Abstract
The fine structure and the composition of pteridine pigments of erythrophores in adults of the swordtail fish, Xiphophorus helleri, were studied by means of cytochemistry, paper chromatography, ionophoresis, centrifugal fractionation, and electron microscopy. It was found that water-soluble pigments of erythrophores consisted exclusively of pteridine derivatives including large amounts of drosopterin, isodrosopterin, neodrosopterin, and moderate amounts of sepiapterin. While these substances were responsible for red pigmentation, moderate quantities of colorless pteridines, biopterin, Rana-chrome 3, xanthopterin, isoxanthopterin, and others, were also detectable. The ultrastructure of the erythrophore is characterized by numerous pigment granules and a well developed tubular endoplasmic reticulum. The former consist of a three-layered limiting membrane and inner lamellae which appear to be whorl-like due to a concentric arrangement of parallel membranes. All of the mentioned pteridines are primarily contained in this organelle which is designated, accordingly, "pterinosome." The possible functions of erythrophores and pterinosomes are discussed in the light of their structure and pigmentary constitution.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.2 MB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- BIRBECK M. S. Electron microscopy of melanocytes: The fine structure of hair-bulb premelanosomes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1963 Feb 15;100:540–547. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1963.tb42871.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- CHARLES A., INGRAM J. T. Electron microscope observations of the melanocyte of the human epidermis. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1959 Aug;6(1):41–44. doi: 10.1083/jcb.6.1.41. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- DALTON A. J., FELIX M. D. Cytologic and cytochemical characteristics of the Golgi substance of epithelial cells of the epididymis in situ, in homogenates and after isolation. Am J Anat. 1954 Mar;94(2):171–207. doi: 10.1002/aja.1000940202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HAMA T. The relation between the chromatophores and pterin compounds. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1963 Feb 15;100:977–986. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LUFT J. H. Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1961 Feb;9:409–414. doi: 10.1083/jcb.9.2.409. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Matsumoto J, Kajishima T, Hama T. Relation between the Pigmentation and Pterin Derivatives of Chromatophores during Development in the Normal Black and Transparent Scaled Types of Goldfish (Carassius Auratus). Genetics. 1960 Sep;45(9):1177–1189. doi: 10.1093/genetics/45.9.1177. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- OBIKA M., BAGNARA J. T. PTERIDINES AS PIGMENTS IN AMPHIBIANS. Science. 1964 Jan 31;143(3605):485–487. doi: 10.1126/science.143.3605.485. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- ORTIZ E., WILLIAMS-ASHMAN H. G. IDENTIFICATION OF SKIN PTERIDINES IN THE PASTURE LIZARD ANOLIS PULCHELLUS. Comp Biochem Physiol. 1963 Nov;10:181–190. doi: 10.1016/0010-406x(63)90032-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SEIJI M., SHIMAO K., BIRBECK M. S., FITZPATRICK T. B. Subcellular localization of melanin biosynthesis. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1963 Feb 15;100:497–533. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]