Summary
Immuno-electron microscopy confirms that the scolopale, a characteristically prominent cytoskeletal element of insect scolopidia, is composed mainly of actin filaments. Immunohistochemistry reveals that these filaments are co-localized with tropomyosin. Myosin S1-decoration shows that their polarity is unidirectional. Antibodies to α-actinin do not bind within the scolopale. The association of these actin filaments with tropomyosin in the absence of myosin, together with their uniform polarity, strongly suggests that, in the scolopale, they have a stabilizing rather than contractile function. Filament elasticity would appear to be important for stimulation. The degree of elasticity may well be governed by the extent of tropomyosin binding.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altner H, Loftus R (1985) Ultrastructure and function of insect thermo- and hygroreceptors. Annu Rev Entomol 30:273–295
Altner H, Prillinger L (1980) Ultrastructure of invertebrate chemo-, thermo- and hygroreceptors and its functional significance. Int Rev Cytol 67:69–139
Begg DA, Rodewald R, Rebhun LI (1978) The visualization of actin filament polarity in thin sections: evidence for the uniform polarity of membrane-associated filaments. J Cell Biol 79:846–852
Bernstein BW, Bamberg JR (1982) Tropomyosin binding to F-actin protects the F-actin from disassembly by brain actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF). Cell Motil 2:1–8
Bershadsky AD, Vasiliev JM (1988) Cytoskeleton. Plenum, New York London
Bonfanti P, Cappelletti A, Colombo A, Giordana B, Maci R, Camatini M (1990) Cytoskeletal characterization of insect brush border. In: Bullock G (ed) Cell biology international reports, vol 14: Abstract Supplement Third European Congress on Cell Biology, Frienze. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, London San Diego New York Boston Sydney Tokyo Toronto, pp 206
Broschat KO, Weber A, Burgess DR (1989) Tropomyosin stabilizes the pointed end of actin filaments by slowing depolymerization. Biochem 28:8501–8506
Burgess DR, Schroeder TE (1977) Polarized bundles of actin filaments within microvilli of fertilized sea urchin eggs. J Cell Biol 74:1032–1037
DeRosier DJ, Tilney LG (1984) How to build a bend into an actin bundle. J Mol Biol 175:57–73
Faulstich H, Zobeley S, Rinnerthaler G, Small JV (1988) Fluorescent phallotoxins as probes for filamentous actin. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 9:370–383
Fujime S, Ishiwata S (1971) Dynamic study of F-actin by quasielastic scattering of laser light. J Mol Biol 62:251–265
Ishikawa R, Yamashiro S, Matsumura F (1989) Annealing of gelsolin-severed actin fragments by tropomyosin in the presence of Ca2+-potentiation of the annealing process by caldesmon. J Biol Chem 264:16764–16770
Keil T, Steinbrecht RA (1984) Mechanosensitive and olfactory sensilla. In: King RC, Akai H (eds) Insect ultrastructure, vol 2. Plenum, New York, pp 477–516
Krieger J, Raming K, Knipper M, Grau M, Mertens S, Breer H (1990) Cloning, sequencing and expression of locust tropomyosin. Insect Biochem 20:173–184
Lemanski LF (1979) Role of tropomyosin in actin filament formation in embryonic salamander heart cells. J Cell Biol 82:227–238
Lessard JL (1988) Two monoclonal antibodies to actin: one muscle selective and one generally reactive. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 10:349–362
McIver SB (1985) Mechanoreception. In: Kerkut GA, Gilbert LI (eds) Comprehensive insect physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology, vol 6. Nervous system: sensory. Pergamon, Oxford, pp 71–132
Moor H (1987) Theory and practice of high-pressure freezing. In: Steinbrecht RA, Zierhold K (eds) Cryotechniques in biological electron microscopy. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 175–191
Mooseker MS, Tilney LG (1975) Organization of actin filament-membrane complex. J Cell Biol 67:725–743
