scholarly journals Rings of membrane sterols surround the openings of vesicles and fenestrae, in capillary endothelium.

1983 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1592-1600 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Simionescu ◽  
F Lupu ◽  
M Simionescu
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Freeze Fracture ◽  
Short Exposure ◽  
Capillary Endothelium ◽  
Anionic Sites ◽  
Microvascular Endothelium ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Plasmalemmal Vesicles

We investigated the distribution of sterols in the cell membrane of microvascular endothelium (mouse pancreas, diaphragm, brain, heart, lung, kidney, thyroid, adrenal, and liver) with the polyene antibiotic filipin, which reportedly has binding specificity for free 3-beta-hydroxysterols. In some experiments, concomitantly, cell-surface anionic sites were detected with cationized ferritin. Vessels were perfused in situ with PBS, followed by light fixation and filipin administration for 10 to 60 min. Tissues were further processed for thin-section and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Short exposure (10 min) to filipin-glutaraldehyde solution resulted in the initial appearance, on many areas, of rings of characteristic filipin-sterol complexes within the rim surrounding stomata of most plasmalemmal vesicles, transendothelial channels, and fenestrae. Such rings were absent from the rims of the large openings of the sinusoid endothelium (liver, adrenal), coated pits and phagocytic vacuoles. After longer exposure (30-60 min), filipin-sterol complexes labeled randomly the rest of plasma membrane (except for coated pits, and partially the interstrand areas of junctions), and also marked most plasmalemmal vesicles. These peristomal rings of sterols were displayed mostly on the P face, and, at their full development, consisted of 6-8 units around a vesicle stoma, and 10-12 units around a fenestra. At their level, the intramembranous particles and the cell surface anionic sites were virtually excluded. Peristomal rings of sterols were also detected on the plasma membrane of pericytes and smooth muscle cells of the microvascular wall, which otherwise were poorly labeled with filipin-sterol complexes as compared to endothelial plasmalemma. It is presumed that the peristomal rings of cholesterol may represent important contributors to the local transient stabilization of plasma membrane and to the phase separation between cell membrane and vesicle membrane at a certain stage of their fusion/fission process.

Mechanics of Curved Plasma Membrane Vesicles: Resting Shapes, Membrane Curvature, and In-Plane Shear Elasticity

2004 ◽  
Vol 127 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadashi Kosawada ◽  
Kohji Inoue ◽  
Geert W. Schmid-Schönbein
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Membrane Curvature ◽  
Membrane Tension ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Plane Shear ◽  
Plasmalemmal Vesicles ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Outer Domain ◽  
Shear Elasticity

Highly curved cell membrane structures, such as plasmalemmal vesicles (caveolae) and clathrin-coated pits, facilitate many cell functions, including the clustering of membrane receptors and transport of specific extracellular macromolecules by endothelial cells. These structures are subject to large mechanical deformations when the plasma membrane is stretched and subject to a change of its curvature. To enhance our understanding of plasmalemmal vesicles we need to improve the understanding of the mechanics in regions of high membrane curvatures. We examine here, theoretically, the shapes of plasmalemmal vesicles assuming that they consist of three membrane domains: an inner domain with high curvature, an outer domain with moderate curvature, and an outermost flat domain, all in the unstressed state. We assume the membrane properties are the same in these domains with membrane bending elasticity as well as in-plane shear elasticity. Special emphasis is placed on the effects of membrane curvature and in-plane shear elasticity on the mechanics of vesicle during unfolding by application of membrane tension. The vesicle shapes were computed by minimization of bending and in-plane shear strain energy. Mechanically stable vesicles were identified with characteristic membrane necks. Upon stretch of the membrane, the vesicle necks disappeared relatively abruptly leading to membrane shapes that consist of curved indentations. While the resting shape of vesicles is predominantly affected by the membrane spontaneous curvatures, the membrane shear elasticity (for a range of values recorded in the red cell membrane) makes a significant contribution as the vesicle is subject to stretch and unfolding. The membrane tension required to unfold the vesicle is sensitive with respect to its shape, especially as the vesicle becomes fully unfolded and approaches a relative flat shape.

scholarly journals Ultrastructural visualization of selective peanut agglutinin binding sites in rat osteoclasts.

