Fig. 1.

Dynamic control of zinc finger and SCAN domain containing 4 (ZSCAN4) expression in adult human (h) pancreas. A: ZSCAN4 expression at RNA levels in various human organs. Low level of ZSCAN4 expression was detected in all of the human tissues examined. B: immunolocalization of ZSCAN4 protein in adult human pancreas. A very small number of cells showed strong nuclear and cytoplasmic staining for ZSCAN4 in all of the major compartments: the islet of Langerhans, acini, ducts, and oval-shaped cells (referred to as oval cells: putative quiescent pancreatic stellate cells). Immunostaining without a primary antibody against ZSCAN4 is shown as a negative control. C: immunolocalization of mouse Zscan4 in the pancreas. Most of the cells are negative for Zscan4, but a subset of cells in acini, ducts, the islet of Langerhans are positive for mouse Zscan4. Oval-shaped cells (see text) are also positive for Zscan4. Note that oval-shaped cells between acini appear as a single cell or sometimes a cluster of a few cells. D: an anti-mouse (m) Zscan4 antibody and an anti-human ZSCAN4 antibody stained identical cells in the adult human pancreas. E: an anti-mouse Zscan4 antibody and an anti-human ZSCAN4 antibody stained identical cells in a subset of cells in the islet of Langerhans of mouse pancreas. DIC, differential interference contrast microscopy.