Association of alkaline-phosphatase-positive reticulum cells in bone marrow with granulocytic precursors.

In the bone marrow, an elaborate stroma forms the structural basis of the hemopoietic microenvironment. In this study, two different types of stromal cells were identified with certainty on tissue sections of intact bone marrow of rats and mice using light and electron microscopic histochemistry: (a) a fibroblast-type of reticulum cell which is characterized by having alkaline phosphatase associated with its plasma membrane. We refer to this cell as the alkaline-phosphatase-positive reticulum cell (Al-RC). It is closely associated with granulocytic precursors, particularly myeloblasts and neutrophilic promyelocytes. These reticulum cells may be found throughout the marrow but are concentrated near the endosteum. (b) a macrophage-type of reticulum cell which is characterized by its abundance of lysosomal acid phosphatase and is mainly associated with erythroid precursors (as observed by others). In contrast to the above-mentioned cell type, this latter cell was found to be distributed uniformly throughout the marrow. We speculate that the Al-RC are mesenchymal stromal cells necessary for granulocytic differentiation in bone marrow.

Degradation of connective tissue matrices by macrophages. III. Morphological and biochemical studies on extracellular, pericellular, and intracellular events in matrix proteolysis by macrophages in culture.

We have shown that macrophages in culture degrade the glycoproteins and amorphous elastin of insoluble extracellular matrices. Ultrastructural observation of the macrophage-matrix interaction revealed that connective tissue macromolecules were solubilized from the matrix extracellularly. At least part of the matrix breakdown was localized to the immediate vicinity of the cells, as shown by morphological and biochemical studies, although the rate of degradation correlated closely with the secretion of proteinases by various inflammatory stimuli in vivo, by glucocorticoids, prostaglandin E2 or colchicine, or by phagocytosis of latex, zymosan, or cholesterol-albumin complexes in culture was reflected in altered rates of glycoprotein and elastin degradation by the macrophages. Alteration of endocytosis and lysosomal digestion by cytochalasin B, NH4Cl, and proteinase inhibitors did not decrease the overall rate of matrix solubilization, but reduced the processing of the matrix fragments to peptides. Therefore, extracellular, pericellular, and lysosomal events each contribute to degradation of extracellular matrix macromolecules by inflammatory macrophages.

Identification of alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase as a plasma membrane ectoenzyme of monocytes and as a discrete intracellular membrane-bounded organelle in lymphocytes.

A reaction for an esterase, with a nonhalogenated, short-chain naphthyl ester (alpha-naphthyl butyrate or alpha-naphthyl acetate) as the substrate, has been used to identify mononuclear phagocytes by light microscopy. By analyzing techniques used in the collection, separation, fixation, processing, and embedding of human blood leukocytes for electron microscopy, we adapted the light microscopic method for use in determining the fine structural localization of this reaction. In monocytes, the reaction product covered the external surface of the plasma membrane. This distribution indicated that monocytic esterase is an ectoenzyme. The addition of NaF completely inhibited the monocytic reaction. In lymphocytes, the reaction product was localized in membrane-bounded intracellular organelles, similar to those previously shown to contain phospholipid and called Gall bodies. These organelles correspond with the punctate densities or focal reaction product observed by light microscopy. Other investigators believe that this distribution of enzyme in lymphocytes marks a subset of T cells, the Tmicro. The lymphocytic reaction was not inhibited by NaF.

Characterization of rabbit stromal fibroblasts derived from red and yellow bone marrow.

Rabbit stromal fibroblasts subcultured from red and yellow bone marrow and implanted beneath the renal capsule form ossicles the hemic cellularity of which mirrors the cellularity of the marrow used for culture. Although the cultured red and yellow marrow cells are similar in fine-structural appearance, they differ strikingly in enzymatic content of alpha-naphthylbutyrate esterase, which is abundant only in the cells derived from yellow marrow. Other observers (20, 21) have proposed that stromal fibroblasts are preadipocytes, and this data suggests that those derived from yellow marrow have the phenotype of more differentiated adipocytes. On the other hand, fibroblasts derived from red and yellow bone marrow show no differences in their profiles of procollagen synthesis. Both types of fibroblasts secrete type III procollagen as the major species, with a I/III ratio of 1:3; in contrast, rabbit dermal fibroblasts have a prominent peak of type I procollagen. The similarity of stromal cells derived from red and yellow bone marrow in procollagen synthesis suggests that the collagen part of the extracellular matrix is not the only basis for their intrinsic difference in capacity for hematopoiesis.

