Distribution of filipin-sterol complexes in plasma membranes of the kidney. II. The thin limbs of Henle's loop.
Thin limbs of Henle from the rat kidney were investigated by freeze fracture electron microscopy after incubation of the tissue with the polyene antibiotic, filipin, a morphologic probe for membrane cholesterol. Distinct patterns of distribution of filipin-sterol complexes were found in plasma membranes of epithelial cells from each of the four thin limb regions examined. In particular, adjacent cells in the thin ascending limb had either heavily or poorly labeled apical membranes, whereas in the lower part of long descending thin limbs, all apical membranes were poorly labeled. In contrast, both apical and basolateral membranes of short descending limbs were heavily labeled with filipin-sterol complexes. These results demonstrate the existence of plasma membranes with different properties both within specific segments of Henle's loop (ascending thin limb) and between different thin limb segments (short and long descending limbs).
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005372:Filipin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008138:Loop of Henle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011090:Polyenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
D011090:Polyenes; D005372:Filipin; D002784:Cholesterol