Mooseker MS, Pollard TD, Wharton KA (1982) Nucleated polymerisation of actin from the membrane-associated ends of microvillar filaments in the intestinal brush border. J Cell Biol 95:223–233
Moran DT, Varela FJ, Rowley JC (1977) Evidence for active role of cilia in sensory transduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:793–797
Morgensen MM, Tucker JB (1988) Intermicrotubular actin filaments in the transalar cytoskeletal arrays of Drosophila. J Cell Sci 91:431–438
Moulins M (1976) Ultrastructure of chordotonal organs. In: Mill PJ (ed) Structure and function of proprioceptors in the invertebrates. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 387–426
Müller M, Moor H (1984) Cryofixation of thick specimes by high pressure freezing. In: Revel J-P, Barnard T, Haggis GH (eds) Science of biological specimen preparation. SEM. AMF O'Hare, Chicago, pp 131–138
Pollard TD, Cooper JA (1986) Actin and actin-binding proteins. A critical evaluation of mechanisms and functions. Annu Rev Biochem 55:987–1035
Schmidt M (1989) The hair-peg organs of the shore crab, Carcinus maenas (Crustacea, Decapoda): ultrastructure and functional properties of sensilla sensitive to the changes in seawater concentration. Cell Tissure Res 257:609–621
Schmidt M (1990) Ultrastructure of a possible new type of crustacean cuticular strain receptor in Carcinus maenas (Crustacea, Decapoda). J Morphol 204:335–344
Schmidt M, Gnatzy W (1984) Are the funnel-canal organs the ‘campaniform sensilla’ of the shore crab, Carcinus maenas (Decapoda, Crustacea)? II. Ultrastructure. Cell Tissue Res 237:81–93
Slepecky N, Chamberlain SC (1983) Distribution and polarity of actin in inner ear supporting cells. Hearing Res 10:359–370
Slepeky N, Chamberlain SC (1985) Immunoelectron microscopic and immunofluorescent localization of cytoskeletal and musclelike contractile proteins in inner ear sensory hair cells. Hearing Res 20:245–260
Steinbrecht RA (1984) Chemo-hygro-and thermoreceptors. In: Bereiter-Hahn J, Matoltsky AG, Richards KS (eds) Biology of the integument, vol 1. Inverterbrates. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 523–553
Studer D, Michel M, Müller M (1989) High pressure freezing comes of age. In: Albrecht R, Ornberg R (eds) The science of specimen preparation. SEM. AMF O'Hare, Chicago, pp 253–269
Tilney LG, Kallenbach N (1979) Polymerization of actin VI. The polarity of the actin filaments in the acrosomal process and how it might be determined. J Cell Biol 81:608–623
Tilney LG, DeRosier DJ, Mulroy MJ (1980) The organization of actin filaments in the stereocilia of cochlear hair cells. J Cell Biol 86:244–259
Tilney LG, Bonder EM, DeRosier DJ (1981) Actin filaments elongate from their membrane-associated ends. J Cell Biol 90:485–494
Wegner A (1982) Kinetic analysis of actin assembly suggests that tropomyosin inhibits spontaneous fragmentation of actin filaments. J Mol Biol 161:217–227
Wolfrum U (1990) Actin filaments: the main components of the scolopale in insect sensilla. Cell Tissue Res 261:85–96
Wulf E, Deboben A, Bautz FA, Faulstich H, Wieland T (1979) Fluorescent phallotoxin, a tool for the visualization of cellular actin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:4498–4502
Yamashiro-Matsumura S, Matsumura F (1988) Characterization of 83-kilodalton nonmuscle caldesmon from cultured rat cells: stimulation of actin binding of nonmuscle tropomyosin and periodic localization along microfilaments like tropomyosin. J Cell Biol 106:1973–1983
Zacharuk RY (1985) Antennae and sensilla. In: Kerkut GA, Gilbert LI (eds) Comprechensive insect physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology, vol 6. Nervous system: sensory. Pergamon, Oxford, pp 1–69
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wolfrum, U. Tropomyosin is co-localized with the actin filaments of the scolopale in insect sensilla. Cell Tissue Res 265, 11–17 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318134
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318134