scholarly journals Observations on the mitochondrial reticulum in the yeast Candida utilis as revealed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy

1980 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 289-297
Author(s):  
E. Keyhani

Freeze-fracture of Candida utilis yeast cells grown to early logarithmic phase (5 h) and stationary phase (24 h) revealed a branched mitochondrial reticulum both in longitudinal and transverse cross-fracture studies. In contrast, the longitudinal and transverse sections of permanganate-fixed cells showed that the small ovoid or spherical mitochondria were located at the periphery of the cell, without formation of a reticulum. Data indicate that the separate mitochondrial profiles seen in thin sections of permanganate-fixed yeast cells are not separate round or ovoid mitochondria, but rather are cross-sections of the mitochondrial reticulum.

1980 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 746-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Skriver ◽  
A B Maunsbach ◽  
P L Jørgensen

To study the size and structure of the Na,K-pump molecule, the ultrastructure of phospholipid vesicles was examined after incorporation of purified Na,K-ATPase which catalyzes active coupled transport of Na+ and K+ in a ratio close to 3Na/2K. The vesicles were analyzed by thin sectioning and freeze-fracture electron microscopy after reconstitution with different ratios of Na,K-ATPase protein to lipid, and the ultrastructural observations were correlated to the cation transport capacity. The purified Na,K-ATPase reconstituted with phospholipids to form a very uniform population of vesicles. Thin sections of preparations fixed with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide showed vesicles limited by a single membrane which in samples stained with tannic acid appeared triple-layered with a thickness of 70 A. Also, freeze-fracture electron microscopy demonstrated uniform vesicles with diameters in the range of 700-1,100 A and an average value close to 900 A. The vesicle diameter was independent of the amount of protein used for reconstitution. Intramembrane particles appeared only in the vesicle membrane after introduction of Na,K-ATPase and the frequency of intramembrane particles was proportional to the amount of Na,K-ATPase protein used in the reconstitution. The particles were evenly distributed on the inner and the outer leaflet of the vesicle membrane. The diameter of the particles was 90 A and similar to our previous values for the diameter of intramembrane particles in the purified Na,K-ATPase. The capacity for active cation transport in the reconstituted vesicles was proportional to the frequency of intramembrane particles over a range of 0.2-16 particles per vesicle. The data therefore show that active coupled Na,K transport can be carried out by units of Na,K-ATPase which appear as single intramembrane particles with diameters close fo 90 A in the freeze-fracture micrographs.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1172-1173
Author(s):  
B Papahadjopoulos-Sternberg ◽  
J Ackrell

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2010 in Portland, Oregon, USA, August 1 – August 5, 2010.


Development ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-232
Author(s):  
John F. Fallon ◽  
Robert O. Kelley

The fine structure of the apical ectodermal ridge of five phylogenetically divergent orders of mammals and two orders of birds was examined using transmission and freeze fracture electron microscopy. Numerous large gap junctions were found in all apical ectodermal ridges studied. This was in contrast to the dorsal and ventral limb ectoderms where gap junctions were always very small and sparsely distributed. Thus, gap junctions distinguish the inductively active apical epithelium from the adjacent dorsal and ventral ectoderms. The distribution of gap junctions in the ridge was different between birds and mammals but characteristic within the two classes. Birds, with a pseudostratified columnar apical ridge, had the heaviest concentration of gap junctions at the base of each ridge cell close to the point where contact was made with the basal lamina. Whereas mammals, with a stratified cuboidal to squamous apical ridge, had a more uniform distribution of gap junctions throughout the apical epithelium. The difference in distribution for each class may reflect structural requirements for coupling of cells in the entire ridge. We propose that all cells of the apical ridges of birds and mammals are electrotonically and/or metabolically coupled and that this may be a requirement for the integrated function of the ridge during limb morphogenesis.


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