Freeze-fracture investigations of membranes of flask cells in the kidney and of parietal cells in the stomach of claw-frog (Xenopus laevis).
The flask cells of the nephron and the parietal cells in the stomach fundic glands of claw-frog show some structural similarities such as the existence of a canalicular system, the richness of mitochondria and numerous small cytoplasmatic vesicles. Both cell types also seem to have common functional pecularities. With the freeze-fracture method the cell membranes of both cell types showed a richness of intramembrane particles (IMPs) and the existence of special elongated IMPs especially in the apical and canalicular cell membranes. In the flask cells the elongated so-called rod-shaped IMPs measured 29 X 13 nm and were very numerous, whereas the corresponding particles in the parietal cells in the same membranes were smaller (13 X 5 nm) and not so numerous. The similarities and differences between the membranes of both cell types are discussed in relation to the cell function.
Jonas
L
L
Abteilung Elektronenmikroskopisches Zentrum der Wilhelm-Pieck-Universität Rostock, DDR.
Richter
W
W
Meyer
H W
HW
D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009399:Nephrons / Q000166:cytology*; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000166:cytology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*