ISSN:
0362-2525
Keywords:
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Cytoplasmic microtubules and axial unit tubules were studied in both sectioned and negatively-stained material. Walls of microtubules of frog lung-fluke (Haematoloechus medioplexus) spermatozoa have a helical substructure, while those of the flagellate, Trypanosoma lewisi, are composed of ten longitudinally-oriented filaments. Cross-bridges occur between some filaments of trypanosome microtubules. Doublet tubules of axial units in both cell types are structurally similar to the trypanosome microtubules, which may indicate similarity of function. Microtubules of fluke spermatozoa appear to be somewhat rigid, are resistant to sonication, and are considered to be mainly supportive. Circular profiles of wall subunits are seen in transverse sections of microtubules of both cell types and in doublet tubules of the trypanosome. Comparisons are made between sectioned and negatively-stained material; while negative-staining better reveals the fundamental substructure of microtubular elements, some distortion appears to occur. In connection with this research, a brief preliminary article demonstrated the presence of subunits in the walls of cytoplasmic microtubules of fluke spermatozoa (Burton, '66). Also, it was shown that the wall of these tubular elements possesses a helical structure, and a diagrammatic representation of the wall structure was set forth.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmor.1051200406
