Histology and immunohistochemistry of the gut‐associated lymphoid tissue of the eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus

Abstract

Mesenteric lymph nodes and gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) from juvenile eastern grey kangaroos were investigated. The mesenteric nodes had a similar structure to that described for eutherian mammals. They contained distinct regions of medulla and cortex, with prominent follicles and germinal centres. Gut associated lymphoid tissue consisted of areas of submucosal follicles. These varied from areas of densely packed lymphocytes with darkly staining, prominent coronas to areas with no defined follicles. The distribution of T cells in these tissues was documented by use of species-crossreactive antibodies to the surface markers CD3 and CD5 ; B cells were identified by antibodies to CD79b. Within the lymph nodes T cells were located mainly in the paracortex and cortex, with limited numbers observed in the follicles ; B cells were located on the marginal zone of the follicles. In GALT, T cells were located in the peripheral regions of the germinal centres of secondary follicles, while B cells were abundant in primary follicles. These observations are consistent with those made in a range of other marsupials (metatherian) and eutherian mammals and are indicative of the capacity to respond to antigens entering via the mouth.

The appearance and distribution of mature T and B cells in the developing immune tissues of the stripe‐faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura)

“…Anti-CD5 and anti-CD79b were kindly donated by Dr Margaret Jones of the Immunodiagnostic Unit, Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. The dilutions used for monoclonal anti-CD3 were 1:10 and 1:50, polyclonal anti-CD3 1:500 and 1:1000, anti-CD5 1:50 and 1:100, and anti-CD79b 1:50 and 1:100 as these were shown to work consistently in this and other metatherian species (Old & Deane, 2001, 2002a.…”

A Histological Investigation of the Lymphoid and Immunohaematopoietic Tissues of the Adult Stripe-Faced Dunnart <i>(Sminthopsis macroura)</i>

“…Both Yadav et al [1972b] and Basden et al [1997] failed to locate Peyer's patches in the quokka and tammar wallaby, respectively. However, Peyer's patches have been observed in Antechinus species [Poskitt et al, 1984a-c], the white-bellied opossum [Coutinho et al, 1993[Coutinho et al, , 1994, the koala and ringtail and brushtail possums and in the eastern grey kangaroo [Old and Deane, 2001]. In the koala, brushtail and ringtail possums Peyer's patches with distinct mantle zones, dome regions and caps were observed .…”

“…This has been documented, to varying degrees, in the American polyprotodont opossums, Monodelphis domestica [Stone et al, 1996], Didelphis virginiana [Block, 1964] and Didelphis albiventris [Coutinho et al, 1990] and a number of Australian diprotodonts and polyprotodonts including the common antechinus, Antechinus stuartii and Antechinus swainsonii [Poskitt et al, 1984a-c], the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii [Basden et al, 1996], the quokka, Setonix brachyurus [Yadav et al, 1972a, b], the brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula and the koala, Phascolarctos cinereus . Most recently the availability of species cross-reactive antibodies to lymphocyte-associated antigens has permitted a more specific analysis of the lymphocyte populations in the lymphoid tissues of D. albiventris [Coutinho et al, 1994], the koala, the brushtail possum and the ringtail possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus , the northern brown bandicoot, Isoodon macrourus [Cisternas and Armati, 1999] and the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) [Old and Deane, 2001].…”

Comparative Phylogeny of the Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue

“…The PP of tammar wallabies contain T and B cells with the same distribution as eutherian mammals, namely a large follicle center with T cells in the interfollicular zones (Old and Deane, 2002a). In juvenile eastern gray kangaroos the distribution of T and B cells was also essentially similar to eutherian mammals (Old and Deane, 2001). In the northern brown bandicoot, Isoodon macrourus, two types of lymphoid follicles in the gut were described: those with a linear appearance and those that were aggregates of follicles (Old and Deane, 2002b).…”