Appearance of peroxidase reactivity within the rough endoplasmic reticulum of blood monocytes after surface adherence.

Rabbit blood monocytes, which contain no cytochemically demonstrable peroxidase, develop peroxidatic activity in the RER and perinuclear cisternae within 2 h after adherence to serum- or fibrin-coated surfaces. A similar reactivity appears in surface-adherent human and rat blood monocytes. In both localization and characteristics, this enzyme reactivity in monocytes resembles that normally seen in the resident peritoneal macrophages of the rabbit, as well as in several types of tissue macrophages in other species. Thus this observation supports the concept, presently based on the kinetic data of other investigators, that blood monocytes are the precursors of such cells. Moreover, the appearance of new enzyme activity after adherence may reflect alterations in cellular metabolism resulting from plasma membrane:surface interactions.

The development of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes in human bone marrow.

Neutrophilic leukocytes (PMN) and their precursors from normal human marrow and blood were examined by histochemical staining and by electron microscopy and cytochemistry in order to determine the origin and nature of their cytoplasmic granules. Human neutrophils contain two basic types of granules, azurophils and specifics, which differ in morphology, contents, and time of origin. Azurophils are large and may be spherical or ellipsoid, the latter with a crystalline inclusion. They are produced in the first secretory stage (promyelocyte), contain peroxidase and various lysosomal enzymes, and thus correspond to modified primary lysosomes. Specifics are smaller, may be spherical or elongated, and are formed during a later secretory stage (myelocyte). They lack lysosomal enzymes and contain alkaline phosphatase and basic protein; their contents remain largely undetermined. Specifics outnumber azurophils in the mature PMN because of reduction in numbers of azurophils per cell by cell division in the myelocyte stage. The findings indicate that the situation is basically the same as described previously in the rabbit, insofar as the origin, enzymic activity, and persistence in the mature cell of the two types (azurophil and specific) of granules are concerned. The main difference between PMN of the two species is in the morphology (size, shape, and density) of the granules, especially the azurophils.

Leukocyte adhesion receptors are stored in peroxidase-negative granules of human neutrophils.

Previous studies have suggested that the leukocyte adhesion proteins Mac-1 and p150,95 are stored in a latent intracellular pool in neutrophils, and cellular fractionation studies have shown that Mac-1 is localized primarily in the peroxidase-negative specific granules. To determine the subcellular location of leukocyte adhesion receptors (LAR), we used immunocytochemical techniques on frozen thin sections of human blood leukocytes that had been incubated for peroxidase to mark the peroxidase-positive azurophil granules. To enhance the sensitivity of detection, polyclonal antibodies against immunoaffinity-purified p150,95 were raised in rabbits and absorbed with leukocytes from a patient deficient in this protein. The antiserum reacted with p150,95 and two other antigens with the same beta subunit, Mac-1 and lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1). In neutrophils, we observed immunogold label for LAR predominantly on the membranes of peroxidase-negative granules, and in smaller amounts on the plasma and perinuclear membranes. In double-label experiments, there was colocalization of LAR with lactoferrin in some of the peroxidase-negative granules. We conclude that the latent pool of LAR resides in the membranes of peroxidase-negative granules. A significant increase in label on the plasma membrane of neutrophils stimulated with PMA is consistent with secretion of LAR to the exterior of the cell during degranulation. While LFA-1 appears very early in neutrophil maturation, it is becoming clear that Mac-1 and p150,95 are upregulated from an intracellular storage pool of peroxidase-negative granules that appear during the myelocyte stage of differentiation. Further studies are indicated to determine the significance of these proteins on the plasma membrane of two other granulocytes, eosinophils and basophils.

Absence of platelet membrane glycoproteins IIb/IIIa from monocytes.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, immunoprecipitation, and crossed immunoelectrophoresis were used in the investigation of glycoproteins IIb/IIIa in platelets, monocytes, and monocyte-derived macrophages from human blood. All techniques detected the glycoproteins in platelets but not in the mononuclear phagocytes. Similar results were obtained by immunochemistry using a monoclonal antibody against the platelet glycoproteins IIb/IIIa (revealed by a gold-labeled second antibody) which bound heavily to the platelet but not to the monocyte surface. The biochemical techniques used for the analysis of mononuclear phagocytes would have reliably detected the level of glycoproteins IIb/IIIa contributed by a 5% contamination with platelets, calculated on a per cell basis. We conclude that human monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages lack glycoproteins IIb/IIIa. Our results further indicate that centrifugal elutriation yields monocyte preparations with minimal contamination by platelets. It seems likely that the positive results obtained by other authors were due to the presence of platelets or fragments on the monocytes.

