Immunohistochemical localization of thymosin beta 9 in bovine tissues.

Using an indirect fluorescent antibody technique with frozen sections, the localization of thymosin beta 9 was investigated for the first time in bovine thymus, spleen, lung, muscle and liver. The antibodies used have been raised against the N-terminal fragment 1-14 of thymosin beta 9 in order to minimize the cross-reactivity with thymosin beta 4 which was found to be also present in bovine tissues. The specific antibodies against thymosin beta 9 raised in our laboratory allowed us to localize this peptide in presence of the highly homologous and always accompanying thymosin beta 4 in different tissues. Although thymosin beta 9 was first isolated from calf thymus, it could be also detected in other bovine organs. The highest density of positive immunoreaction was found to be in spleen sections. In the muscle tissue a pronounced fluorescence intensity was present in the region of the sarcolemma.