title: [Distribution of the intermediate filaments in rat Sertoli cells: an electron microscopic study].
abstract: The distribution of intermediate filaments (IFs) in the Sertoli cells of rat testis was studied under a transmission electron microscope. The results showed that IFs in Sertoli cells were centrally arranged around the nucleus in a criss-cross manner. From the perinuclear region the IFs had widespread extensions and were connected with the following structures: 1) with the mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum and other subcellular structures; 2) with the desmosome-like and hemi-desmosome-like junctions with adjacent Sertoli and spermatogenic cells; 3) with the microfilaments (MFs) in the ectoplasmic specialization (ES) surrounding the head of elongated stage I-V; spermatids; 4) with the MFs in ES between adjacent Sertoli cells. In conclusion, IFs form a delicate intracellular network in Sertoli cell with its center in the perinuclear region and stretching and connecting with many subcellular structures in the cytoplasm and cell membrane.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Basic Medicine, PUMC, Beijing.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*