Rapid formation of myometrial gap junctions during parturition in the unilaterally implanted rat uterus

Summary In uterine smooth muscles, gap junction plaques rapidly form during the final stages of gestation. To investigate the related mechanisms, regional differences in myometrial gap junction development in rat uterus were examined quantitatively during delivery, using thin-section and freeze-fracture techniques in combination with light- and electron microscopy.Examination of implanted and nonimplanted horns in the unilaterally ligated rat bicornuate uteri, revealed no differences in the occurrence of gap junction plaques, but after 2 to 4 pups had been delivered, the contracted segments contained more gap junction plaques than did noncontracted segments examined immediately before delivery. In all segments, gap junctions were found more frequently in the circular muscle layers than in the longitudinal muscle layers. Gap junctions ranged in size from 0.002 m² to 0.52 m², but two-thirds were less than 0.1 m². The frequency of small gap junction plaques (less than 0.1 m²) was higher in the noncontracted segment.These results suggest that gap junctions are dynamic structures, and that their formation is controlled not only by general hormonal factors, possibly involved in gap junction increases in the myometrium before delivery, but also by local factors, possibly related to the contraction, that may accelerate an increase in gap junction formation during delivery.     

The endosome-lysosome system in the absorptive cells of goldfish hindgut

Summary The vacuolar system in the absorptive cells of the goldfish hindgut was studied by rapid freeze-substituted and cytochemical techniques. The apical cytoplasm of the absorptive cells contained two types of vacuoles: endosomes and lysosomes. The former were characterized by an absence of acid phosphatase activity, a dot-like distribution of material at the peripheral rim, the labelling of the inner surface with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and by frequent connections to cytoplasmic tubules (CT), which were also free of acid phosphatase activity. The latter vacuole was preferentially located in the deeper cytoplasm and was characterized by the presence of acid phosphatase activity, an electron-dense interior matrix, a peripheral electron-lucent region (a halo), and by the detachment of HRP from the inner surface. Connections between CTs and these latter vacuoles were rarely seen. In the deeper cytoplasm, fusion between endosomes and lysosomes was sometimes observed. These results suggest that the vacuoles which are associated with CTs are endosomes, but not lysosomes, and that internalized materials are transported through the endosome-lysosome system to a giant food vacuole in the cell.     

The ultrastructural basis of the permeability of arterial endothelium to horseradish peroxidase

The thoracic aorta and basilar artery, in which the incidence of atherosclerosis is known to be different, were examined to elucidate the correlation between the structure of the intercellular cleft junction between adjacent endothelial cells and its permeability to HRP. Tannic acid or HRP in the vessel lumen passed through the intercellular clefts of the thoracic aorta into the subendothelial space, whereas in the basilar artery they were unable to penetrate beyond the tight junction of the intercellular clefts. Freeze-fracture replicas revealed that the tight junctions of the thoracic aorta consisted of one to two junctional strands in most areas of the cleaved planes, with discontinuities in some places, whereas those of the basilar artery consisted of a continuous belt-like meshwork of six anastomosing junctional strands on average. These observations confirm that the structure of endothelial junctions in arteries has a close correlation with the permeability of the intercellular clefts to HRP.     

The structure of pyridinoline,a collagen crosslink

Pyridinoline is an amino acid isolated from collagen and probably serves as a crosslink in collagen fiber. This compound was isolated on a large scale from bovine bone and investigated by ¹H-nmr and ¹³C-nmr spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and chemical degradation. The structure is proposed on the basis of these data.     

