysteinyldopa content. Both DOPA and cysteinyldopa are considered as potential precursors of melanin polymers. Thus, these data support the concept that the tapetal cells represent uniquely differentiated and highly specialized choroidal melanocytes. The compact arrangement of these cells in the tapetum lucidum renders it an ideal tissue for studying the developmental biology of melanocytes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Mikroskopische Anatomie, Anatomisches Institut der Universität Hamburg, Martinistraße 52, D-2000, Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    H. Büssow

  2. Institut für Anatomie, Freie Universität Berlin, D-1000, Berlin 33

    H. G. Baumgarten

  3. Department of Pharmacology, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

    C. Hansson

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  1. H. Büssow
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  2. H. G. Baumgarten
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  3. C. Hansson
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Supported by grants of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Supported by grants of the Swedish Medical Research Council (B79-4x-56-15A)

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Büssow, H., Baumgarten, H.G. & Hansson, C. The tapetal cell: A unique melanocyte in the tapetum lucidum cellulosum of the cat (Felis domestica L.). Anat Embryol 158, 289–302 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00301818

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