Abstract
The renal corpuscles of adult, C3H Swiss, male mice contain testosterone-sensitive, columnar cells in the parietal layer of Bowman's capsule. A study of the normal fine structure of these cells reveals several distinctive characteristics: a microvillous brush border; apical tubular invaginations and apical tubules; an elaborate infolding of the basal surface membrane forming cellular compartments, which contain numerous mitochondria; and a complex group of membrane-limited cytoplasmic inclusions. This appearance is remarkably similar to the fine structure of cells in the proximal convoluted tubule. 1 hr after an in vivo injection of horseradish peroxidase, numerous protein-absorption droplets occur in the columnar cell cytoplasm. The speed and cytomorphology of protein transport by these capsular cells closely resemble the handling of peroxidase by the proximal convoluted tubule. Origins for these testosterone-sensitive cells are discussed briefly. Morphological evidence is presented for the differentiation of squamous cells in Bowman's parietal capsule into columnar cells, which appear structurally and functionally identical with proximal convoluted tubular epithelium.
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.
- GIBBONS I. R., GRIMSTONE A. V. On flagellar structure in certain flagellates. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1960 Jul;7:697–716. doi: 10.1083/jcb.7.4.697. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Graham R. C., Jr, Karnovsky M. J. Glomerular permeability. Ultrastructural cytochemical studies using peroxidases as protein tracers. J Exp Med. 1966 Dec 1;124(6):1123–1134. doi: 10.1084/jem.124.6.1123. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Graham R. C., Jr, Karnovsky M. J. The early stages of absorption of injected horseradish peroxidase in the proximal tubules of mouse kidney: ultrastructural cytochemistry by a new technique. J Histochem Cytochem. 1966 Apr;14(4):291–302. doi: 10.1177/14.4.291. [DOI] [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]
- MOLLENHAUER H. H. PLASTIC EMBEDDING MIXTURES FOR USE IN ELECTRON MICROSCOPY. Stain Technol. 1964 Mar;39:111–114. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Martin J. H., Lynn J. A., Nickey W. M. A rapid polychrome stain for epoxy-embedded tissue. Am J Clin Pathol. 1966 Aug;46(2):250–251. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/46.2.250. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- REYNOLDS E. S. The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol. 1963 Apr;17:208–212. doi: 10.1083/jcb.17.1.208. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- TRUMP B. F., ERICSSON J. L. THE EFFECT OF THE FIXATIVE SOLUTION ON THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF CELLS AND TISSUES. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE PROXIMAL CONVOLUTED TUBULE OF THE RAT KIDNEY. Lab Invest. 1965 Jun;14:1245–1323. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]