title: Endocytic pathway in mouse cardiac cells.
abstract: Primary cultures of heart muscle cells provide powerful tools for cardiac cell biological research that permits both physiological and biochemical approaches. In the present study we analyzed the endocytosis of cardiac cells and presented morphological characterization of the endocytic machinery using markers, which enabled us to follow the fluid-phase, receptor-mediated endocytosis and the internalization of large particles. Our results demonstrated the route of the internalized cargo to early endosomes followed or not by its discharge in the late compartments. We also confirmed the ability of cardiac muscle cells to ingest large particles such as the mannosylated ligand zymosan A, and even internalize whole eukaryotic cells such as the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Since endocytosis is involved in many important cellular functions, the present work contributes to the knowledge of possible additional roles played by cardiac muscle cells besides their well known ability to act as physically energetic cells in the body, constantly contracting without tiring.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Departamento de Ultra-estrutura e Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. soeiro@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Maria de Nazaré Correia
authors.initials: Mde N
authors.lastname: Soeiro
authors.forename: Renata Alves
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: Denise da Gama Jaen
authors.initials: Dda G
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: Maria de Nazareth Leal
authors.initials: Mde N
authors.lastname: Meirelles
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002451:Cell Compartmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D011992:Endosomes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005333:Fetus; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015054:Zymosan / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015054:Zymosan