scholarly journals Identification of a transmembrane glycoprotein specific for secretory vesicles of neural and endocrine cells.

1985 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 1284-1294 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Buckley ◽  
R B Kelly

Several types of cells store proteins in secretory vesicles from which they are released by an appropriate stimulus. It might be expected that the secretory vesicles in different cell types use similar molecular machinery. Here we describe a transmembrane glycoprotein (Mr approximately 100,000) that is present in secretory vesicles in all neurons and endocrine cells studied, in species from elasmobranch fish to mammals, and in neural and endocrine cell lines. It was detected by cross-reactivity with monoclonal antibodies raised to highly purified cholinergic synaptic vesicles from the electric organ of fish. By immunoprecipitation of intact synaptic vesicles and electron microscopic immunoperoxidase labeling, we have shown that the antigenic determinant is on the cytoplasmic face of the synaptic vesicles. However, the electrophoretic mobility of the antigen synthesized in the presence of tunicamycin is reduced to Mr approximately 62,000, which suggests that the antigen is glycosylated and must therefore span the vesicle membrane.

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1495-1502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Sokac ◽  
William M. Bement

Regulated exocytosis is thought to occur either by “full fusion,” where the secretory vesicle fuses with the plasma membrane (PM) via a fusion pore that then dilates until the secretory vesicle collapses into the PM; or by “kiss-and-run,” where the fusion pore does not dilate and instead rapidly reseals such that the secretory vesicle is retrieved almost fully intact. Here, we describe growing evidence for a third form of exocytosis, dubbed “kiss-and-coat,” which is characteristic of a broad variety of cell types that undergo regulated exocytosis. Kiss-and-coat exocytosis entails prolonged maintenance of a dilated fusion pore and assembly of actin filament (F-actin) coats around the exocytosing secretory vesicles followed by direct retrieval of some fraction of the emptied vesicle membrane. We propose that assembly of the actin coats results from the union of the secretory vesicle membrane and PM and that this compartment mixing represents a general mechanism for generating local signals via directed membrane fusion.


Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 1031-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Teitelman ◽  
S. Alpert ◽  
J.M. Polak ◽  
A. Martinez ◽  
D. Hanahan

The early progenitor cells to the pancreatic islets in the mouse have been characterized so as to re-examine their possible lineage relationships to the four islet cell types found in mature islets. Insulin and glucagon were both first expressed at embryonic day 9.5, and many cells coexpressed these two markers, as shown by light and electron microscopic analysis using double-label immunohistochemistry. Incubation of embryonic pancreas with 1% glutaraldehyde, a fixative commonly used by electron microscopists, abolished this reactivity, thereby explaining reported difficulties in detecting these precursor cells. Using antisera specific for neuropeptide Y (NPY) a peptide with considerable homology to pancreatic polypeptide (PP), we show that NPY first appears with insulin and glucagon immunoreactivity at E9.5, and is co-expressed with glucagon in a majority of adult alpha cells. As we have previously reported, PP itself is first detectable immunocytochemically at postnatal day 1 with PP-specific antibodies. However, antibodies raised against bovine PP are shown by dot blotting to recognize NPY with comparable avidity, indicating that a recent report of islet progenitor cells containing PP at E9.5 (Herrera, P. L., Huarte, J., Sanvito, F., Meda, P., Orci, L. and Vassalli, J. D. (1991) Development 113, 1257–1265), actually represents cross-reactivity to NPY. The data support a model in which early precursor cells to the endocrine pancreas co-activate and co-express a set of islet cell hormone and neural genes, whose expression is both selectively increased and extinguished as development proceeds, concomitant with a restriction to the patterns of expression characteristic of mature islet cell types.


1974 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 780-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan F. Boyne ◽  
Timothy P. Bohan ◽  
Terence H. Williams

Calcium (Ca)-containing fixation solutions applied to slices of electric organ of the electric ray, Narcine brasiliensis, have been shown to have three distinct ultrastructural effects on cholinergic synaptic vesicles of the nerve terminals. (a) An electron-dense particle (EDS) is observed within the vesicle; the particle is seen in unosmicated, unstained tissues and can be removed from thin sections by Ca-chelating agents. It is concluded that the EDS represents Ca bound by the vesicle. It is suggested that the bound ATP of the vesicle provides anionic Ca binding sites. (b) The vesicle membrane tends to ‘crinkle’ or collapse depending on the concentration of the other components of the fixative solution. The ‘crinkling’ or collapse are largely reversed by a wash step in the absence of Ca. (c) The presence of Ca results in the appearance of a population of vesicles which form characteristic fusions or ‘tight’ junctions with the terminal membrane. This appears to be morphological evidence for the proposal, which has been frequently put forward, that Ca facilitates such a fusion before discharge of vesicle-bound transmitter. With the discovery that the use of Ca-containing fixatives leads to the demonstration of a subpopulation of synaptic vesicles fused to the terminal membrane, we are led to propose that this is the ultrastructural location of the newly synthesized acetylcholine which has been shown by others to be preferentially released by stimulation.


1993 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 1405-1412 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Nissinen ◽  
P Panula

We studied the distribution of histamine (HA) immunoreactivity in endocrine cells of the acid-producing mucosa in rat stomach with pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) using an antiserum against HA. Four fixation modifications were compared to optimize the ultrastructural morphology and staining pattern with the antisera produced against carbodiimide-conjugated HA. Fixation with 4% 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethyl-aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDCDI) combined with both 4% paraformaldehyde and 0.1% glutaraldehyde gave superior results compared with EDCDI alone. Enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells were easily distinguished from other endocrine cells in optimally fixed samples. The peroxidase end-product was distributed within the cytoplasm surrounding the vesicles of the ECL cells. ECL cells comprised about 75% of all endocrine cells, and about 90% of them were HA immunoreactive (HA-IR). No other HA-IR cell types were identified by EM in the basal half of the oxyntic region of rat gastric mucosa. The results suggest that a combination of EDCDI and aldehydes is suitable for IM demonstration of HA in cells. ECL cells from a predominant portion of endocrine cells in the oxyntic glands and may constitute the only significant non-mast cell store of HA in rat gastric mucosa.


