T. Toyoshima et al., Ultrastructural distribution of 36-kD microfibril-associated glycoprotein (MAGP-36) in human and bovine tissues, J HIST CYTO, 47(8), 1999, pp. 1049-1056
We observed the ultrastructural distribution of MAGP-36 by immunoelectron m
icroscopy in human and bovine tissues. MAGP-36 was present in microfibrils
associated with tropoelastin in skin, aorta, and spleen. It was not detecte
d in microfibrils from the ocular zonule and kidney mesangium that were not
associated with tropoelastin. In skin, MAGP-36 was present in both early i
mmature elastic fibers and mature elastic fibers. In mature elastic fibers,
MAGP-36 was localized around amorphous elastic cores at the elastin-microf
ibril interface and in electron-dense bundles. Localization of MAGP-36 in e
lastic fibers coincided with the distribution of lysyl oxidase, an enzyme t
hat plays a pivotal role in the deposition of tropoelastin. These findings
suggest that MAGP-36 may be involved in elastogenesis.