Summary
Normal skin was investigated with the Alcian blue-lanthanum technique. Nexus (gap junctions) were found in the stratum Malpighii. They were less numerous in the basal layer, increasing to the upper layers of the epidermis and lacking in the stratum corneum. They were five-layered, about 20 nm thick and showed a 5–7 nm broad lanthanum positive intercellular dense line. Transitional forms between the narrow intercellular space and the real nexus were observed. These “nearly nexus” were broader, the intercellular dense line measured 6–15 nm, and sometimes they were seven-layered, Both, nexus and “nearly nexus” revealed a specific distribution of lanthanum in their membranes. Lanthanum ions seemed to penetrate the membranes forming electron-dense transversal channels branching off from the central dense line with a periodicity of 3 nm. The tangential sections suggested that this distribution was based on the aggregation of intramembraneous particles 1.5–2.0 nm in diameter, which in some areas may be gathered to greater subunits. The nexus may play a role in the control of epidermal proliferation.
Zusammenfassung
Gesunde Haut wurde mit der Alcian blau-Lanthan-Methode untersucht. Nexus (gap junctions) wurden im Stratum Malpighii gefunden. Sie waren weniger zahlreich im Basalzellager, nahmen zu den oberen epidermalen Zellagen hin an Zahl zu, fehlten aber im Stratum corneum. Sie waren fünfschichtig, ungefähr 20 nm breit, und wurden in ihrer Mitte durchzogen von einer ca. 5–7 nm breiten, intercellulären, lanthan-positiven Linie. Es wurden Übergangsformen zwischen dem engen Intercellularraum und den Nexus beobachtet. Diese “Beinahe Nexus” waren insgesamt breiter, ihre intercelluläre, elektronendichte Linie besaß einen Durchmesser von 6–15 nm und sie waren stellenweise sieben-schichtig. Nexus und “Beinahe Nexus” zeigten in den Zellmembranen eine besondere Lanthanverteilung. Lanthanionen schienen die Membran zu durchdringen und elektronendichte Kanäle darzustellen, die mit einer Periodik von 3 nm von der Mittellinie abzweigten. Auf Grund von Tangentialschnitten wurde angenommen, daß die Lanthanverteilung durch 1,5–2,0 nm große, in der Membran gelegene Partikel verursacht wird. Diese Partikel können in einzelnen Membranabschnitten zu größeren Untereinheiten zusammengefaßt sein. Nexus könnten für die Kontrolle der epidermalen Proliferation von Bedeutung sein.
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This study was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Grant no. Ma 674/1
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Mahrle, G. Intramembraneous Particles and Transmembraneous Ionic Channels in the Epidermal Cell Membrane. Arch. Derm. Res. 260, 143–151 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561119
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00561119