scholarly journals CELLULAR SPECIALIZATION IN THE EXCRETORY EPITHELIA OF AN INSECT, Macrosteles fascifrons STÅL (HOMOPTERA)

1960 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Smith ◽  
Virginia C. Littau

An electron microscopic investigation of the Malpighian tubules of a leaf hopper, Macrosteles fascifrons, shows that these organs comprise three quite distinct cell types, and the structure of these and of the mid- and hindgut epithelial cells is described. In particular, a comparison is made between the organization of the basal and apical surfaces of cells in the Malpighian tubule and in the vertebrate kidney, and it is suggested that similarities between these excretory epithelia reflect functional parallels between them. While the midgut and one region of the Malpighian tubule bear a typical microvillar brush border, elsewhere in the tubule and in the hindgut the apical surface bears cytoplasmic leaflets or lamellae. The sole solid excretory material of these insects consists of the brochosomes, secreted by cells of one region of the Malpighian tubule. The structure, geometry, and development of these unusual bodies, apparently formed within specialized Golgi regions, has been investigated, and histochemical tests indicate that they contain lipid and protein components.

Author(s):  
Brendan Clifford

An ultrastructural investigation of the Malpighian tubules of the fourth instar larva of Culex pipiens was undertaken as part of a continuing study of the fine structure of transport epithelia.Each of the five Malpighian tubules was found to be morphologically identical and regionally undifferentiated. Two distinct cell types, the primary and stellate, were found intermingled along the length of each tubule. The ultrastructure of the stellate cell was previously described in the Malpighian tubule of the blowfly, Calliphora erythrocephala by Berridge and Oschman.The basal plasma membrane of the primary cell is extremely irregular, giving rise to a complex interconnecting network of basal channels. The compartments of cytoplasm entrapped within this system of basal infoldings contain mitochondria, free ribosomes, and small amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The mitochondria are distinctive in that the cristae run parallel to the long axis of the organelle.


1996 ◽  
Vol 109 (12) ◽  
pp. 2927-2935 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Shurety ◽  
N.A. Bright ◽  
J.P. Luzio

Apical endocytosis of 125I-ricin in Caco-2 cells was inhibited > 95% by hypertonic and/or acid media, consistent with the major uptake route being clathrin-mediated. The presence of apical cell surface bound ricin-gold in clathrin coated pits and vesicles was observed by electron microscopy. An electron microscopic investigation in which ricin-gold bound to the apical surface was quantitated, showed that cytochalasin D, which inhibits apical but not basolateral endocytosis, prevented movement of ricin-gold along the microvillar surface. This was consistent with an actin bound mechanochemical motor within microvilli driving the movement of membranous components towards the cell body. Cytochalasin D also caused an increase in the number of coated pits observed at the apical cell surface relative to the number observed in untreated cells. Stimulation of apical endocytosis of ricin by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate showed the characteristics of being mediated by protein kinase C, was not due to an effect on ricin movement along the microvillar surface, and may be explained by increases in formation and pinching off of clathrin coated pits at the apical cell surface.


1963 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susumu Ito ◽  
Robert J. Winchester

A description of the cytology of the gastric mucosa is presented based upon an electron microscopic investigation of the bat stomach. The fine structure of the various cell types in this species is fundamentally similar to that of the corresponding cell types of other mammals, but the relative cell numbers and distribution are somewhat different. (a). The surface mucous cells are identified by their superficial location and by the character of their dense secretory granules. (b). The mucous neck cells are distinguished by a characteristically different appearance and distribution of their mucous granules, and by their varied shape and their location between parietal cells. (c). The parietal cells are very large and have unusually prominent secretory canaliculi and an extraordinary number of large mitochondria. (d). The chief cells are found at the base of the gastric glands and are similar in their fine structure to other zymogenic cells. They contain many large zymogen granules and have an extensively developed granular endoplasmic reticulum. The latter is sometimes aggregated in unusual, hexagonally packed straight tubules, each with twelve longitudinal rows of ribosomes uniformly spaced around its circumference and with the rows of ribosomes in precise register with those of adjoining tubules. (e). Argentaffin cells lodged between other cell types vary sufficiently in the structure of their mitochondria and the character of their specific granules to suggest that they are of more than one kind. The majority are at the base of the epithelium but some extend to the lumen and bear microvilli on their free surface.


