Changes in the fine structure of the apical plasma membrane of endometrial epithelial cells during implantation in the rat

1982 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
C.R. Murphy ◽  
J.G. Swift ◽  
T.M. Mukherjee ◽  
A.W. Rogers

In previous work we have shown that ovarian hormones, when injected into ovariectomized rats, alter the fine structure of the plasma membrane of endometrial epithelial cells. In this paper freeze-fractures have been used to study the apical plasma membrane of endometrial epithelial cells of rats during the period of blastocyst implantation of normal pregnancy. On day 1 of pregnancy there were 2354 +/− 114 intramembranous particles (IMPs) per micrometer2 of membrane. The particles were spherical and randomly distributed. On day 5 of pregnancy IMP density rose to 2899 +/− 289 per micrometer2 and some rod-shaped particles were also visible. By day 6 of pregnancy IMP density had risen to 4014 +/− 206 per micrometer2 and there were more rod-shaped IMPs than before. In addition, on day 6 IMPs were also present as rows of particles and some gap-junction-like arrays of particles were also seen. Our findings indicate that there are fine-structural alterations in the apical plasma membrane of endometrial epithelial cells, the site of first contact between maternal and embryonic cells, during the period of early pregnancy. The findings are discussed in the light of suggested mechanisms of blastocyst attachment to the uterine epithelium at implantation.

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
S. N. Dowland ◽  
L. A. Lindsay ◽  
C. R. Murphy

Prominin-1 is a recently discovered pentaspan membrane protein present in characteristic cholesterol-based vesicles and associated with microvilli. These vesicles are used to deliver prominin-1 to the apical plasma membrane in a number of cell types. Previous work on uterine epithelial cells has demonstrated a loss of microvilli and the presence of large, cholesterol-based vesicles at the time of implantation. Thus this study aims to determine a role for prominin-1 in rat uterine epithelial cells during early pregnancy. Immunofluorescence microscopy reveals punctate and diffuse prominin-1 staining below the apical plasma membrane on day 1 of pregnancy. At the time of blastocyst implantation (day 6) however, prominin-1 appears concentrated at the apical surface of the cell. Western blotting of isolated uterine epithelial cell lysate revealed a change in prominin-1 glycosylation during early pregnancy. Prominin-1 was determined to be glycosylated on day 1 of pregnancy, but these carbohydrate side chains were lost by the time of attachment. Results seen in the present study indicate that prominin-containing vesicles may be prevented from reaching the apical plasma membrane by the terminal web on day 1 of pregnancy. On day 6, the loss of the terminal web may allow the vesicles to approach and incorporate into the apical plasma membrane, as seen with other uterine vesicles. The deglycosylation of prominin-1 at this time is suggested to allow the protein to bind its ligand and activate downstream signalling pathways that permit implantation. This study constitutes the first reported observation of prominin in endometrial lumenal epithelial cells. These preliminary results, in consideration with previous reports of prominin expression in trophoblast cells, suggest an important role for this protein in early pregnancy.


1985 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-172
Author(s):  
C.R. Murphy ◽  
B. Martin

Freeze-fracture cytochemistry with digitonin has been used to examine the cholesterol content of the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells during the early stages of pregnancy in the rat. Lesions caused by digitonin complexing with cholesterol were seen on both lateral and apical portions of the membrane but tight junctions and desmosomes were lesion-free. Compared with day 1 of pregnancy, lesions on the apical plasma membrane were much more extensive and some were of different morphology on day 6 - the day of blastocyst implantation. We consider mechanisms of lesion formation and interpret the results to indicate a higher content and perhaps a different organization of cholesterol in the apical plasma membrane on day 6 of pregnancy. We also suggest how this increase may occur.


1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1437-1448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thierry Galli ◽  
Ahmed Zahraoui ◽  
Vadakkanchery V. Vaidyanathan ◽  
Graça Raposo ◽  
Jian Min Tian ◽  
...  

