Localization of zinc in the thymic reticulum of mice by electron-probe microanalysis.

Thymulin, a thymic hormone, is a nonapeptide requiring zinc for biological activity. It has been shown that epithelial cells, forming part of the thymic reticulum, secrete this hormone and/or store it within cytoplasmic vacuoles. X-ray electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) has been used to detect zinc in the thymus. Low concentrations of zinc have been demonstrated in the dense granules contained in clear vacuoles of some epithelial cells in normal and ZnCl2-injected mouse thymuses, thus suggesting that the metal may be coupled to the peptide before the secretion of the hormone from the cells.