Summary
Images have been obtained from freeze-etch replicas of neurohypophyses which are consistent with the view that orderly arranged aggregates of membrane particles occur in regions where fragments of membrane are being added to and taken away from the plasma membrane during secretion. Aggregates of particles included rosette-like and necklace-like patterns similar to those described by other authors at sites of exocytosis and endocytosis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akert, K., Peper, K., Sandri, C.: Structural organization of motor endplate and central synapses. In: Cholinergic mechanisms (ed. P.G. Waser), p. 43–57. New York: Raven Press 1975
Boudier, J.L.: Cytophysiologie de l'excrétion dans posthypophyse du rat. Etude ultrastructurale après stimulation in vivo. J. Neural. Transm. 35, 53–82 (1974)
Branton, D.: Freeze-etching studies of membrane structure. Phil. Trans. B 261, 133–138 (1971)
Dempsey, G.P., Bullivant, S., Watkins, W.B.: Ultrastructure of the rat posterior pituitary gland and evidence of hormone release by exocytosis as revealed by freeze-fracturing. Z. Zellforsch. 143, 465–484 (1973)
Douglas, W.W.: Mechanism of release of neurohypophysial hormones: stimulus-secretion coupling. In: Handbook of physiology, sect. 7, Endocrinology, vol. IV/part 1 (eds. E. Knobil and W.H. Sawyer), p. 191–224. Washington, D.C.: American Physiological Society 1974
Douglas, W.W., Ishida, A.: The stimulant effect of cold on vasopressin release from the neurohypohysis in vitro. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 179, 185–191 (1965)
Douglas, W.W., Nagasawa, J., Schulz, R.: Electron microscopic studies on the mechanism of secretion of posterior pituitary hormones and significance of microvesicles (‘synaptic vesicles’): evidence of secretion by exocytosis and formation of microvesicles as a by-product of this process. In: Subcellular organization and function in endocrine tissues (eds. H. Heller and K. Lederis), p. 353–377. (Mem. Soc. Endocr., vol. 19.) Cambridge: University Press 1971
Dreifuss, J.J.: A review on neurosecretory granules: their contents and mechanisms of release. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 248, 184–201 (1975)
Dreifuss, J.J., Akert, K., Sandri, C., Moor, H.: The fine structure of freeze-fractured neurosecretory nerve endings in the neurohypophysis. Brain Res. 62, 367–372 (1973)
Dreifuss, J.J., Akert, K., Sandri, C., Moor, H.: Neurosecretion from the posterior pituitary lobe. Proceedings VIIIth Internat. Congr. of Electron Microscopy, Canberra (Australia), vol. II, p. 278–279 (1974)
Dreifuss, J.J., Kalnins, I., Kelly, J.S., Ruf, K.B.: Action potentials and release of neurohypophysial hormones in vitro. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 215, 805–817 (1971)
Dreifuss, J.J., Nordmann, J.J., Akert, K., Sandri, C., Moor, H.: Exoendocytosis in the neurohypophysis as revealed by freeze-fracturing. In: The final neuroendocrine pathway (eds. F. Knowles and L. Vollrath), p. 31–37. (Proc. VI Intern. Symp. Neurosecretion.) Berlin: Springer 1974
Dreifuss, J.J., Sandri, C., Akert, K., Moor, H.: Ultrastructural evidence for sinusoid spaces and coupling between pituicytes in the rat. Cell Tiss. Res. 161, 33–45 (1975)
Dreyer, F., Peper, K., Akert, K., Sandri, C., Moor, H.: Ultrastructure of the ‘active zone’ in the frog neuromuscular junction. Brain Res. 62, 373–380 (1973)
Krisch, B., Becker, K., Bargmann, W.: Exocytose im Hinterlappen der Hypophyse. Z. Zellforsch. 123, 47–54 (1972)
Livingston, A.: Ultrastructure of the neurohypophysis as shown by freeze-etching. J. Endocr. 48, 575–583 (1970)
McNutt, N.S., Weinstein, R.S.: Membrane ultrastructure at mammalian intercellular junctions. Progr. Biophys. molec. Biol 26, 45–101 (1973)
Moor, H.: Recent progress in the freeze-etching technique. Phil. Trans. B 261, 121–131 (1971)
Nagasawa, J., Douglas, W.W., Schulz, R.: Ultrastructural evidence of secretion by exocytosis and of ‘synaptic vesicle’ formation in posterior pituitary glands. Nature (Lond.) 227, 407–409 (1970)
Nagasawa, J., Douglas, W.W., Schulz, R.: Micropinocytotic origin of coated and smooth microvesicles (‘synaptic vesicles’) in neurosecretory terminals of posterior pituitary glands demonstrated by incorporation of horseradish peroxidase. Nature (Lond.) 232, 341–342 (1971)
Nordmann, J.J., Dreifuss, J.J., Baker, P.F., Ravazzola, M.: Malaisse-Lagae, F., Orci, L. Secretion dependent uptake of extracellular fluid by the rat neurohypophysis. Nature (Lond.) 250, 155–157 (1974)
Orci, L., Perrelet, A.: Membrane-associated particles: Increase at sites of pinocytosis demonstrated by freeze-etching. Science 181, 868–869 (1973)
Pfenninger, K., Akert, K., Moor, H., Sandri, C.: The fine structure of freeze-fractured presynaptic membranes. J. Neurocytol. 1, 129–149 (1972)
Satir, B., Schooley, C., Satir, P.: Membrane fusion in a model system. Mucocyst secretion in Tetrahymena. J. Cell Biol. 56, 153–176 (1973)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Prof. W. Bargmann at the occasion of his 70th birthday. A short account has been presented at the 8th International Congress of Electron Microscopy (Dreifuss, Akert, Sandri and Moor, 1974).
This work was supported by grants from the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research Nos. 3.257.74, 3.368.0.74, 3.774.72 and 3.045.73; the Hartmann-Müller Foundation for Medical Research in Zürich and the Dr. Eric Slack-Gyr Stiftung.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dreifuss, J.J., Akert, K., Sandri, C. et al. Specific arrangements of membrane particles at sites of exo-endocytosis in the freeze-etched neurohypophysis. Cell Tissue Res. 165, 317–325 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222436
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222436