Author(s):  
G. Ilse ◽  
K. Kovacs ◽  
N. Ryan ◽  
T. Sano ◽  
L. Stefaneanu ◽  
...  

Germfree state and food restriction have been shown to increase life span and delay tumor occurrence in rats. We report here the histologic, immunocytochemical and electron microscopic findings of adenohypophyses of aging, male Lobund-Wistar rats raised at Lobund Laboratories. In our previous study, the morphologic changes in the adenohypophyses of old rats have been extensively investigated by histology, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy. Lactotroph adenomas were frequent in Long-Evans and Sprague-Dawley rats, whereas gonadotroph adenomas were frequent in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats.Male Lobund-Wistar rats were divided into four groups: 1) conventional, which were raised under normal non-germfree environment and received food ad libitum; 2) germfree-food ad libitum; 3) conventional environment-food restricted and 4) germfree-food restricted. The adenohypophyses were removed from 6-month-, 18-month- and 30-month-old rats. For light microscopy, adenohypophyses were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin.


Author(s):  
P.W. Coates ◽  
E.A. Ashby ◽  
L. Krulich ◽  
A. Dhariwal ◽  
S. McCann

The morphologic effects on somatotrophs of crude sheep hypothalamic extract prepared from stalk-median eminence were studied by electron microscopy in conjunction with concurrently run bioassays performed on the same tissue samples taken from young adult male Sherman rats.Groups were divided into uninjected controls and injected experimentals sacrificed at 5', 15', and 30' after injection. Half of each anterior pituitary was prepared for electron microscopic investigation, the other half for bioassay. Fixation using collidine buffered osmium tetroxide was followed by dehydration and embedment in Maraglas. Uranyl acetate and lead citrate were used as stains. Thin sections were examined in a Philips EM 200.Somatotrophs from uninjected controls appeared as described in the literature (Fig. 1). In addition to other components, these cells contained moderate numbers of spherical, electron-dense, membrane-bound granules approximately 350 millicrons in diameter.


Author(s):  
K. Kovacs ◽  
E. Horvath

Chromophobe pituitary adenomas arise from adenohypophysial cells and fail to exhibit cytoplasmic staining with conventional acid or basic dyes by light microscopy. The aim of the present work was to study the electron microscopic features of these tumors, to separate them into distinct entities and to correlate their fine structural appearances with secretory activity.Among 48 surgically removed various pituitary adenomas 30 tumors were found which, based on the tinctorial characteristics of the cytoplasm, corresponded to chromophobe adenomas. For electron microscopic investigation pieces of these tumors were fixed in 2.5 per cent glutaraldehyde in Sorensen's buffer, post fixed in 1 per cent osmium tetroxide in Millonig's buffer, dehydrated in graded ethanol and embedded in Epon 812. Ultrathin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate.By electron microscopy it was possible to separate chromophobe adenomas into 3 distinct entities: 1) adenomas consisting of sparsely granulated growth hormone cells (7 cases).


Author(s):  
John R. Palisano

Although confronting cistemae (CC) have been observed in a variety of tumor cells and normal fetal rat, mouse, and human epithelial tissues, little is known about their origin or role in mitotic cells. While several investigators have suggested that CC arise from nuclear envelope (NE) folding back on itself during prophase, others have suggested that CC arise when fragments of NE pair with endoplasmic reticulum. An electron microscopic investigation of 0.25 um thick serial sections was undertaken to examine the origin of CC in HeLa cells.


Author(s):  
E. Horvath ◽  
K. Kovacs ◽  
L. Stefaneanu ◽  
N. Losinski

Human pituitary corticotropins have unique morphologic markers: bundles of type-1 filaments, measuring approximately 70 A in width and representing cytokeratin. The extreme ring-like accumulation of type-1 filaments, known as Crooke's hyalinization, signals functional suppression of the corticotropins and occurs in endogenous and exogenous glucocorticoid excess, caused by ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma, glucocorticoid secreting adrenocortical tumor, ectopic ACTH-syndrome and administration of pharmacologic doses of glucocorticoids. Cells of autonomous corticotroph adenomas usually do not show Crooke's hyalin change. A minority of these tumors, however, retains sensitivity to the negative feed-back effect of elevated blood glucocorticoid levels and display typical Crooke’s change.In the present study pituitary corticotropins in various phases of Crooke's hyalinization were investigated in patients with glucocorticoid excess of various origin, applying histology, immunocytochemistry, count of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR), and transmission electron microscopy.


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