Abstract
As already observed with the freeze-fracture technique by Kachar and Pinto da Silva (1981) incubation of excised rat ventral prostate tissue at 37 degrees C results in proliferation of tight junction strands over the lateral membranes of the epithelial cells, an effect not occurring after incubation at 4 degrees C. Our investigations have shown that a pretreatment with protease inhibitor Contrykal at 4 degrees C suppresses the proliferation of tight junction strands at 37 degrees C. On the other hand the added proteases trypsin and pronase induce the proliferation already at 4 degrees C. The effect was lowered by higher concentrations of pronase. Incubation with solutions of the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 at 4 degrees C could also induce tight junction proliferation, whereas this effect was nearly absent after an incubation at 4 degrees C with a hyperosmotic solution of arabinose and with 50% acetone. No relation was found between proliferation of tight junction strands and cluster formation of intramembraneous particles. In conclusion of the results a small protein or a peptide resembling fusions proteins is assumed as trigger for formation of tight junction strands, acting by destabilization of the bilayer arrangement of membrane lipids.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.