title: Serous cutaneous glands in anurans: Fourier transform analysis of the repeating secretory granule substructure.
abstract: A combined transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform analysis has been performed on the secretory granules storing active peptides/proteins in serous cutaneous glands of n = 12 anuran species. Previous TEM investigation showed that the granules are provided with remarkable repeating substructures based on discrete subunits, arranged into a consistent framework. Furthermore, TEM findings revealed that this recurrent arrangement is acquired during a prolonged post-Golgian (or maturational) processing that affects the secretory product. Maturation leads to a variety of patterns depending on the degree of subunit clustering. This variety of recurrent patterns has been plotted into a range of frequency spectra. Through this quantitative approach, we found that the varying granule substructure can be reduced to a single mechanism of peptide/protein aggregation.
authors: Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Forensic Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Nosi
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Delfino
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Quercioli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000502:physiology*; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D007814:Larva; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008954:Models, Biological; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012867:Skin / Q000648:ultrastructure*