Sequential degranulation of the two types of polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules during phagocytosis of microorganisms.

The sequential discharge of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) granules-azurophils and specifics-was investigated by electron microscopy and cytochemistry. Thus the enzyme content of PMN phagocytic vacuoles was determined at brief intervals after phagocytosis of bacteria, utilizing peroxidase as a marker enzyme for azurophil granules, and alkaline phosphatase for specifics. At 30 s, approximately half the phagocytic vacuoles were reactive for alkaline phosphatase, whereas none contained peroxidase. Peroxidase-containing vacuoles were rarely seen at 1 min, but by 3 min, vacuoles containing both enzymes were consistently present. Alkaline phosphatase was found in both small and large vacuoles, whereas peroxidase was visible only in large ones. By 10 min, very big phagocytic vacuoles containing considerable amounts of reaction product for both enzymes were evident. These observations indicate that the two types of PMN granules discharge in a sequential manner, specific granules fusing with the vacuole before azurophils. In an earlier paper, we reported that the pH of phagocytic vacuoles drops to 6.5 within 3 min and to approximately 4 within 7-15 min. Substances known to be present in specific granules (alkaline phosphatase, lysozyme, and lactoferrin) function best at neutral or alkaline pH, whereas most of those contained in azurophil granules (i.e., peroxidase and the lysosomal enzymes) have pH optima in the acid range. Hence the sequence of granule discharge roughly parallels the change in pH, thereby providing optimal conditions for coordinated activity of granule contents.

Changing patterns of plasma membrane-associated filaments during the initial phases of polymorphonuclear leukocyte adherence.

By utilizing a combination of several ultrastructural techniques, we have been able to demonstrate differences in filament organization on the adherent plasma membranes of spreading and mobile PMN as well as within the extending lamellipodia. To follow the subplasmalemmal filaments of this small amoeboid cell during these kinetic events, we sheared off the upper portions of cells onto glass and carbon surfaces for 30 s--5 min. The exposed adherent membranes were immediately fixed and processed for high-resolution SEM or TEM. Whole cells were also examined by phase contrast microscopy, SEM, and oriented thin sections. Observed by SEM, the inner surface of nonadherent PMN membranes is free of filaments, but within 30 s of attachment to the substrate a three-dimensional, interlocking network of globular projections and radiating microfilaments--i.e., a subplasmalemmal filament complex--is consistently demonstrable (with or without postfixation in OsO4). Seen by TEM, extending lamellipodia contain a felt of filamentous and finely granular material, distinct from the golbule/filament complex of the adjacent adherent membrane. In the spread cell, this golbule-filament complex covers the entire lower membrane and increases in filament-density over the next 2--3 min. By 3--5 min after plating, as the PMN rounds up before the initiation of amoeboid movements, another pattern emerges--circumferential bands of anastomosing filament bundles in which thick, short filaments resembling myosin are found. This work provides structural evidence on the organization of polymerized contractile elements associated with the plasma membrane during cellular adherence.

Temporal changes in pH within the phagocytic vacuole of the polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocyte.

Although previous workers have established that the pH of the phagocytic vacuole of the polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocyte changes from neutral to acid, the time course of conversion has not been investigated. The present experiments were initiated to study pH changes immediately after phagocytosis. Peritoneal exudates were induced in rats; 4 h later, yeast stained with pH indicators was injected intraperitoneally, and the exudate was retrieved at 30-s intervals and examined by light microscopy. Results revealed that (a) within 3 min, pH dropped to approximately 6.5, as indicated by the change in color of neutral red-stained yeast; (b) within 7-15 min, pH dropped progressively to approximately 4.0, as indicated by color change in bromcresol green-stained yeast; (c) pH did not fall below 4, since no color change was observed up to 24 h when bromphenol blue-stained yeast was used. The finding that intravacuolar acidity increases rapidly after phagocytosis is undoubtedly important with respect to PMN leukocyte function in killing and digesting microorganisms, for many PMN leukocyte granule enzymes (i.e., peroxidase and lysosomal enzymes) are activated at acid pH ( approximately 4.5). It follows that temporal changes in pH and maximal pH depression should be considered in studies of intraleukocytic microbicidal mechanisms, since a defect in these factors could result in impaired PMN leukocyte function.

