Figure 2.

Microtubers in perituberal tissue. (a) Microtubers differ in the shape of astrocytes: type I (asterisk) has astrocytes with long processes, whereas type II (star) has astrocytes with regular lengths of processes. Inset, enlarged boxed area outlined in (a), GS+ giant cell (arrow) in type II microtuber. (b, c) Immunostaining for plasma membrane glycoprotein CD44 emphasizes the difference in the shapes of astrocytes in type I (b) and type II (c) microtubers. Note that fibrous-like astrocytes in type I microtubers do not have small leaf-like processes and main branches are clearly outlined (b1), in contrast CD44+ astrocytes in II type microtubers, display an abundance of miniature leaf-like processes located on main branches, which produces the characteristic bushy-like view of the cell (c1). (d) Type I microtuber with vimentin (VIM) immunoreactive giant cell (arrow). Note that astrocytes (arrowheads) with long process express VIM, a typical feature of reactive astrocytes. (e) Microtuber composed of a p-S6+ giant cell (arrow) surrounded only by a few astrocytes with high levels of GFAP. Confocal microscopy, double immunostaining, counterstaining with Nissl. a’, b’,b1’, c’, and c1’represent split images of a, b, b1, c, and c1, respectively. b1, c1, d1, and e1 –enlarged boxed area outlined in b, c, d, and e respectively. scale bars: 150 μm in a; 55 μm in b,c, and d; 80 μm in e.