[Immuno- and histochemistry characteristics of morula and test cells in three ascidian species]

One of the hypotheses suggests that test cells play a part in a larval tunic formation like morula cells in adult ascidians. It was shown that the antibodies against morula cell proteins of 26 and 48 kDa of the ascidian Styela rustica react on the paraffin sections with both the granules of morula cells and test cells of ascidians S. rustica and Boltenia echinata. Among the test cell proteins of S. rustica SDS-electrophoresis revealed at least 5 major proteins but no one with the molecular mass of 26 and 48 kDa and none of them react with the antibodies. At the same time AB26 bind the proteins with similar molecular masses in blood cells and in the probe containing test cells--27 and 28 kDa, correspondingly,--of ascidian Molgula citrina. Comparative histochemical analysis of morula and test cells of these three ascidian species was carried out. There are a lot of acid polysaccharides combined with proteins in test cells whereas morula cells contain mainly positively charged proteins. Thus it could be supposed that degree of manifestation of antigens might be different in the conditions of immunoblot and immunohistochemical analysis. The hypothesis of the similarity in morula and test cells functions and their interrelationship is discussed.