BRAIN MAST-CELLS LACK THE C-KIT RECEPTOR - IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE

Mast cells are reported to differ from other cells of the hematopoieti c lineage in that as mature cells, they retain the c-kit receptor, and are thus capable of responding to the stem cell factor (SCF) ligand. SCF is important for development and survival of mast cells. In this s tudy, c-kit expression was examined immunocytochemically in the brains of mice, rats and doves. The results indicate that brain mast cells l ack the c-kit receptor, those of the leptomeninges and other connectiv e tissues are a mixed population of c-kit positive and negative cells. The mechanisms whereby brain mast cells might survive in the absence of SCF-c-kit signaling are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.