1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Takagi ◽  
H Yagasaki ◽  
T Baba ◽  
H Baba
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Peanut Agglutinin ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Cytoplasmic Surface ◽  
Coated Membranes ◽  
Entire Cell ◽  
Ruffled Border

We investigated the distribution of concanavalin A (ConA)-reactive alpha-D-mannosyl and alpha-D-glucosyl groups and peanut agglutinin (PNA)-reactive beta-D-galactose-(1----3)-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine residues on the surface of osteoclasts with pre-embedment ultrastructural lectin cytochemistry after aldehyde fixation of the metaphyses of the rat tibiae. By routine morphology, the plasma membrane of the ruffled border of the osteoclast was distinguished from the rest of the cell membrane, with the exception of the membrane of coated pits, by its characteristic thick coat at its cytoplasmic surface. Cytochemistry, using ConA in combination with horseradish peroxidase (ConA-HRP) and PNA conjugated to HRP, showed that binding of ConA was distributed over the entire cell surface of osteoclasts. In contrast, intense binding of PNA was limited to the membranes of the ruffled border and coated pits, whereas the remainder of the cell membrane stained weakly or not at all. These results demonstrate that preferential PNA binding sites of the cell surface correspond to coated membranes associated with osteoclastic endocytosis.

scholarly journals Surface redistribution of 125I-insulin in cultured human lymphocytes.

1981 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
J L Carpentier ◽  
E Van Obberghen ◽  
P Gorden ◽  
L Orci
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Human Lymphocytes ◽  
Freeze Fracture ◽  
Total Cell ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Villous Surface ◽  
Specific Receptors ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
Preferential Association

The cultured human lymphocyte (IM-9) binds 125I-insulin by a receptor-mediated process; the receptor, in turn, is regulated by the ligand. In the present study we have examined quantitatively the morphologic events involved in 125I-insulin interaction with the surface of the lymphocyte. At 2 min of incubation of 15 degrees or 37 degrees C, the ligand localizes preferentially at the villous surface of the cell, whereas with longer periods of incubation, the ligand distributes indistinguishably between the villous and nonvillous surface. When rebinding is blocked, 125I-insulin localizes preferentially at the nonvillous surface of the cell. When the total cell surface is considered, there is little preferential association with coated pits; when only the nonvillous surface is considered, a preferential association with coated pits is found and is quantitatively increased in the absence of rebinding of the ligand. This cell has an abundant villous surface (approximately 55% of the total surface); and, as seen on freeze-fracture replicas, the plasma membrane of the villous surface contains a 60% greater density of intramembrane particles than the nonvillous surface. The data suggest an ordered pattern of insulin interaction with the cell surface (i.e., binding to villi followed by redistribution to the nonvillous portion of the cell containing coated pits). These events probably reflect the mechanism by which the cell segregates specific receptors and related proteins in the plane of the membrane so that they can be selectively removed.

scholarly journals Specific binding sites for albumin restricted to plasmalemmal vesicles of continuous capillary endothelium: receptor-mediated transcytosis.

1986 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 1304-1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Ghitescu ◽  
A Fixman ◽  
M Simionescu ◽  
N Simionescu
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Specific Binding ◽  
Short Exposure ◽  
Gold Complex ◽  
Membrane Microdomains ◽  
Capillary Endothelium ◽  
Plasmalemmal Vesicles ◽  
Specific Binding Sites

