Morphological effects of brefeldin A on the intracellular transport of secretory materials in parotid acinar cells

The morphological effects of Brefeldin A (BFA) on the parotid acinar cells of a rat were investigated at the stage of active resynthesis of secretory materials following administration of the secretogogue, isoproterenol. Incubation with BFA resulted in: a) marked dilation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), b) involution of the Golgi complex to rudimentary forms which disseminated throughout the cytoplasm, and c) agenesis of secretion granules. It appears that the primary action of BFA is inhibition of the export of secretory materials from the RER toward the Golgi complexes. Histochemical staining indicated the thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase) positive saccules of the Golgi stack to undergo degradation in autophagic vacuoles. In contrast, small vesicles showing the osmium reducing activity characteristic of cis elements, including osmium negative vesicles, continued to be present throughout a 4-h period of investigation, indicating the cis and, most likely, medial elements to be the components of the rudimentary Golgi complexes. On removal of the drug, a large number of transport vesicles appeared immediately from the RER and carried secretory materials to the rudimentary Golgi complex, so that the organelles were rapidly reconstructed within 30-60 min, followed by the reaccumulation of secretory granules by 90 min. It is thus indicated that the size and configuration of the Golgi complex is regulated by a dynamic equilibrium of the transport of secretory materials, and that the rudimentary Golgi complex containing cis and probably medial elements may function as the smallest units of the Golgi complex for full development as seen under normal conditions.