Differences in enzyme content of azurophil and specific granules of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. II. Cytochemistry and electron microscopy of bone marrow cells.

In the previous paper we presented findings which indicated that enzyme heterogeneity exists among PMN leukocyte granules. From histochemical staining of bone marrow smears, we obtained evidence that azurophil and specific granules differ in their enzyme content. Moreover, a given enzyme appeared to be restricted to one of the two types. Clear results were obtained with alkaline phosphatase, but those with a number of other enzymes were suggestive rather than conclusive. Since the approach used previously was indirect, it was of interest to localize the enzymes directly in the granules. Toward this end, we carried out cytochemical procedures for five enzymes on normal rabbit bone marrow cells which had been fixed and incubated in suspension. The localization of reaction product in the granules was determined by electron microscopy. In accordance with the results obtained on smears, azurophil granules were found to contain peroxidase and three lysosomal enzymes: acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, and 5'-nucleotidase; specific granules were found to contain alkaline phosphate. Specific granules also contained small amounts of phosphatasic activity at acid pH. Another finding was that enzyme activity could not be demonstrated in mature granules with metal salt methods (all except peroxidase); reaction product was seen only in immature granules. The findings confirm and extend those obtained previously, indicating that azurophil granules correspond to lysosomes whereas specific granules represent a different secretory product.

Origin of granules in polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Two types derived from opposite faces of the Golgi complex in developing granulocytes.

The origin, nature, and distribution of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) granules were investigated by examining developing granulocytes from normal rabbit bone marrow which had been fixed in glutaraldehyde and postfixed in OsO(4). Two distinct types of granules, azurophil and specific, were distinguished on the basis of their differences in size, density, and time and mode of origin. Both types are produced by the Golgi complex, but they are formed at different stages of maturation and originate from different faces of the Golgi complex. Azurophil granules are larger ( approximately 800 mmicro) and more dense. They are formed only during the progranulocyte stage and arise from the proximal or concave face of the Golgi complex by budding and subsequent aggregation of vacuoles with a dense core. Smaller ( approximately 500 mmicro), less dense specific granules are formed during the myelocyte stage; they arise from the distal or convex face of the Golgi complex by pinching-off and confluence of vesicles which have a finely granular content. Only azurophil granules are found in progranulocytes, but in mature PMN relatively few (10 to 20%) azurophils are seen and most (80 to 90%) of the granules present are of the specific type. The results indicate that inversion of the azurophil/specific granule ratio occurs during the myelocyte stage and is due to: (a) reduction of azurophil granules by multiple mitoses; (b) lack of new azurophil granule formation after the progranulocyte stage; and (c) continuing specific granule production. The findings demonstrate the existence of two distinct granule types in normal rabbit PMN and their separate origins from the Golgi complex. The implications of the observations are discussed in relationship to previous morphological and cytochemical studies on PMN granules and to such questions as the source of primary lysosomes and the concept of polarity within the Golgi complex.

Segregation and packaging of granule enzymes in eosinophilic leukocytes.

During their differentiation in the bone marrow, eosinophilic leukocytes synthesize a number of enzymes and package them into secretory granules. The pathway by which three enzymes (peroxidase, acid phosphatase, and arylsulfatase) are segregated and packaged into specific granules of eosinophils was investigated by cytochemistry and electron microscopy. During the myelocyte stage, peroxidase is present within (a) all rough ER cisternae, including transitional elements and the perinuclear cisterna; (b) clusters of smooth vesicles at the periphery of the Golgi complex; (c) all Golgi cisternae; and (d) all immature and mature specific granules. At later stages, after granule formation has ceased, peroxidase is not seen in ER or Golgi elements and is demonstrable only in granules. The distribution of acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase was similar, except that the reaction was more variable and fully condensed (mature) granules were not reactive. These results are in accord with the general pathway for intracellular transport of secretory proteins demonstrated in the pancreas exocrine cell by Palade and coworkers. The findings also demonstrate (a) that in the eosinophil the stacked Golgi cisternae participate in the segregation of secretory proteins and (b) that the entire rough ER and all the Golgi cisternae are involved in the simultaneous segregation and packaging of several proteins.

Differences in enzyme content of azurophil and specific granules of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. I. Histochemical staining of bone marrow smears.

