Cell and Tissue Research

, Volume 242, Issue 2, pp 383–389 | Cite as

Electrophoretic characterization of an extensive microtubule-associated transport system linking nutritive cells and oocytes in the telotrophic ovarioles of Notonecta glauca

  • Kamaljit K. Sharma
  • Howard Stebbings
Article
Accepted:

Summary

An electrophoretic analysis of the microtubule-containing transport channels, known as nutritive tubes, which link the nutritive cells with the chain of developing oocytes in the telotrophic ovarioles of the hemipteran Notonecta glauca, has been carried out. The major polypeptide components resolved have been identified tentatively as α-and β-tubulin subunits by their comparable electrophoretic mobility to tubulin subunits from purified mammalian brain microtubule protein. Co-migration of some of the minor components with proteins resolved from insect ribosomes (which are the only other components of the nutritive tubes as seen in ultrastructural studies) indicates that these may be ribosomal proteins. Also characterized by electrophoresis were the nutritive cells, which are the source of synthesis of the components transported via the nutritive tubes, and the oocytes, the sites of their accumulation.

Key words

Electrophoresis Microtubules Nutritive tubes Cytoplasmic transport Insects 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1985

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kamaljit K. Sharma
    • 1
  • Howard Stebbings
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterEngland

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