IMMUNOELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF CORTICOTROPES AND MELANOTROPES IN THE PITUITARY-GLAND OF THE EUROPEAN FERRET, MUSTELA-PUTORIUS-FURO

The superimposition technique and protein A-gold method of immunoelect ron microscopy were employed to study the ultrastructure of corticotro pes as well as melanotropes in the ferret pituitary gland. This is the first study ever elucidating the ultrastructural heterogeneity of mel anotropes in mammalian pars intermedia on an immunocytochemical basis. Morphological of pars distalis corticotropes has also-been elucidated . It is suggested that the different subtypes may represent stages of development (histogenesis), or functional phases of a single cell type . In addition, the occurrence and distribution of both corticotropes a nd melanotropes in different hypophyseal components have been studied by light-microscopic immunocytochemistry.