The importance of soluble N-ethyl maleimide (NEM)-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) attachment protein (SNAP) receptors (SNAREs) in synaptic vesicle exocytosis is well established because it has been demonstrated that clostridial neurotoxins (NTs) proteolyze the vesicle SNAREs (v-SNAREs) vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)/brevins and their partners, the target SNAREs (t-SNAREs) syntaxin 1 and SNAP25. Yet, several exocytotic events, including apical exocytosis in epithelial cells, are insensitive to numerous clostridial NTs, suggesting the presence of SNARE-independent mechanisms of exocytosis. In this study we found that syntaxin 3, SNAP23, and a newly identified VAMP/brevin, tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT)-insensitive VAMP (TI-VAMP), are insensitive to clostridial NTs. In epithelial cells, TI-VAMP–containing vesicles were concentrated in the apical domain, and the protein was detected at the apical plasma membrane by immunogold labeling on ultrathin cryosections. Syntaxin 3 and SNAP23 were codistributed at the apical plasma membrane where they formed NEM-dependent SNARE complexes with TI-VAMP and cellubrevin. We suggest that TI-VAMP, SNAP23, and syntaxin 3 can participate in exocytotic processes at the apical plasma membrane of epithelial cells and, more generally, domain-specific exocytosis in clostridial NT-resistant pathways.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 408 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Lloyd ◽  
R. M. A. Elliott ◽  
A. Fazeli ◽  
P. F. Watson ◽  
W. V. Holt

Following insemination, ram spermatozoa are transported to the isthmus region of the oviduct where they bind to the oviductal epithelial cells (OEC), remaining viable for several hours. The aim of the present study was to begin to decipher which component(s) of the ewe oviduct actively participates in maintaining the viability of ram spermatozoa. A series of experiments was conducted to investigate whether: (1) soluble OEC apical plasma membrane proteins (sAPM) isolated from ewes prolong survival of ram spermatozoa over an extended (48 h) coincubation period at 39°C; (2) a recombinant form of one of these oviductal proteins, namely heat shock 70 kDa protein 8 (HSPA8), prolongs survival of ram spermatozoa; and (3) pretreatment with HSPA8 antibody compromises the ability of sAPM to prolong the survival of ram spermatozoa. Both sAPM and recombinant HSPA8 had a beneficial effect on the viability of ram spermatozoa during coincubation, although both these effects were dose dependent. In contrast, pretreatment with HSPA8 antibody significantly negated the ability of sAPM to maintain the viability of ram spermatozoa. These findings suggest that HSPA8 is an active component of the ewe oviduct that participates in maintaining the viability of ram spermatozoa. This is a potentially valuable observation given that there is a great deal of room for improving existing diluents for storing fresh ram semen.


2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (7) ◽  
pp. 1331-1341 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.K. Criss ◽  
D.M. Ahlgren ◽  
T.S. Jou ◽  
B.A. McCormick ◽  
J.E. Casanova

The bacterial pathogen Salmonella typhimurium colonizes its animal hosts by inducing its internalization into intestinal epithelial cells. This process requires reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton of the apical plasma membrane into elaborate membrane ruffles that engulf the bacteria. Members of the Ρ family of small GTPases are critical regulators of actin structure, and in nonpolarized cells, the GTPase Cdc42 has been shown to modulate Salmonella entry. Because the actin architecture of epithelial cells is organized differently from that of nonpolarized cells, we examined the role of two ‘Rgr; family GTPases, Cdc42 and Rac1, in invasion of polarized monolayers of MDCK cells by S. typhimurium. Surprisingly, we found that endogenous Rac1, but not Cdc42, was activated during bacterial entry at the apical pole, and that this activation required the bacterial effector protein SopE. Furthermore, expression of dominant inhibitory Rac1 but not Cdc42 significantly inhibited apical internalization of Salmonella, indicating that Rac1 activation is integral to the bacterial entry process. In contrast, during basolateral internalization, both Cdc42 and Rac1 were activated; however, neither GTPase was required for entry. These findings, which differ significantly from previous observations in nonpolarized cells, indicate that the host cell signaling pathways activated by bacterial pathogens may vary with cell type, and in epithelial tissues may further differ between plasma membrane domains.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1057
Author(s):  
Richard Bouley ◽  
Naofumi Yui ◽  
Abby Terlouw ◽  
Pui W. Cheung ◽  
Dennis Brown

We previously showed that in polarized Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, aquaporin-2 (AQP2) is continuously targeted to the basolateral plasma membrane from which it is rapidly retrieved by clathrin-mediated endocytosis. It then undertakes microtubule-dependent transcytosis toward the apical plasma membrane. In this study, we found that treatment with chlorpromazine (CPZ, an inhibitor of clathrin-mediated endocytosis) results in AQP2 accumulation in the basolateral, but not the apical plasma membrane of epithelial cells. In MDCK cells, both AQP2 and clathrin were concentrated in the basolateral plasma membrane after CPZ treatment (100 µM for 15 min), and endocytosis was reduced. Then, using rhodamine phalloidin staining, we found that basolateral, but not apical, F-actin was selectively reduced by CPZ treatment. After incubation of rat kidney slices in situ with CPZ (200 µM for 15 min), basolateral AQP2 and clathrin were increased in principal cells, which simultaneously showed a significant decrease of basolateral compared to apical F-actin staining. These results indicate that clathrin-dependent transcytosis of AQP2 is an essential part of its trafficking pathway in renal epithelial cells and that this process can be inhibited by selectively depolymerizing the basolateral actin pool using CPZ.


1990 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
pp. 921-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J van Zeijl ◽  
K S Matlin

The effects of microtubule perturbation on the transport of two different viral glycoproteins were examined in infected Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells grown on both permeable and solid substrata. Quantitative biochemical analysis showed that the microtubule-depolymerizing drug nocodazole inhibited arrival of influenza hemagglutinin on the apical plasma membrane in MDCK cells grown on both substrata. In contrast, the microtubule-stabilizing drug taxol inhibited apical appearance of hemagglutinin only when MDCK cells were grown on permeable substrata. On the basis of hemagglutinin mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and its sensitivity to endo H, it was evident that nocodazole and taxol arrested hemagglutinin at different intracellular sites. Neither drug caused a significant increase in the amount of hemagglutinin detected on the basolateral plasma membrane domain. In addition, neither drug had any noticeable effect on the transport of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-G protein to the basolateral surface. These results shed light on previous conflicting reports using this model system and support the hypothesis that microtubules play a role in the delivery of membrane glycoproteins to the apical, but not the basolateral, domain of epithelial cells.


2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 3540-3551 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Xiong ◽  
Y. Zhao ◽  
D. Hu ◽  
J. Meng ◽  
R. Wang ◽  
...  

1967 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Mukherjee ◽  
A. Wynn Williams

A comparative analysis of the fine structure of the microvilli on jejunal and colonic epithelial cells of the mouse intestine has been made. The microvilli in these two locations demonstrate a remarkably similar fine structure with respect to the thickness of the plasma membrane, the extent of the filament-free zone, and the characteristics of the microfilaments situated within the microvillous core. Some of the core microfilaments appear to continue across the plasma membrane limiting the tip of the microvillus. The main difference between the microvilli of small intestine and colon is in the extent and organization of the surface coat. In the small intestine, in addition to the commonly observed thin surface "fuzz," occasional areas of the jejunal villus show a more conspicuous surface coat covering the tips of the microvilli. Evidence has been put forward which indicates that the surface coat is an integral part of the epithelial cells. In contrast to the jejunal epithelium, the colonic epithelium is endowed with a thicker surface coat. Variations in the organization of the surface coat at different levels of the colonic crypts have also been noted. The functional significance of these variations in the surface coat is discussed.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
R. J. Madawala ◽  
C. R. Murphy

Rat uterine epithelial cells undergo many changes during early pregnancy in order to become receptive to blastocyst implantation. These changes include basolateral folding and the presence of vesicles of various sizes which are at their greatest number during the pre-implantation period. The present study investigated the possible role that caveolin 1 and 2 plays in this remodelling specifically days 1, 3, 6, 7, and 9 of pregnancy. Caveolin is a major protein in omega shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane called caveolae that are considered to be specialised plasma membrane subdomains. Caveolae are rich in cholesterol, glycosphingolipids, and GPI anchored proteins and are involved in endocytosis and membrane curvature. Immunofluorescence microscopy has shown caveolin 1 and 2 on day 1 of pregnancy are localised to the cytoplasm of luminal uterine epithelial cells, and by day 6 of pregnancy (the time of implantation), it concentrates basally. By day 9 of pregnancy, expression of both caveolin 1 and 2 in luminal uterine epithelia is cytoplasmic as seen on day 1 of pregnancy. A corresponding increase in protein expression of caveolin 1 on day 6 of pregnancy in luminal uterine epithelia was observed. Interestingly however, caveolin 2 protein expression decreases at the time of implantation as found by western blot analysis. Both caveolin 1 and 2 were localised to blood vessels within the endometrium and myometrium and also the muscle of the myometrium in all days of pregnancy studied. In addition, both caveolin 1 and 2 were absent from glandular epithelium, which is interesting considering that they do not undergo the plasma membrane transformation. The localisation and expression of caveolin 1 and 2 in rat luminal uterine epithelium at the time of implantation suggest possible roles in trafficking of cholesterol and/or various proteins for either degradation or relocation. Caveolins may contribute to the morphology of the basolateral membrane seen on day 6 of pregnancy. All of which may play an important role during successful blastocyst implantation.


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