Microthread-like filaments connecting the epithelial basal lamina with underlying fibrillar components of the connective tissue in the rat trachea

Summary The structural relationship between the basal lamina and the underlying reticular tissue was studied, with special attention to the relationship among basal lamina-associated anchoring fibrillar (AF) arcs (Kawanami et al. 1978, 1979) and other fibrillar components, in the epithelium-denuded trachea of the rat. Quantitative analysis of a large number of AF arcs reveals that the majority of the AF arcs has no other fibrillar components of passage. This suggests that most AF arcs do not serve as a real anchoring device, connecting the basal lamina with the underlying reticular tissue, as has so far been suggested by Kawanami et al. (1978). Ruthenium-red staining reveals the presence of a unique meshwork of microthread-like filaments connecting the undersurface of the basal lamina or the AF arcs with the underlying fibrillar components with a remarkable continuity, suggesting that the filaments act as a real anchoring device; these filaments link, instead of the AF arcs, the basal lamina, to the subjacent reticular tissue. Various enzymatic treatments of the filaments indicate that their chemical nature is probably non-collagenous (glyco)protein without glycosaminoglycan moieties.     

Membrane differentiation in the cytoplasmic-tubule system of the intestinal absorptive cells of the lamprey,Lampetra japonica

Summary Specific membrane differentiation occurs in the cytoplasmic-tubule system of the absorptive cells lining the mucosa of the lamprey anterior intestine. The absorptive cells are characterized by the presence of abundant mitochondria and a system of well-developed cytoplasmic tubules (120 nm in diameter). The cytoplasmic tubules open on to the basolateral cell surface and contain numerous lipoprotein particles (50–100 nm diam.) in their lumina. Lipoprotein particles are also observed in the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex, and they are transfered to the lateral intercellular space and lamina propria by way of the cytoplasmic tubules. Spirally-wound parallel rows of particles are found in the luminal surface of the cytoplasmic tubules. The rows are 17 nm apart and are wound spirally at a pitch of 210 nm. Freeze-fracture images of the tubule membranes also show spiral arrays of particles (9 nm in diameter) on the P-face, and complementary shallow grooves on the E-face. From these observations, it is suggested that the cytoplasmic-tubule system of the intestinal absorptive cells serves as a channel for the transport of synthesized lipoprotein into the interstitium, and is also the site of the ion and water exchange essential for the maintenance of ionic homeostasis.     

Gap junctions in the cardiac muscle cells of the lamprey

Summary Electron microscopy of both thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas has demonstrated the occurrence of gap junctions (nexuses) in the cardiac muscle cells of the lamprey. These gap junctions are identical in basic structure with those found in the mammalian heart. However, they are much smaller (less than 0.5 in diameter), and more irregularly distributed than the typical gap junction in the mammalian heart. These small gap junctions seem to provide a structural basis for the electrical coupling between cardiac muscle cells in the lower vertebrates.In addition, the well developed sarcoplasmic reticulum and subsurface cisternae, which contain an electron dense spheroidal cast, are frequently observed in the cardiac muscles of the lamprey.This work is supported by a research grant from the Ministry of Education, Japan     

An overview of salmon enhancement and the need to manage and monitor natural spawning in Hokkaido, Japan

The chum and pink salmon catches in Hokkaido, Japan have increased dramatically since the 1970s and the 1990s, respectively. In contrast, masu salmon catches have been steadily decreasing. Despite intensive hatchery development in Hokkaido, naturally spawning salmon populations persist based on results from a recent river survey. This paper focuses on the challenges of maintaining hatchery salmon populations while protecting natural chum, pink and masu salmon populations in Hokkaido. Two important initiatives related to meeting this ambitious goal are managing hatcheries in a way that minimizes negative interactions between natural and hatchery salmon populations, and initiating new efforts at restoring and rehabilitating degraded freshwater habitats. In addition, in order to maintain a balance of demand and supply in the domestic market through the exportation of extra salmon, Hokkaido has decided to enter full assessment to gain Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of the Hokkaido chum salmon trap net fishery. This would involve a fundamental shift in fisheries management as practiced in Japan, specifically elevating the importance of managing the fishery in a way that conserves natural salmon populations. A key component of a new salmon management strategy is the establishment of a zone management framework based on the designation of stream units to spatially separate natural salmon from hatchery salmon to minimize negative effects of hatchery fish and to utilize effectively hatchery salmon for commercial fisheries. This effort is allied with similar initiatives in other Pacific Rim countries that are focusing on management reform to restore natural ecosystem function and maintain the coexistence of wild and hatchery salmon.