The interaction of homologous and heterologous albumin-gold complex (Alb-Au) with capillary endothelium was investigated in the mouse lung, heart, and diaphragm. Perfusion of the tracer in situ for from 3 to 35 min was followed by washing with phosphate-buffered saline, fixation by perfusion, and processing for electron microscopy. From the earliest time examined, one and sometimes two rows of densely packed particles bound to some restricted plasma membrane microdomains that appeared as uncoated pits, and to plasmalemmal vesicles open on the luminal front. Morphometric analysis, using various albumin-gold concentrations, showed that the binding is saturable at a very low concentration of the ligand and short exposure. After 5 min, tracer-carrying vesicles appeared on the abluminal front, discharging their content into the subendothelial space. As a function of tracer concentration 1-10% of plasmalemmal vesicles contained Alb-Au particles in fluid phase; from 5 min on, multivesicular bodies were labeled by the tracer. Plasma membrane, coated pits, and coated vesicles were not significantly marked at any time interval. Heparin or high ionic strength did not displace the bound Alb-Au from vesicle membrane. No binding was obtained when Alb-Au was competed in situ with albumin or was injected in vivo. Gold complexes with fibrinogen, fibronectin, glucose oxidase, or polyethyleneglycol did not give a labeling comparable to that of albumin. These results suggest that on the capillary endothelia examined, the Alb-Au is adsorbed on specific binding sites restricted to uncoated pits and plasmalemmal vesicles. The tracer is transported in transcytotic vesicles across endothelium by receptor-mediated transcytosis, and to a lesser extent is taken up by pinocytotic vesicles. The existence of albumin receptors on these continuous capillary endothelia may provide a specific mechanism for the transport of albumin and other molecules carried by this protein.

scholarly journals Anionized and cationized hemeundecapeptides as probes for cell surface charge and permeability studies: differentiated labeling of endothelial plasmalemmal vesicles.

1985 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 606-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Ghinea ◽  
N Simionescu
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Capillary Endothelium ◽  
Luminal Surface ◽  
Amino Groups ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Plasmalemmal Vesicles ◽  
Peroxidatic Activity ◽  
Acidic Residues ◽  
Tertiary Amino ◽  
A Charge

To obtain small membrane markers easily accessible to the charged groups of the cell surface, we prepared, from hemeundecapeptide (HUP), three derivatives that maintain the peroxidatic activity: the anionized hemeundecapeptide, Mr 1,963, estimated diameter 1.68 nm, pl 3.5, for the detection of basic groups; and both a cationized hemeundecapeptide containing predominantly tertiary amino groups, Mr 2,215, estimated diameter 1.75 nm, pl 9.0, and a cationized hemeundecapeptide containing only primary amino groups, Mr 2,271, estimated diameter 1.75 nm, pl 10.6, for labeling acidic residues. The markers were perfused in situ in mice to label the luminal surface of fenestrated endothelium of pancreatic capillaries. Specimens were processed through the cytochemical reaction for peroxidatic activity and examined by electron microscopy. The anionized HUP and HUP (pl 4.85) marked the plasmalemma proper, the coated pits, and the membrane and diaphragms of plasmalemmal vesicles and transendothelial channels. The cationized HUP containing predominantly tertiary amino groups (pl 9.0) decorated all cell surface components with the exception of plasmalemmal vesicles and channels; the latter were, however, labeled by the cationized HUP containing only primary groups (pl 10.6), which suggests that these structures contain on their luminal surface very weak acidic residues of high pKa values. The fact that the membrane of plasmalemmal vesicles can discriminate against permeant cationic macromolecules only up to a pl of approximately 9.0 indicates that in the electrostatic restriction there is a charge limit. In the case of fenestrated capillary endothelium, the upper charge limit seems to be a pl of approximately 9.0. In these vessels, the charge discrimination is effective for molecules as small as 2 nm.

scholarly journals Endocytosis of synaptic vesicle membrane at the frog neuromuscular junction.

1984 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 685-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
T M Miller ◽  
J E Heuser
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Thin Section ◽  
Nerve Terminal ◽  
Motor Nerve ◽  
Freeze Fracture ◽  
Frog Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Vesicle Membrane ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Active Zones

