Fibrillar ultrastructure of the glomerular basement membrane of the rat kidney as revealed by digestive treatment.
Rat kidney glomerular basement membrane (GBM) was isolated and digested with alpha-amylase and elastase. Electron microscopy revealed a meshwork structure composed of fibrils 3 nm in width. They appeared to be type IV collagen fibrils. We succeeded in clarifying a significant ultrastructural aspect of the GBM which had been unclear until now. The findings are consistent with our previously proposed GBM molecular sieve theory.
D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D000516:alpha-Amylases
D003094:Collagen; D000516:alpha-Amylases; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase