The fine structure of the gill epithelium of a fresh-water flea,Daphnia magna (Crustacea: Phyllopoda) and changes associated with acclimation to various salinities

Two kinds of epithelial cells, dark and light types, are alternately arranged in the gill of Daphnia magna. The dark cell has numerous mitochondria and an elaborate tubular system containing two kinds of cytoplasmic tubules, small about 70 nm in diameter, and large about 130 nm in diameter. The former occur in bundles and seem to be smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. The latter, lined with a ridged surface coat and frequently open at the lateral and basal cell membrane, are regarded as extensions of the cell membrane. The atypical cell membrane of the dark cell is modified by repeated subunits of a cytoplasmic coat on the inner leaflet of the unit membrane. The light cell exhibits a high degree of basal infoldings of the cell membrane, which represent a magnification of the surface area of the cell. Large mitochondria between the infoldings often come into intimate association with the infolded cell membrane to form a regular array of parallel mitochondria interposed with the double cell membranes. The results suggest that at least the dark epithelial cells play an important role in the osmoregulation of this animal.     

Invaginated apical vacuoles in the cells of the proximal convoluted tubule in the rat kidney

Summary Following perfusion fixation of the rat kidney with glutaraldehyde the proximal tubule cells display small apical vacuoles, large apical vacuoles, and apical vacuoles in which a part of the limiting membrane is invaginated into the vacuole. These invaginated apical vacuoles occur more frequently in proximal convoluted tubules than in proximal straight tubules. One tubular cell may contain apical vacuoles of different sizes and stages of invagination, ranging from larger vacuoles with a wide lumen and a small area of invaginated membrane to smaller elements with no apparent lumen and a large area of invaginated membrane. Invaginated apical vacuoles lie either singly in the cytoplasm or close to the membranes of other apical vacuoles, but never in contact with the cell membrane or the membranes of lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and peroxisomes.These findings suggest that the invaginated apical vacuoles are not fixation artifacts, but rather develop in living state in cells of the proximal tubule from spherical endocytotic elements.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 105)     

An ultrastructural study of Dirofilaria immitis infection in the Malpighian tubules of Anopheles quadrimaculatus

An ultrastructural study was conducted of the Malpighian tubules of Anopheles quadrimaculatus, both uninfected and following infection with Dirofilaria immitis. The Malpighian tubules in Anopheles are composed of primary and stellate cells. The primary cells are the predominant cell type and are characterized by the presence of membrane-bound, intracellular, mineralized concretions and large apical microvilli containing mitochondria. Following the infective blood meal, the microfilariae enter the primary cells of the Malpighian tubules and reside in the cytoplasm in a clear zone without a delimiting membrane. Cells in infected tubules differ from those in uninfected tubules in that the membranes of the vacuoles surrounding the concretions are disrupted in many specimens. The apical and basal cell membranes and the mitochondria associated with these are not disrupted during the first 6-8 days of infection. These observations differ sharply from those previously described in Aedes taeniorhynchus infected with D. immitis. The observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the extended transport capacity observed in previous physiological studies of An. quadrimaculatus infected with D. immitis are dependent on the prolonged normal ultrastructure of the apical microvilli, mitochondria, and basal membranes.     

Ultrastructure of the heart of the sturgeon Acipenser stellatus (Chondrostei)

Summary The ultrastructure of atrial and ventricular myocardial cells from Acipenser stellatus is described. The cells of the atrium are more loosely connected than those of the ventricle. Cell contact is by simple intercalated discs and by desmosomes. The cells are flattened, with peripheral myofibrils and a central region of mitochondria and the nucleus. The sarcoplasmic reticulum consists of subsarcolemmal tubules, that frequently extend towards the central mitochondria. Dyads are small and positioned at any sarcomeric level. No T-tubules are present. Specific granules are restricted to the atrial cell, and are sometimes present within the SR tubules.     

Wall projections in the vegetative cell ofParietaria officinalis L. Pollen

Summary Ultrastructural aspects of pore development inParietaria officinalis L. pollen are described. The main feature is the presence of intine wall projections formed in correspondence to the pores during the late microspore stage and persisting in the shedding pollen. This structure coexists with the tubules occurring in the pore and first appearing as evaginations of the plasma membrane.The morphological evidence and other features such as the occurrence of mitochondria next or in contact with wall projections lead us to compare the pollen vegetative cell to a transfer-cell. The possible functions of these transfer-cell type structures are discussed.     

Fine structure of the Malpighian tubules in the housefly, Musca domestica

The epithelium of the Malpighian tubules in the housefly is comprised of four distinct cellular types. Type I cells are characterized by the presence of intimate associations between infoldings of basal plasma membrane and mitochondria. On the luminal surface, cytoplasm is extended into microvilli which contain mitochondria. Membrane-bound vacuoles in the cytoplasm seem to progressively accumulate granular material. Type II cells have dilated canaliculi. Microvilli lack mitochondria. The Type III cell has not been reported previously in Malpighian tubules. It has very well-developed granular endoplasmic reticulum which contains intracisternal bundles of tubules. Cytoplasm contains numerous electron dense bodies. Type IV cells occur in the common duct region of the Malpighian tubules. Mitochondria do not extend into the microvilli.     

Relationship of the tubular system with other organelles in chlorride cells of the channel catfish,Ictalurus punctatus

The morphology of chloride cells in the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, has been studied by transmission electron microscopy. The chloride cell possesses abundant tubules, mitochondria, and granules. The employment of a special membrane stain in conjunction with a two- or tridimensional analysis reveals a complex interjoining and interlocking ring system of tubules. Tubular sides constituting the complex rings frequently lack granules. The tubular rings join with tubulous mitochondrial profiles and other cytoplasmic components. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

应用电镜X射线显微分析方法研究神经细胞内钙离子的分布

本文应用X射线能谱分析结合电镜技术研究了钙离子在青蛙交感神经节神经元内的分布及其在茶碱作用下分布的变化.实验结果表明在组织样品的电子致密沉积物EDD中含有钙离子成分.在青蛙交感神经节突触后神经元中,包含钙离子的EDD存在于质膜、亚表面池及线粒体中;在突触前神经末梢中,突触小泡的膜上也可观察到EDD.在茶碱作用下,交感神经节神经元的质膜、线粒体中的EDD大大地减少;在亚表面池中则没有或很少观察到EDD;突触前末梢中的突触小泡明显地趋向聚集,在突触小泡之间的连接处频繁地出现EDD.本文根据实验结果讨论了茶碱可能促使钙离子从交感神经元的上述部位中释放出来,并认为质膜、亚表面池和线粒体是细胞内钙离子的贮存部位,而亚表面池可能是主要的贮存释放部位.突触前神经末梢内形态上的变化可能与神经递质释放的机理有关.     

Micromorphology of the malpighian tubules in the louse Pediculus humanus corporis (Anoplura)

The ultrastructure of the Malpighian tubes in human louse Pediculus humanus corporis has been studied. The cells of the Malpighian tubules have the uniform structure: the apical surface is covered with microvilli, the basal plasmatic membrana forms relatively small invaginations. The microvilli are most developed in cells of the proximal department of the Malpighian tubules. Microvilli of the apical surface of the cells do not contain mitochondria which are localized mainly in supranuclear part of the cell. Cells are lined with a homogenous basal membrane.     

An Association between Mitochondria and the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Cells of the Pseudobranch Gland of a Teleost

An elaborate and apparently unique specialization of the endoplasmic reticulum having the form of tubules and a precise orientation with respect to the mitochondria has been described for the specific cell of the pseudobranch gland. The tubules also are concentrated near the vascular border of the cell where they show continuity with the plasma membrane and open directly against the basement membrane. On the other side of the basement membrane, the endothelial cells of the sinusoid show openings or discontinuities characteristically associated with secretory cells. The pseudobranch gland is presumed to have carbonic anhydrase as one of its primary products, if not its only one, and the elaborate ultrastructure is thought to be associated with the special problems of secreting this enzyme.     

Connections between mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in rat liver and onion stem

Summary Smooth-surfaced elements of endoplasmic reticulum contact and are attached to the outer membranes of mitochondria in rat liver and onion stem. Some connections appear as short, 150–300 Å diameter tubules that bridge the space between the conjoining elements. In liver, the smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum cisternae connected to the outer mitochondrial membrane are shown to be continuous with rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. Here, the smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum is identified in negatively stained preparations of isolated cell fractions and in thin sections of tissues by the presence of lipoprotein particles characteristic of this cell component. In onion, the identification of endoplasmic reticulum is based on continuity with rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum.     

Excurrent duct system of the male turtle Chrysemys picta

The epididymis and efferent duct system of the turtle Chrysemys picta were examined. Seminiferous tubules are drained by a series of ducts that form a rete exterior to the tunica albuginea. The rete is located lateral to the testis and consists of anastamosing tubules of varying diameters, lined by a simple epithelium consisting of squamous to cuboidal cells. The rete is highly vascularized. A series of tubules (efferent ductules) connect the rete to the epididymis proper. The efferent ductules are highly convoluted, running between the epididymal tubules and are of varying diameters. The simple columnar epithelium lining these tubules possesses tight junctions, with every third or fourth cell possessing long cilia that protrude into the lumen. The cytoplasm of these epithelial cells contains abundant mitochondria. In the central portion of the efferent ductule, epithelial cells possess granules that appear to be secreted into the lumen by an apocrine process. The epididymis proper is a single, long, highly convoluted tubule that receives efferent ductules along its entire length. It is lined by a pseudostratified epithelium containing several cell types. The most abundant cell (vesicular cell) lacks cilia, but has a darkly staining apical border due to numerous small vesicles immediately beneath the luminal membrane. The small vesicles appear to fuse with each other basally to form larger vesicles. These cells appear to have an absorptive function, and occasionally sperm are embedded in their cytoplasm. The second-most abundant cell is a basal cell found along the basement membrane. The number of these cells fluctuates throughout the year, being most abundant in late summer and early fall. A small narrow cell with an oval nucleus and darkly staining cytoplasm, extending from the basement membrane to the apical surface, is present in small numbers, particularly in the caudal regions of the epididymis. This cell is frequently found in association with another narrow cell having a rounded nucleus and abundant mitochondria in its cytoplasm.     

Two types of chloride cells in the gill epithelium of a freshwater-adapted euryhaline fish: Lebistes reticulatus; their modifications during adaptation to saltwater

Two types of chloride cells were identified in the gill epithelium of freshwater-adapted guppies. One type, referred to as an "alpha-chloride cell," was a pale, elongated cell located at the base of the secondary lamella in close contact with the arterioarterial pillar capillaries. In its cytoplasm, membranous tubules in continuity with its basolateral plasma membrane formed an extended tridimensional network. The vesiculotubular system (Pisam: Anat. Rec. 200:401-414, 1981) consisted of a few tubules and vesicles located next to the apical plasma membrane. A second type, referred to as a "beta-chloride cell," was a darker, ovoid cell located in the interlamellar region of the primary epithelium facing the central venous sinus. Membranous tubules in continuity with the basolateral plasma membrane were unevenly distributed in the cytoplasm. A prominent vesiculotubular system composed of numerous vesicles and tubules was found between the Golgi apparatus and the apical surface. During seawater adaptation, the alpha-chloride cells increased in size and progressively transformed into characteristic "seawater alpha-chloride cells" with a well-developed, regular, tight tubular network and numerous vesicles and tubules of the vesiculotubular system accumulated below the apical pit. The beta-chloride cells underwent a progressive degeneration and disappeared. Thus, in freshwater-adapted guppies, there are two types of chloride cells, alpha and beta, respectively, related to the arterial and the venous vessels, whereas in seawater-adapted fishes, a single type of cell, the alpha-chloride cell, was related to both the arterial and venous channels.     

Fine structure of the Malpighian tubules of chironomus larva in relation to glycogen storage and fate of hemoglobin

The larval Malpighian tubules of Chironomus tentans were studied using light and electron microscopy. The tubules are composed of two cell types: primary and stellate cells. Both cell types lack muscles, tracheoles, and laminate crystals in the cytoplasm and mitochondria in the microvilli. The primary cells exhibit long, wide basal membrane infoldings associated with mitochondria. They have a number of canaliculi and long, closely packed microvilli. The stellate cells possess shorter interconnecting basal infoldings and shorter, well-spaced microvilli. Both cell types are linked by septate and gap junctions. They have cytoplasmic processes and pedicels which enclose narrow slits between them and that are apposed to a basal lamella. In the 'fed' larva, the cells are stuffed with glycogen which is depleted in the 'starved' larva. Both cell types are involved in the vesicular transport of biliverdin. The presence of coated vesicles, tubular elements and various forms of lysosomes in the primary cells suggests they transport and break down functional hemoglobin. Structural modification of basal infoldings, canaliculi and microvilli is strongly correlated with increased secretory activity of the Malpighian tubules in 'fed' versus 'starved' larva.     

Fine structure of the sensory epithelium of guinea-pig organ of Corti: Subsurface cisternae and lamellar bodies in the outer hair cells

The fine structure of subsurface cisternae and lamellar bodies in the outer hair cells of the guinea-pig organ of Corti was studied with thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas. Subsurface cisternae in the outer hair cells consist of multilayers along the lateral plasma membrane of the cell. The outermost layer is a flattened cistern in the upper part of the supranuclear region, but comprises a series of tubules in the lower part. Deeper layers are fenestrated cisternae in which disc-like areas are found in the upper part of the supranuclear region. Lamellar bodies consist of concentric layers of fenestrated cisternae and are located in the apical cytoplasm beneath the cuticular plate. They are continuous with the subsurface cisternae. In the supranuclear cytoplasm, bulges of the subsurface cisternae and the lamellar bodies are found. Dilated cisternae are also present. Some dilated cisternae contain many small vesicles, which display acid phosphatase activity. The dilated cisternae are considered as forms of the bulges undergoing transformation into multivesicular bodies. The possible role of the lamellar bodies, and the origin and fate of the subsurface cisternae are discussed.     

Fine structure of the posterior salivary gland ofEledone cirrosa andOctopus vulgaris

Summary The posterior salivary gland of Octopods comprises a parenchyma of branching tubules in a connective tissue stroma. The tubules are lined by either of two distinct epithelia.Type A is composed predominantly of columnar cells containing large granules whose contents vary in appearance from cell to cell.Type B consists of three cell types: A circumferential layer of processes ofstriated cells containing radially orientated infoldings of the cellular membrane, between which are packed numerous mitochondria;cistern cells which contain an invaginated system of membrane loops, the interior of which is in communication with the lumen; andlumen lining cells. All these cells send processes to the basement membrane of the tubule, so that both epithelia are pseudostratified. The functional significance of this cytological specialisation is discussed.Thanks are due to Prof. J. Z. Young F. R. S. and Prof. E. G. Gray for helpful discussion and use of facilities during the course of this study, and to Prof. Young for the loan of the Cajal preparations. I also wish to thank Miss E. Franke for excellent technical assistance.     

FINE STRUCTURE OF THE IMMOBILE DINOCOCCALEAN CYSTODINIUM BATAVIENSE (DINOPHYCEAE)1

The fine structure of the immobile stage of C. bataviense Klebs reveals several features which may prove helpful in understanding the parameters of the order Phytodinales. The cell covering is confluent with no thecal plates. Neither external membranes nor pores are present. The pusule tubules and collecting chamber have no external opening via flagellar pores or canals. The cell is highly vacuolate with a tonoplast-like membrane delimiting the pusule system from the cytoplasm in the interior of the cell. Polyvesicular bodies, mitochondria with enlarged matrices containing electron-dense bodies, vesicles which may contain flagellar hairs, crystals, and large accumulation bodies are present.     

Contacts of pore tubules and sensory dendrites in antennal chemosensilla of a silkmoth: Demonstration of a possible pathway for olfactory molecules

Antennal olfactory hairs of Antheraea polyphemus were investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy. Adequate preservation of dendrites and extracellular pore tubules is obtained by mechanical opening of the hair lumen and subsequent chemical fixation. The dendritic membrane has a cell coat. The dendrites contain microfilamentous structures in addition to their cytoplasmatic microtubules. The extracellular pore tubules traverse the hair cuticle and reach into the hair lumen for maximally 350 nm. Their diameter varies between 20 and 40 nm, depending on the preparation method. They consist of an electron-dense wall and an electron-lucent core. The wall has a helical substructure and is covered with a fuzzy coat. Contacts of pore tubules and dendritic membranes occur wherever dendrites are near the inner surface of the hair cuticle. Some of the pore tubules terminate approximately at right angles on the dendritic membrane, others lie against the membrane. The contact seems to be made via the surface coats of the tubules and the membrane. The structure of pore tubules which had been negatively stained with uranyl acetate is similar to the conventionally thin-sectioned material. The observations provide support for earlier assumptions that pore tubules are the pathways by which odor molecules reach the dendritic membrane.     

Early cellular responses in the Malpighian tubules of the mosquito Aedes taeniorhynchus to infection with Dirofilaria immitis (Nematoda)

Early ultrastructural changes in the Malpighian tubules of the mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus, were examined following infection with the nematode, Dirofilaria immitis. After ingestion by the mosquito, the microfilariae enter the cells of the Malpighian tubules, becoming intracellular. During early development, the filarial prelarvae reside in the cell cytoplasm surrounded by a clear zone without a delimiting membrane. Cells infected with prelarvae differed from uninfected cells and from cells in uninfected mosquitoes in that the volume of the apical microvilli was reduced and mitochondria were retracted from these microvilli. Morphometric analysis was used to quantify the ultrastructural consequences of infection. In infected cells, microvillar volume, the percent of microvillar volume occupied by mitochondria, and volume of mitochondria within the microvilli were significantly reduced.     

The supply of oxygen to the flight muscles of insects: A Theory of tracheole physiology

In the flight muscles of insects, virtually every mitochondrion is in contact with or is encircled by terminal tracheoles which reach them by following the channels formed by the invaginated plasma membrane of the muscle fibres, the T-system tubules. In Musca, Calliphora and Drosophila (Diptera), Apis (Hymenoptera) and Tenebrio (Coleoptera) the terminal tracheoles are smooth-surfaced tubes with a lumen of about 50 nm. In Pieris (Lepidoptera) the terminal tracheoles occupy the regular transverse tubular system which runs between the mitochondria and across the fibrils on either side of the H zone. They are smooth tubules of 80–200 nm diameter. Preliminary observations suggest the same arrangement in Ischnura (Odonata). In Rhodnius and other Hemiptera the transverse T-tubule system forms large cavities among the mitochondria: these cavities in Rhodnius are occupied by smooth-walled tracheole endings. In the mature adult of Schistocerca (Orthoptera) T-tubules of varying size are utilized by terminal tracheoles (diameter 50–100 nm). The terminal tracheoles of the flight muscles are highly permeable to myrcene and kerosine. They commonly fill with liquid during rest and this liquid is resorbed during activity. It is suggested that these adaptations increase the efficiency of respiration in the flight muscles by ensuring that, when it is most needed, gaseous oxygen extends to the surface of the mitochondria, from which it is separated by a very permeable barrier.