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Serous cutaneous glands in anurans: Fourier transform analysis of the repeating secretory granule substructure

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Abstract

A combined transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform analysis has been performed on the secretory granules storing active peptides/proteins in serous cutaneous glands of n = 12 anuran species. Previous TEM investigation showed that the granules are provided with remarkable repeating substructures based on discrete subunits, arranged into a consistent framework. Furthermore, TEM findings revealed that this recurrent arrangement is acquired during a prolonged post-Golgian (or maturational) processing that affects the secretory product. Maturation leads to a variety of patterns depending on the degree of subunit clustering. This variety of recurrent patterns has been plotted into a range of frequency spectra. Through this quantitative approach, we found that the varying granule substructure can be reduced to a single mechanism of peptide/protein aggregation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Forensic Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 85, 50134, Florence, Italy

    D. Nosi

  2. Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Florence, Via Romana 17, 50125, Florence, Italy

    G. Delfino

  3. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Florence Research Area, National Institute of Optics, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy

    F. Quercioli

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  1. D. Nosi
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  2. G. Delfino
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  3. F. Quercioli
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Correspondence to G. Delfino.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Nosi, D., Delfino, G. & Quercioli, F. Serous cutaneous glands in anurans: Fourier transform analysis of the repeating secretory granule substructure. Naturwissenschaften 100, 209–218 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1013-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1013-x

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