Frog nerve-muscle preparations were quick-frozen at various times after a single electrical stimulus in the presence of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), after which motor nerve terminals were visualized by freeze-fracture. Previous studies have shown that such stimulation causes prompt discharge of 3,000-6,000 synaptic vesicles from each nerve terminal and, as a result, adds a large amount of synaptic vesicle membrane to its plasmalemma. In the current experiments, we sought to visualize the endocytic retrieval of this vesicle membrane back into the terminal, during the interval between 1 s and 2 min after stimulation. Two distinct types of endocytosis were observed. The first appeared to be rapid and nonselective. Within the first few seconds after stimulation, relatively large vacuoles (approximately 0.1 micron) pinched off from the plasma membrane, both near to and far away from the active zones. Previous thin-section studies have shown that such vacuoles are not coated with clathrin at any stage during their formation. The second endocytic process was slower and appeared to be selective, because it internalized large intramembrane particles. This process was manifest first by the formation of relatively small (approximately 0.05 micron) indentations in the plasma membrane, which occurred everywhere except at the active zones. These indentations first appeared at 1 s, reached a peak abundance of 5.5/micron2 by 30 s after the stimulus, and disappeared almost completely by 90 s. Previous thin-section studies indicate that these indentations correspond to clathrin-coated pits. Their total abundance is comparable with the number of vesicles that were discharged initially. These endocytic structures could be classified into four intermediate forms, whose relative abundance over time suggests that, at this type of nerve terminal, endocytosis of coated vesicles has the following characteristics: (a) the single endocytotic event is short lived relative to the time scale of two minutes; (b) earlier forms last longer than later forms; and (c) a single event spends a smaller portion of its lifetime in the flat configuration soon after the stimulus than it does later on.

scholarly journals Binding and transcytosis of glycoalbumin by the microvascular endothelium of the murine myocardium: evidence that glycoalbumin behaves as a bifunctional ligand.

1988 ◽  
Vol 107 (5) ◽  
pp. 1729-1738 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Predescu ◽  
M Simionescu ◽  
N Simionescu ◽  
G E Palade
Keyword(s):  
Intercellular Junctions ◽  
Concomitant Administration ◽  
Multivesicular Bodies ◽  
Microvascular Endothelium ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Gold Complexes ◽  
Plasmalemmal Vesicles ◽  
Bifunctional Ligand ◽  
Albumin Molecule

The binding and transport of glycoalbumin (gA) by the endothelium of murine myocardial microvessels were studied by perfusing in situ 125I-gA or gA-gold complexes (gA-Au) and examining the specimens by radioassays and EM, respectively. After a 3-min perfusion, the uptake of radioiodinated gA is 2.2-fold higher than that of native albumin; it is partially (approximately 55%) competed by either albumin or D-glucose, and almost completely abolished by the concomitant administration of both competitors or by gA. D-mannose and D-galactose are not effective competitors. Unlike albumin-gold complexes that bind restrictively to plasmalemmal vesicles, gA-Au labels the plasma-lemma proper, plasmalemmal vesicles open on the lumen, and most coated pits. Competing albumin prevents gA-Au binding to the membrane of plasmalemmal vesicles, while glucose significantly reduces the ligand binding to plasmalemma proper. Competition with albumin and glucose gives additive effects. Transcytosis of gA-Au, already detected at 3 min, becomes substantial by 30 min. No tracer exit via intercellular junctions was detected. gA-Au progressively accumulates in multivesicular bodies. The results of the binding and competition experiments indicate that the gA behaves as a bifunctional ligand which is recognized by two distinct binding sites: one, located on the plasma membrane, binds as a lectin the glucose residues of gA; whereas the other, confined to plasmalemmal vesicles, recognizes presumably specific domains of the albumin molecule.

scholarly journals p180, a novel recycling transmembrane glycoprotein with restricted cell type expression.

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 2606-2618 ◽  
Author(s):  
C M Isacke ◽  
P van der Geer ◽  
T Hunter ◽  
I S Trowbridge
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Biochemical Characterization ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Sequence Information ◽  
Osteosarcoma Cell ◽  
Binding Studies ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Transmembrane Glycoprotein ◽  
Morphological Studies

