New ultrastructural observations of human oocyte smooth endoplasmic reticulum tubular aggregates and cortical reaction: update on the molecular mechanisms involved

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 113-122
Author(s):  
Mário Sousa ◽  
Elsa Oliveira ◽  
Nuno Barros ◽  
Alberto Barros ◽  
Rosália Sá
Author(s):  
John J. Wolosewick ◽  
John H. D. Bryan

Early in spermiogenesis the manchette is rapidly assembled in a distal direction from the nuclear-ring-densities. The association of vesicles of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and the manchette microtubules (MTS) has been reported. In the mouse, osmophilic densities at the distal ends of the manchette are the organizing centers (MTOCS), and are associated with the SER. Rapid MT assembly and the lack of rough ER suggests that there is an existing pool of MT protein. Colcemid potentiates the reaction of vinblastine with tubulin and was used in this investigation to detect this protein.


Author(s):  
F. G. Zaki

Addition of lithocholic acid (LCA), a naturally occurring bile acid in mammals, to a low protein diet fed to rats induced marked inflammatory reaction in the hepatic cells followed by hydropic degeneration and ductular cell proliferation. These changes were accompanied by dilatation and hyperplasia of the common bile duct and formation of “gallstones”. All these changes were reversible when LCA was withdrawn from the low protein diet except for the hardened gallstones which persisted.Electron microscopic studies revealed marked alterations in the hepatic cells. Early changes included disorganization, fragmentation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and detachment of its ribosomes. Free ribosomes, either singly or arranged in small clusters were frequently seen in most of the hepatic cells. Vesiculation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum was often encountered as early as one week after the administration of LCA (Fig. 1).


Author(s):  
Kazushige Hirosawa ◽  
Eichi Yamada

The pigment epithelium is located between the choriocapillary and the visual cells. The pigment epithelial cell is characterized by a large amount of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) in its cytoplasm. In addition, the pigment epithelial cell of some lower vertebrate has myeloid body as a specialized form of the SER. Generally, SER is supposed to work in the lipid metabolism. However, the functions of abundant SER and myeloid body in the pigment epithelial cell are still in question. This paper reports an attempt, to depict the functions of these organelles in the frog retina by administering one of phospholipid precursors.


Author(s):  
S.M. Geyer ◽  
C.L. Mendenhall ◽  
J.T. Hung ◽  
E.L. Cardell ◽  
R.L. Drake ◽  
...  

Thirty-three mature male Holtzman rats were randomly placed in 3 treatment groups: Controls (C); Ethanolics (E); and Wine drinkers (W). The animals were fed synthetic diets (Lieber type) with ethanol or wine substituted isocalorically for carbohydrates in the diet of E and W groups, respectively. W received a volume of wine which provided the same gram quantity of alcohol consumed by E. The animals were sacrificed by decapitation after 6 weeks and the livers processed for quantitative triglycerides (T3), proteins, malic enzyme activity (MEA), light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM). Morphometric analysis of randomly selected LM and EM micrographs was performed to determine organellar changes in centrilobular (CV) and periportal (PV) regions of the liver. This analysis (Table 1) showed that hepatocytes from E were larger than those in C and W groups. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum decreased in E and increased in W compared to C values.


Author(s):  
Becky Jackson

Preliminary investigation has indicated similarity in hepatic ultrastructural morphology in nutritional deprivation, and cyanide induced hepatic necrosis. Analysis of hepatic tissue has indicated disruption of intracellular membranes, specifically, reduction in rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) mitochondrial integrity, and glycogen stores. An increase in smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) portion was observed.To further investigate the apparent equivalence of necrotic morphology, ultrastructura1ly, BDF1 mice were subjected to senescence, nutritional deprevation, potassium cyanide (KCN) induced toxemia, and acetaminophen induced toxemia. Controls were utilized to ellucidate non-necrotic hepatocellular normals. U1trastructura1 investigation of controls (Fig. 1) shows densely granular RER, abundant glycogen stores, and morphologically normal mitochondria. Subjects with acetaminophen induced necrosis exhibit reduced normal RER with increased levels of dialated, vesicular RER in apparent conversion to SER (Fig. 2), loss of mitochondrial integrity, and glycogen store reduction. Senescent subjects exhibit a pronounced increase in SER and loss of glycogen store. (Fig. 3). Investigation of the senescent SER at high magnification (Fig. 5) indicates that the SER is arising from degranulating and vesiculating RER.


Author(s):  
R.T.F. Bernard ◽  
R.H.M. Cross

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) is involved in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones, and changes in the organisation and abundance of this organelle are regularly used as indicators of changes in the level of steroidogenesis. SER is typically arranged as a meshwork of anastomosing tubules which, with the transmission electron microscope, appear as a random mixture of cross, oblique and longitudinal sections. Less commonly the SER appears as swollen vesicles and it is generally suggested that this is an artefact caused during immersion fixation or during immersion of poorly-perfused tissue.During a previous study of the Leydig cells of a seasonally reproducing bat, in which tissue was fixed by immersion, we noted that tubular SER and vesicular SER often occured in adjacent cells and sometimes in the same cell, and that the abundance of the two types of SER changed seasonally. We came to doubt the widelyheld dogma that vesicular SER was an artefact of immersion fixation and set out to test the hypothesis that the method of fixation does not modify the ultrastructure of the SER.


1968 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poul Hjortkjær Pedersen ◽  
Jørgen Falck Larsen

ABSTRACT The ultrastructure of granulosal lutein cells of 13 corpora lutea in early human pregnancy was studied. The predominant cytoplasmic element was the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. No convincing signs of degeneration of the lutein cells could be demonstrated within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, as the mitochondria as well as the rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum were well preserved. However, lysosomes may be slightly more numerous in older specimens and the subendothelial space increases with the age of gestation. A particular type of multilaminated structure one to five micron in diameter was observed, particularly in the earliest specimens. The possible intracellular location of steroid synthesis is discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 401 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 793-809
Author(s):  
Naama Zung ◽  
Maya Schuldiner

AbstractContact sites, areas where two organelles are held in close proximity through the action of molecular tethers, enable non-vesicular communication between compartments. Mitochondria have been center stage in the contact site field since the discovery of the first contact between mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) over 60 years ago. However, only now, in the last decade, has there been a burst of discoveries regarding contact site biology in general and mitochondrial contacts specifically. The number and types of characterized contacts increased dramatically, new molecular mechanisms enabling contact formation were discovered, additional unexpected functions for contacts were shown, and their roles in cellular and organismal physiology were emphasized. Here, we focus on mitochondria as we highlight the most recent developments, future goals and unresolved questions in the field.


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