CRITICAL REEXAMINATION OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF AROMATASE-IMMUNOREACTIVE CELLS IN THE QUAIL FOREBRAIN USING ANTIBODIES RAISED AGAINST HUMAN PLACENTAL AROMATASE AND AGAINST THE RECOMBINANT QUAIL, MOUSE OR HUMAN ENZYME

Mouse and quail aromatase cDNAs were isolated from libraries of mouse ovary and quail brain by using a human aromatase cDNA fragment (hA-24) as a probe. These three cDNAs were inserted into plasmid vectors and expressed in Escherichia coli. Antisera against these purified recombi nant proteins were raised in rabbit and purified by ammonium sulfate f ractionation and affinity chromatography. The three antibodies directe d against recombinant human, mouse and quail proteins were used to vis ualize aromatase-immunoreactive cells in the quail brain. They were co mpared with the antibody raised against human placental aromatase used in previous experiments and with another antibody recently developed by similar methods. The signal obtained with all antibodies was comple tely abolished by preadsorption with the homologous recombinant antige ns and the signal produced by the two antibodies raised against placen tal aromatase was similarly abolished by a preadsorption with recombin ant quail aromatase. The antibodies raised against recombinant protein s identified the major groups of aromatase cells previously described in the quail brain. The antibodies directed against the mouse and quai l antigen identified more positive cells and stained them more densely than the antibodies raised against human recombinant antigen or purif ied placental aromatase. The new cell groups identified by the antibod y raised against quail recombinant aromatase were located in an area v entral to the fasciculus prosencephali lateralis, the nucleus accumben s, the paleostriatum ventrale, the nucleus taeniae, the area around th e nucleus ovoidalis, the caudal tuber and the mesencephalic central gr ay. A critical re-examination of the distribution and nomenclature of the aromatase-positive cells is proposed based on these new findings.