Summary
The numerical density of nuclear pores was assessed on freeze-fracture replicas of hypothalamic arcuate neurons from adult male and female rats. In females the nuclear pore density fluctuated during the oestrous cycle and was higher in oestrus than in pro-oestrus, metoestrus and dioestrus. Nuclear pore density in males and in metoestrus and dioestrus females was similar. The nuclear pore density in male rats was significantly less than that in oestrus and pro-oestrus females. The variation of the number of pores per unit nuclear volume and the total number of pores per nucleus was similar to the variation of the numerical density of nuclear pores. These results provide morphological evidence of cyclic changes in neuronal nucleocytoplasmic traffic during the ovarian cycle.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aldrich, H. C. &Pendland, J. C. (1981) Nuclear pores during the cell cycle in a slime mold,Physarum polycephalum.Tissue and Cell 13, 431–9.
Brasch, K. &Peters, K. E. (1985) Nuclear protein, matrix and structural changes in rooster liver after estrogenic induction of vitellogenesis.Biology of the Cell 54, 109–22.
Brown, D. (1981) Polyvinyl alcohol coating: an improvement of the freeze-fracture technique.Journal of Microscopy 121, 283–7.
Carmo-Fonseca, M. (1982) Testosterone — induced changes in nuclear pore complex number of prostatic nuclei from castrated rats.Journal of Ultrastructure Research 80, 243–51.
Carmo-Fonseca, M. &David-Ferreira, J. F. (1981) Quantitative study of nuclear pore complexes in ventral prostate isolated nuclei from intact and castrated rats.Journal of Ultrastructure Research 76, 202–14.
Cohen, R. S., Chung, S. K. &Pfaff, D. W. (1984) Alteration by estrogen of the nucleoli in nerve cells of the rat hypothalamus.Cell and Tissue Research 235, 485–9.
Duncan, D. B. (1955) Multiple range and multiple F tests.Biometrics 11, 1–42.
Feldherr, C. M., Kallenbach, E. &Schultz, N. (1984) Movement of a karyophilic protein through the nuclear pores of oocytes.Journal of Cell Biology 99, 2216–22.
Garcia-Segura, L. M., Baetens, D. &Naftolin, F. (1985) Sex differences and maturational changes in arcuate nucleus neuronal plasma membrane organization.Developmental Brain Research.19, 146–9.
Garcia-Segura, L. M., Baetens, D. &Naftolin, F. (1986) Synaptic remodeling in arcuate nucleus after injection of estradiol valerate in adult female rats.Brain Research 366, 131–6.
Garcia-Segura, L. M. &Perrelet, A. (1984) Postsynaptic membrane domains in the molecular layer of the cerebellum: a correlation between presynaptic inputs and postsynaptic plasma membrane organization.Brain Research 321, 255–66.
Harris, J. R. &Marshall, P. (1981) The nuclear envelope and the nuclear pore complex: some electron microscopic and biochemical considerations. InElectron Microscopy of Proteins (edited byHarris, J. R.), pp. 39–124. London: Academic Press.
Jones, K. J., Pfaff, D. W. &McEwen, B. S. (1985) Early estrogen-induced nuclear changes in rat hypothalamic ventromedial neurons: an ultrastructural and morphometric analysis.Journal of Comparative Neurology 239, 255–66.
King, J. C., Williams, T. H. &Gerall, A. A. (1974) Transformations of hypothalamic arcuate neurons. I. Changes associated with stages of the estrous cycle.Cell and Tissue Research 153, 497–515.
Lefebvre, Y. A., Golsteyn, E. J. &Michiel, T. L. (1985) Androgen interactions with intact nuclear envelopes from the rat ventral prostate.Journal of Steroid Biochemistry 23, 107–13.
Leranth, C., Sakamoto, H., MacLusky, N. J., Shana-Brough, M. &Naftolin, F. (1985) Estrogen responsive cells in the arcuate nucleus of the rat contain glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD): an electron microscopic immunocytochemical study.Brain Research 331, 376–81.
Matsumoto, A. &Arai, Y. (1980) Sexual dimorphism in ‘wiring pattern’ in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and its modifications by neonatal hormonal environment.Brain Research 190, 238–42.
Matsumoto, A. &Arai, Y. (1981) Neuronal plasticity in the deafferented hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of adult female rats and its enhancement by treatment with estrogen.Journal of Comparative Neurology 197, 197–205.
Maul, G. G. (1977) The nuclear and the cytoplasmic pore complex: structure, dynamics, distribution, and evolution.International Review of Cytology, Suppl.6, 75–186.
Maul, G. G., Deawen, L. L., Freed, J. J., Campbell, G. Le M. &Becak, W. (1980) Investigation of the determinants of nuclear pore number.Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics 26, 175–90.
Maul, G. G., Maul, H. M., Scogna, J. E., Lieberman, M. W., Stein, G. S., Hsu, B. Y. L. &Borun, T. W. (1972) Time sequence of nuclear pore formation in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes and in HeLa cells during the cell cycle.Journal of Cell Biology 55, 433–47.
Moor, H. &Mühlethaler, K. (1963) Fine structure in frozen-etched yeast cells.Journal of Cell Biology 17, 609–28.
Naftolin, F. &Brawer, J. R. (1978) The effect of estrogen on hypothalamic structure and function.American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 132, 758–65.
Naftolin, F., Brown-Grant, K. &Corker, C. S. (1972) Plasma and pituitary luteinizing hormone and peripheral plasma oestradiol concentrations in the normal oestrus cycle of the rat and after experimental manipulation of the cycle.Journal. of Endocrinology 53, 17–30.
Nicolini, C., Vernazza, G., Chiabrera, A., Maraldi, I. N. &Capitani, S. (1984) Nuclear pores and interphase chromatin: high-resolution image analysis and freeze etching.Journal of Cell Science 72, 75–87.
Pfaff, D. &Keiner, M. (1973) Atlas of estradiol-concentrating cells in the central nervous system of the female rat.Journal of Comparative Neurology 151, 121–58.
Severs, N. J. &Jordan, E. G. (1975) An interpretive freeze-fracture study of plant cell nuclear pore complexes.Journal of Ulrastructure Research 52, 85–99.
Smith, M. S., Freeman, M. E. &Neill, J. D. (1975) The control of progesterone secretion during the estrous cycle and early pseudopregnancy in the rat: prolactin, gonadotrophin and steroid levels associated with rescue of the corpus luteum of pseudopregnancy.Endocrinology 96, 219–26.
Walters, M. R. (1985) Steroid hormone receptors and the nucleus.Endocrine Reviews 6, 512–43.
Wunderlich, F., Berezney, R. &Kleinig, H. (1976) The nuclear envelope: an interdisciplinary analysis of its morphology, composition and functions. InBiological Membranes (edited byChapman, D. &Wallach, F. H.), pp. 241–333. London: Academic Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garcia-Segura, L.M., Olmos, G., Tranque, P. et al. Nuclear pores in rat hypothalamic arcuate neurons: Sex differences and changes during the oestrous cycle. J Neurocytol 16, 469–475 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01668501
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01668501