Terminally Differentiated Epithelial Cells of the Thymic Medulla and Skin Express Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit α3

Figure 5

Alpha3-subunit-positive cells are terminally differentiated epithelial cells. (a)–(a′′) Chrna3-driven eGFP fluorescence in the stratum granulosum (SG) and stratum corneum (SC) of the epidermis, K5-immunoreactivity in the lowermost stratum spinosum (SS) and stratum basale (SB). D: dermis. Scale bar, 50 μm. (b)–(b′′) K10-immunoreactivity in stratum granulosum and stratum spinosum, overlapping with eGFP signal in stratum granulosum. Scale bar, 50 μm. (c)–(c′′) The majority of α3-subunit-expressing cells in the thymus are K10-immunoreactive; arrow points to an infrequently occurring K10-negative cell. Scale bar, 20 μm.