1983 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 1117-1125 ◽  
Author(s):  
B A Stein ◽  
A M Buchan ◽  
J Morris ◽  
J M Polak

The antral and fundic regions of the stomachs from 24 human fetuses were examined by immunocytochemistry for the presence of three regulatory peptides (gastrin, somatostatin, and glucagon) and one amine (serotonin (5-HT)) in the epithelial endocrine cells. Gastrin- and somatostatin-containing cells were present at the earliest stage examined (8 weeks). Gastrin cells were restricted to the antrum, while somatostatin cells were found in both the antrum and the fundus. Glucagon-immunoreactive cells were detected from 10 weeks and were confined to the fundus. Serotonin-containing cells were found in both the antrum and the fundus from 11 weeks. Changes in the number of immunoreactive gastrin and somatostatin cells during gestation were quantified. The increase in the number of cells/mm length of vertically sectioned mucosal epithelium best reflects the change in cell population. The peptides and amine studied were found to be contained in separate cell types. Electron microscopic examination of the peptide-containing cells showed that the fetal cells contain granules of similar morphology to their adult counterparts.


Author(s):  
G. Rowden ◽  
M. G. Lewis ◽  
T. M. Phillips

Langerhans cells of mammalian stratified squamous epithelial have proven to be an enigma since their discovery in 1868. These dendritic suprabasal cells have been considered as related to melanocytes either as effete cells, or as post divisional products. Although grafting experiments seemed to demonstrate the independence of the cell types, much confusion still exists. The presence in the epidermis of a cell type with morphological features seemingly shared by melanocytes and Langerhans cells has been especially troublesome. This so called "indeterminate", or " -dendritic cell" lacks both Langerhans cells granules and melanosomes, yet it is clearly not a keratinocyte. Suggestions have been made that it is related to either Langerhans cells or melanocyte. Recent studies have unequivocally demonstrated that Langerhans cells are independent cells with immune function. They display Fc and C3 receptors on their surface as well as la (immune region associated) antigens.


Author(s):  
J. Chakraborty ◽  
A. P. Sinha Hikim ◽  
J. S. Jhunjhunwala

Although the presence of annulate lamellae was noted in many cell types, including the rat spermatogenic cells, this structure was never reported in the Sertoli cells of any rodent species. The present report is based on a part of our project on the effect of torsion of the spermatic cord to the contralateral testis. This paper describes for the first time, the fine structural details of the annulate lamellae in the Sertoli cells of damaged testis from guinea pigs.One side of the spermatic cord of each of six Hartly strain adult guinea pigs was surgically twisted (540°) under pentobarbital anesthesia (1). Four months after induction of torsion, animals were sacrificed, testes were excised and processed for the light and electron microscopic investigations. In the damaged testis, the majority of seminiferous tubule contained a layer of Sertoli cells with occasional spermatogonia (Fig. 1). Nuclei of these Sertoli cells were highly pleomorphic and contained small chromatinic clumps adjacent to the inner aspect of the nuclear envelope (Fig. 2).


Author(s):  
S. Tai

Extensive cytological and histological research, correlated with physiological experimental analysis, have been done on the anterior pituitaries of many different vertebrates which have provided the knowledge to create the concept that specific cell types synthesize, store and release their specific hormones. These hormones are stored in or associated with granules. Nevertheless, there are still many doubts - that need further studies, specially on the ultrastructure and physiology of these endocrine cells during the process of synthesis, transport and secretion, whereas some new methods may provide the information about the intracellular structure and activity in detail.In the present work, ultrastructural study of the hormone-secretory cells of chicken pituitaries have been done by using TEM as well as HR-SEM, to correlate the informations obtained from 2-dimensional TEM micrography with the 3-dimensional SEM topographic images, which have a continous surface with larger depth of field that - offers the adventage to interpretate some intracellular structures which were not possible to see using TEM.


2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Piludu ◽  
Sean A. Rayment ◽  
Bing Liu ◽  
Gwynneth D. Offner ◽  
Frank G. Oppenheim ◽  
...  

The human salivary mucins MG1 and MG2 are well characterized biochemically and functionally. However, there is disagreement regarding their cellular and glandular sources. The aim of this study was to define the localization and distribution of these two mucins in human salivary glands using a postembedding immunogold labeling method. Normal salivary glands obtained at surgery were fixed in 3% paraformaldehyde-0.1% glutaraldehyde and embedded in Lowicryl K4M or LR Gold resin. Thin sections were labeled with rabbit antibodies to MG1 or to an N-terminal synthetic peptide of MG2, followed by gold-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG. The granules of all mucous cells of the submandibular and sublingual glands were intensely reactive with anti-MG1. No reaction was detected in serous cells. With anti-MG2, the granules of both mucous and serous cells showed reactivity. The labeling was variable in both cell types, with mucous cells exhibiting a stronger reaction in some glands and serous cells in others. In serous granules, the electron-lucent regions were more reactive than the dense cores. Intercalated duct cells near the acini displayed both MG1 and MG2 reactivity in their apical granules. In addition, the basal and lateral membranes of intercalated duct cells were labeled with anti-MG2. These results confirm those of earlier studies on MG1 localization in mucous cells and suggest that MG2 is produced by both mucous and serous cells. They also indicate differences in protein expression patterns among salivary serous cells.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document