Contractile proteins of endothelial cells, platelets and smooth muscle.

In experiments described herein it was observed, by direct and indirect immunofluorescence technics, that rabbit antisera to human platelet actomyosin (thrombosthenin) stained mature megakaryocytes, blood platelets, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of arteries and veins, endothelial cells of liver sinusoids and certain capillaries, uterine smooth muscle cells, myoepithelial cells, perineurial cells of peripheral nerves and "fibroblastic" cells of granulation tissue. The specificity of immunohistologic staining was confirmed by appropriate absorption and blocking studies and immunodiffusional analysis in agarose gel. It was also observed by immunodiffusional analysis in agarose gel, electrophoresis of actomyosin fragments in polyacrylamide gels, immune inhibition of actomyosin ATPase activity and immune aggregation of platelets that uterine and platelet actomyosin are partially, but not completely, identical.