Histochemical procedures for PMN granule enzymes were carried out on smears prepared from normal rabbit bone marrow, and the smears were examined by light microscopy. For each of the enzymes tested, azo dye and heavy metal techniques were utilized when possible. The distribution and intensity of each reaction were compared to the distribution of azurophil and specific granules in developing PMN. The distribution of peroxidase and six lysosomal enzymes (acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, beta-galactosidase, beta-glucuronidase, esterase, and 5'-nucleotidase) corresponded to that of azurophil granules. Progranulocytes contained numerous reactive granules, and later stages contained only a few. The distribution of one enzyme, alkaline phosphatase, corresponded to that of specific granules. Reaction product first appeared in myelocytes, and later stages contained numerous reactive granules. The results of tests for lipase and thiolacetic acid esterase were negative at all developmental stages. Both types of granules stained for basic protein and arginine. It is concluded that azurophil and specific granules differ in their enzyme content. Moreover, a given enzyme appears to be restricted to one of the granules. The findings further indicate that azurophil granules are primary lysosomes, since they contain numerous lysosomal, hydrolytic enzymes, but the nature of specific granules is uncertain since, except for alkaline phosphatase, their contents remain unknown.

Rapid redistribution of clathrin onto macrophage plasma membranes in response to Fc receptor-ligand interaction during frustrated phagocytosis.

We have observed increases in assembled clathrin on the plasma membrane during "frustrated phagocytosis," the spreading of macrophages on immobilized immune complexes. Resident macrophages freshly harvested from the peritoneal cavity of mice and attached to bovine serum albumin (BSA)-anti-BSA-coated surfaces at 4 degrees C had almost no clathrin basketworks on their adherent plasma membrane (less than 0.01 coated patch/micron 2), as observed by immunofluorescence, immunoperoxidase, and platinum-carbon replica techniques, although abundant assembled clathrin was observed in the perinuclear Golgi region. When the cells were warmed to 37 degrees C they started to spread by 4 min and reached their maximum extent by 20 min. Spreading preceded clathrin assembly at the plasma membrane. Clathrin-coated patches were first observed on the adherent plasma membrane at 6 min. Between 12 and 20 min assembled clathrin coats appeared on both adherent and nonadherent plasma membranes with a concomitant decrease in identifiable clathrin in the perinuclear region. A new steady state emerged by 2 h, as perinuclear clathrin began to reappear. At 20 min at 37 degrees C the adherent plasma membranes of macrophages spreading on BSA alone had 0.9 coated patch/micron 2, whereas in cells spread on immune complex-coated surfaces, the clathrin patches increased, dependent on ligand concentration, to a maximum of 2.1 coated patches/micron 2. Because frustrated phagocytosis of immune complex-coated surfaces at 37 degrees C increased the area of adherent plasma membrane, the total area coated by clathrin basket-works increased 5-fold (28 micron 2/cell) as compared with cells plated on BSA alone (5.6 micron 2/cell) and 200-fold as compared with cells adhering to immune complexes at 4 degrees C. We then determined that macrophages cultured on BSA-coated coverslips for 24 h already have abundant surface clathrin. When immune complexes were formed by the addition of anti-BSA IgG to already spread macrophages cultured on BSA-coated coverslips for 24 h, clathrin assembled at the sites of ligand-receptor interaction even at 4 degrees C, before spreading, and a 2.6-fold increase in assembled clathrin was observed on the adherent plasma membrane of cells on immune complexes as compared with cells on BSA alone. Clathrin was reversibly redistributed to the Golgi region, returning to the steady state by 2 h.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Differentiation of monocytes. Origin, nature, and fate of their azurophil granules.

The origin, content, and fate of azurophil granules of blood monocytes were investigated in several species (rabbit, guinea pig, human) by electron microscopy and cytochemistry. The life cycle of monocytes consists of maturation in bone marrow, transit in blood, and migration into tissues where they function as macrophages. Cells were examined from all three phases. It was found that: azurophil granules originate in the Golgi complex of the developing monocyte of bone marrow and blood, and ultimately fuse with phagosomes during phagocytosis upon arrival of monocytes in the tissues. They contain lysosomal enzymes in all species studied and peroxidase in the guinea pig and human. These enzymes are produced by the same pathway as other secretory products (i.e., they are segregated in the rough ER and packaged into granules in the Golgi complex). The findings demonstrate that the azurophil granules of monocytes are primary lysosomes or storage granules comparable to the azurophils of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and the specific granules of eosinophils. Macrophages from peritoneal exudates (72-96 hr after endotoxin injection) contain large quantities of lysosomal enzymes throughout the secretory apparatus (rough ER and Golgi complex), in digestive vacuoles, and in numerous coated vesicles; however, they lack forming or mature azurophil granules. Hence it appears that the monocyte produces two types of primary lysosomes during different phases of its life cycle-azurophil granules made by developing monocytes in bone marrow or blood, and coated vesicles made by macrophages in tissues and body cavities.

Cytochemical localization of acid phosphatase activity in granule fractions from rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

When rabbit peritoneal exudates (97% polymorphonuclear [PMN] leukocytes, 2% mononuclear cells) were fractionated by zonal sedimentation or isopycnic centrifugation, four fractions (A, B, C, and D) were obtained, as reported earlier. "A" consisted largely of PMN azurophil granules, "B" of PMN specific granules, and "D" of membranous elements. The source of the more heterogeneous "C" fraction (containing acid hydrolases) was uncertain. To gain further information on the nature of this fraction, cytochemical tests for acid phosphatase (AcPase) were carried out on the starting cells and on the fractions. In intact PMN, lead phosphate reaction product was found in Golgi complexes, perinuclear cisternae, and some azurophil granules (immature forms or disrupted mature forms) of a few cells. The specifics and the intact azurophils were not reactive. Reaction product was also found within Golgi cisternae, secondary lysosomes, and some of the azurophil granules of mononuclear cells. Observations on the A and B fractions confirmed those in situ regarding the localization of reaction product in disrupted PMN azurophils, its absence from specifics, and the latency of the enzyme activity in intact azurophils. In the C fraction, AcPase was found in three structures (a) Golgi cisternae, (b) dense bodies, and (c) small pleomorphic granules Comparison with the starting cells indicates that the Golgi complexes are probably derived from both PMN leukocytes and mononuclear cells, whereas the remaining elements resemble (in size, shape, and density) secondary lysosomes and azurophil granules of mononuclear cells. The results indicate that the bulk of the cytochemically detectable AcPase present in the C fraction is derived from mononuclear cells, rather than from PMN leukocytes

Redistribution of alpha-granules and their contents in thrombin-stimulated platelets.

The redistribution of beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG), platelet Factor 4 (PF4), and fibrinogen from the alpha granules of the platelet after stimulation with thrombin was studied by morphologic and immunocytochemical techniques. The use of tannic acid stain and quick-freeze techniques revealed several thrombin-induced morphologic changes. First, the normally discoid platelet became rounder in form, with filopodia, and the granules clustered in its center. The granules then fused with one another and with elements of the surface-connected canalicular system (SCCS) to form large vacuoles in the center of the cell and near the periphery. Neither these vacuoles nor the alpha granules appeared to fuse with the plasma membrane, but the vacuoles were connected to the extracellular space by wide necks, presumably formed by enlargement of the narrow necks connecting the SCCS to the surface of the unstimulated cell. The presence of fibrinogen, beta TG, and PF4 in corresponding large intracellular vacuoles and along the platelet plasma membrane after thrombin stimulation was demonstrated by immunocytochemical techniques in saponin-permeabilized and nonpermeabilized platelets. Immunocytochemical labeling of the three proteins on frozen thin sections of thrombin-stimulated platelets confirmed these findings and showed that all three proteins reached the plasma membrane by the same pathway. We conclude that thrombin stimulation of platelets causes at least some of the fibrinogen, beta TG, and PF4 stored in their alpha granules to be redistributed to their plasma membranes by way of surface-connected vacuoles formed by fusion of the alpha granules with elements of the SCCS.

Transepithelial transport of a viral membrane glycoprotein implanted into the apical plasma membrane of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. I. Morphological evidence.

The G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus was implanted in the apical plasma membrane of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells by low pH-dependent fusion of the viral envelope with the cellular membrane. The amount of fusion as determined by removal of unfused virions, either by tryptic digestion or by EDTA treatment at 0 degree C, was 22-24% of the cell-bound virus radioactivity. Upon incubation of cells after implantation, the amount of G protein as detected by immunofluorescence diminished on the apical membrane and appeared within 30 min on the basolateral membrane. At the same time some G protein fluorescence was also seen in intracellular vacuoles. The observations by immunofluorescence were confirmed and extended by electron microscopy. Using immunoperoxidase localization, G protein was seen to move into irregularly shaped vacuoles (endosomes) and multivesicular bodies and to appear on the basolateral plasma membrane. These results suggest that the apical and basolateral domains of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells are connected by an intracellular route.