Toad urinary bladder epithelial cells contain an analogue of cytoskeletal protein 4.1.

ABSTRACT

Epithelial cell polarity and vectorial transport require cytoskeletal proteins that maintain local cell membrane structure and mediate cytoplasmic vesicle movement. The cytoskeleton of leaky epithelia, such as the intestinal mucosa and renal proximal tubule cells, has been extensively studied. However, cytoskeletal studies in tight epithelia such as the mammalian collecting duct and toad urinary bladder generally have been confined to ultrastructural investigation. Recent research in nonepithelial cell types has identified an interesting family of cytoskeletal proteins. Present in multiple cell types, these protein 4.1 analogues share a number of similar functional characteristics, yet are structurally diverse. They are multiply phosphorylated by several different kinases, and phosphorylation regulates their associations with other cytoskeletal constituents, integral membrane components, and cytoplasmic vesicles. Using a combination of immunochemical and immunofluorescent techniques, we have demonstrated that toad bladder epithelial cells contain a 65-kDa analogue of human erythrocyte protein 4.1. Toad bladder epithelial cell protein 4.1 is structurally similar to its erythrocyte counterpart and is phosphorylated. This protein 4.1 species is present throughout the toad bladder granular cell cytoplasm, suggesting that it participates in multiple granular cell functions.