THE USE OF CONSTITUTIVE NUCLEAR ONCOPROTEINS TO COUNT NEURONS IN THE ENTERIC NERVOUS-SYSTEM OF THE GUINEA-PIG

Immunohistochemical double labelling of the enteric nervous system of the guinea pig ileum was performed with a monoclonal antibody (anti-MY C 033) directed against a peptide sequence of the human c-Myc protein together with antibodies directed against either the neuron-specific a ntigens neuron-specific enolase or PGP 9.5 or the glia-specific marker S-100 to demonstrate that anti-MYC 033 labelled the nuclei of all ent eric neurons but not glia. This strategy was also employed to demonstr ate that another anti-c-Myc monoclonal antibody, anti-MYC 070, labelle d the nuclei of all neurons and glia, as well as perhaps all other cel ls in these preparations. A polyclonal antiserum raised against a pept ide sequence of the human c-Fos protein (anti-FOS 4) was shown to labe l the identical nuclei as anti-MYC 033. The ganglionic density of nucl ei labelled by anti-FOS 4 was found to be similar to previous measures of the ganglionic density of neurons. Double labelling with anti-MYC 033 and an antiserum directed against vasoactive intestinal polypeptid e was performed to reexamine the ganglionic density of neurons that ex press this neuropeptide. Our results suggest that the ganglionic densi ty of these neurons might be less than previously determined.