Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology logoLink to The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology
. 1960 Feb 1;7(1):21–26. doi: 10.1083/jcb.7.1.21

The Effect of Partial Protein Extraction on the Structure of the Eggs of the Sea Urchin, Arbacia punctulata

R E Kane 1
PMCID: PMC2224858  PMID: 14404287

Abstract

The structure of the eggs of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata, has been investigated after the removal of one-half of the cellular protein. The procedure involves treatment of the eggs with 30 per cent ethanol at -10°C. followed by extraction of the soluble proteins with water. The eggs remain intact, although all of the cytoplasmic matrix is removed. Most cell structures can still be identified, although only the membranes of most remain. The mitochondria lose all of their matrix but retain the inner membranes or cristae. The annulate lamellae appear unaffected by this extraction procedure, remaining intact and apparently undamaged. The nuclear envelope is also retained, although it often undergoes a curious disorganization, apparently as the result of the separation of its two layers. The significance of these observations with respect to the structure of the envelope is discussed.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (970.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. AFZELIUS B. A. Electron microscopy of Golgi elements in sea urchin eggs. Exp Cell Res. 1956 Aug;11(1):67–85. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(56)90191-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. AFZELIUS B. A. Electron microscopy on the basophilic structures of the sea urchin egg. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1957;45(6):660–675. doi: 10.1007/BF00338710. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. AFZELIUS B. A. The ultrastructure of the cortical granules and their products in the sea urchin egg as studied with the electron microscope. Exp Cell Res. 1956 Apr;10(2):257–285. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(56)90001-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. AFZELIUS B. A. The ultrastructure of the nuclear membrane of the sea urchin oocyte as studied with the electron microscope. Exp Cell Res. 1955 Feb;8(1):147–158. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(55)90051-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CALLAN H. G., TOMLIN S. G. Experimental studies on amphibian oocyte nuclei. I. Investigation of the structure of the nuclear membrane by means of the electron microscope. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1950 Oct 13;137(888):367–378. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1950.0047. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GROSS P. R., PHILPOTT D. E., NASS S. The fine-structure of the mitotic spindle in sea urchin eggs. J Ultrastruct Res. 1958 Nov;2(1):55–72. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(58)90047-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. KANE R. E., HERSH R. T. The isolation and preliminary characterization of a major soluble protein of the sea urchin egg. Exp Cell Res. 1959 Jan;16(1):59–69. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(59)90195-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. KUROSUMI K., YAMAGISHI M., NAGAKAWA T. Electron microscopic and cytochemical studies on the cytoplasmic RNA in sea-urchin eggs. Okajimas Folia Anat Jpn. 1958 Mar;30(6):369–387. doi: 10.2535/ofaj1936.30.6_369. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MERRIAM R. W. The origin and fate of annulate lamellae in maturing sand dollar eggs. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1959 Jan 25;5(1):117–122. doi: 10.1083/jcb.5.1.117. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mazia D., Dan K. The Isolation and Biochemical Characterization of the Mitotic Apparatus of Dividing Cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1952 Sep;38(9):826–838. doi: 10.1073/pnas.38.9.826. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. PASTEELS J. J., CASTIAUX P., VANDER-MEERSSCHE G. Cytochemical localisations and ultrastructure in the fertilized unsegmented egg of Paracentrotus lividus. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 Sep 25;4(5):575–577. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.5.575. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. SATIR P. G., PEACHEY L. D. Thin sections. II. A simple method for reducing compression artifacts. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 May 25;4(3):345–348. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.3.345. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. SCHULZ H. Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen eines Mammakarzinoms der Ratte. Oncologia. 1957;10(4):307–329. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SIEKEVITZ P., WATSON M. L. Cytochemical studies of mitochondria. I. The separation and identification of a membrane fraction from isolated mitochondria. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Nov 25;2(6):639–652. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.6.639. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SWIFT H. The fine structure of annulate lamellae. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Jul 25;2(4 Suppl):415–418. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.4.415. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. WISCHNITZER S. An electron microscope study of the nuclear envelope of amphibian oocytes. J Ultrastruct Res. 1958 Apr;1(3):201–222. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(58)80001-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES