title: Immunocytochemical analysis of the cytoskeleton of the human amniotic epithelium.
abstract: The amniotic epithelium constitutes a diffusion barrier controlling the passage of solutes and water between the amniotic cavity and maternal circulation. With the present immunocytochemical approach, we have shown that several major components of the cyto-skeleton, i.e., actin, alpha-actinin, spectrin and ezrin, are preferentially associated with the apical and lateral cell surfaces of the human amniotic epithelium. Keratins are distributed throughout the entire cytoplasm, whereas vimentin mainly forms a perinuclear scaffold. These findings indicate a role of the various components of the cytoskeleton in the structural integrity and modulation of cell shape and junctional permeability.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Histologie und Embryologie, Universität Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Drenckhahn
mesh_terms: D000185:Actinin / Q000032:analysis*; D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis*; D000650:Amnion / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D001692:Biological Transport; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000737:chemistry*; D010590:Phalloidine; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D013049:Spectrin / Q000032:analysis; D000099149:Ezrin
chemical_list: D000185:Actinin; D000199:Actins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D010590:Phalloidine; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D013049:Spectrin; D000099149:Ezrin