Nanoarchitecture and dynamics of the mouse enteric glycocalyx examined by freeze-etching electron tomography and intravital microscopy.
Commun Biol
; 3(1): 5, 2020 01 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31925335
The glycocalyx is a highly hydrated, glycoprotein-rich coat shrouding many eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. The intestinal epithelial glycocalyx, comprising glycosylated transmembrane mucins, is part of the primary host-microbe interface and is essential for nutrient absorption. Its disruption has been implicated in numerous gastrointestinal diseases. Yet, due to challenges in preserving and visualizing its native organization, glycocalyx structure-function relationships remain unclear. Here, we characterize the nanoarchitecture of the murine enteric glycocalyx using freeze-etching and electron tomography. Micrometer-long mucin filaments emerge from microvillar-tips and, through zigzagged lateral interactions form a three-dimensional columnar network with a 30 nm mesh. Filament-termini converge into globular structures ~30 nm apart that are liquid-crystalline packed within a single plane. Finally, we assess glycocalyx deformability and porosity using intravital microscopy. We argue that the columnar network architecture and the liquid-crystalline packing of the filament termini allow the glycocalyx to function as a deformable size-exclusion filter of luminal contents.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Glicocálix
/
Tomografia com Microscopia Eletrônica
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Microscopia Intravital
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article