A 180-kilodalton (kDa) protein (p180) was identified among the antigens for a panel of monoclonal antibodies raised against human fibroblast cell surface proteins. Binding studies with 125I-Fab' fragments of an anti-p180 monoclonal antibody demonstrated that 10 to 30% of p180 was located on the plasma membrane and that the remaining 70 to 90% was on intracellular membranes. p180 was rapidly internalized from the cell surface at 37 degrees C, and kinetic analyses indicated that this was a constitutive process followed by the recycling of p180 back to the plasma membrane. Morphological studies demonstrated that on the cell surface p180 was concentrated in coated pits, whereas inside the cell it was found in endosomes as suggested by its colocalization with the transferrin receptor. Immunoblot analysis with a polyclonal antiserum raised against purified human protein showed that p180 has a restricted distribution with expression at high levels in fibroblast cultures and in tissues containing cells of mesodermal origin. A biochemical characterization of p180 showed it to be a transmembrane glycoprotein with an extracellular domain, which consists of approximately 30 kDa of complex oligosaccharides attached to at least 45 kDa of the protein core. The cytoplasmic domain of p180 was found to contain a serine residue(s) that was phosphorylated both in vivo and in vitro by activated protein kinase C. p180 was purified by subjecting solubilized membrane proteins from a human osteosarcoma cell line to immunoaffinity chromatography and gel filtration. The N-terminal sequence information obtained from the purified protein showed no homology to other known proteins. It was concluded that p180 may be a novel recycling receptor which is highly restricted in its expression to fibroblastlike cells.

scholarly journals alpha 2 Macroglobulin binding to the plasma membrane of cultured fibroblasts. Diffuse binding followed by clustering in coated regions.

1979 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 614-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
M C Willingham ◽  
F R Maxfield ◽  
I H Pastan
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Coated Vesicles ◽  
The Other ◽  
Con A ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Cultured Fibroblasts ◽  
Receptor Complexes ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Epidermal Growth

Using transmission electron microscopy, we have studied the interaction of alpha 2 macroglobulin (alpha 2 M) with the surface of cultured fibroblasts. When cells were incubated for 2 h at 4 degrees C with ferritin-conjugated alpha 2 M, approximately 90% of the alpha 2 M was diffusely distributed on the cell surface, and the other 10% was concentrated in "coated" pits. A pattern of diffuse labeling with some clustering in "coated" pits was also obtained when cells were incubated for 5 min at 4 degrees C with alpha 2 M, fixed with glutaraldehyde, and the alpha 2 M was localized with affinity-purified, peroxidase-labeled antibody to alpha 2 M. Experiments in which cells were fixed with 0.2% paraformaldehyde before incubation with alpha 2 M showed that the native distribution of alpha 2 M receptors was entirely diffuse without significant clustering in "coated" pits. This indicates that some redistribution of the alpha 2 M-receptor complexes into clusters occurred even at 4 degrees C. In experiments with concanavalin A(Con A), we found that some of the Con A clustered in coated regions of the membrane and was internalized in coated vesicles, but much of the Con A was directly internalized in uncoated vesicles or pinosomes. We conclude that unoccupied alpha 2 M receptors are diffusely distributed on the cell surface. When alpha 2 M-receptor complexes are formed, they rapidly cluster in coated regions or pits in the plasma membrane and subsequently are internalized in coated vesicles. Because insulin and epidermal growth factor are internalized in the same structures as alpha 2 M (Maxfield, F.R., J. Schlessinger, Y. Schechter, I. Pastan, and M.C. Willingham. 1978. Cell, 14: 805--810.), we suggest that all peptide hormones, as well as other proteins that enter the cell by receptor-mediated endocytosis, follow this same pathway.

scholarly journals Glycoproteins of coated pits, cell junctions, and the entire cell surface revealed by monoclonal antibodies and immunoelectron microscopy.

1983 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
T L Murphy ◽  
G Decker ◽  
J T August
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibodies ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Immunoelectron Microscopy ◽  
Total Cell ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Membrane Glycoproteins ◽  
3T3 Cells ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Entire Cell

Topographical descriptions of three major plasma membrane glycoproteins of murine 3T3 cells were obtained by immunoelectron microscopy with monoclonal antibodies. A glycoprotein of Mr 80,000 was distributed throughout the total cell surface. A second of Mr 90,000 was concentrated in coated pits, and a third of Mr 100,000 was localized at cell junctions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document