title: Actin, alpha-actinin, and vinculin are associated with septate junctions in Insecta.
abstract: Cytoskeletal elements associated with the smooth septate junctions linking the midgut columnar cells of Manduca sexta larvae (Insecta, Lepidoptera) were characterized. Myosin subfragment 1 decoration and immunostaining for actin demonstrated that the filaments associated with the septate junctions were constituted of actin. Moreover, using a combination of immunochemical and immunolocalization techniques, evidence is presented that alpha-actinin, myosin II, and vinculin are localized close to the specialized plasma membranes. The insertion of microfilament bundles into submembranous F-actin/alpha-actinin/vinculin complexes, previously described in vertebrate junctions of adherens type, appears to be a more general organization, including the insect septate junction here examined.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonfanti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camatini
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000185:Actinin / Q000032:analysis*; D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007422:Intestines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007814:Larva; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008871:Microvilli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009036:Moths / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D009218:Myosins / Q000032:analysis; D016596:Vinculin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000185:Actinin; D016596:Vinculin; D009218:Myosins