title: Linear arrays of intramembranous particles characterize a subpopulation of epithelial cells in the rabbit caecum.
abstract: Linear arrays of particles, identical to those in the cup cells of the small intestine, characterize the brush border membrane of a subpopulation of surface epithelial cells in freeze-fracture replicas of the rabbit caecum. Although these cells lack a cup-like indentation of their brush border, we propose that all intestinal epithelial cells showing this arrangement of intramembranous particles in their apical membrane belong to a distinct subpopulation of the epithelial cells. A specific function of this cell type that is related to the linear arrays of particles remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School of Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gebert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bartels
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002432:Cecum / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D011817:Rabbits