Anti-Synaptophysin reacts with neuroendocrine cells of Human adrenal medulla, carotid body, skin, pituitary, thyroid, lung, pancreas and gastrointestinal mucosa. Positive staining is seen in neurons of the brain, spinal cord, retina, and Paneth's cells in the gastrointestinal tract and gastric parietal cells. This antibody identifies normal neuroendocrine cells and neuroendocrine neoplasms. Diffuse, finely granular cytoplasmic staining is observed, which probably correlates with the distribution of the antigen within neurosecretory vesicles. The expression of synaptophysin is independent of the presence of NSE or other neuroendocrine markers. Anti-Synaptophysin is an independent broad-range marker of neural and neuroendocrine differentiation.
Synaptophysin is a synaptic vesicle glycoprotein with 4 transmembrane domain MW 38 kDa. Thisproteinis present in the membrane of neuronal presynaptic vesicles in brain, spinal cord, retina, vesicles of adrenal medulla, neuromuscular junctions, and endocrine cells. It is also expressed by neuroendocrine cells throughout the body, both normal and neoplastic. Synaptophysin is also marker of endocrine tumors. It is a useful marker for the identification of normal neuroendocrine cells and neuroendocrine neoplasms.Synonyms: Major synaptic vesicle protein p38, Neuroendocrine Marker