Polarized bundles of actin filaments within microvilli of fertilized sea urchin eggs. 1977

D R Burgess, and T E Schroeder

We report on the internal ultrastructure of long, finger-like microvilli which cover the surface of the fertilized sea urchin egg. Eggs were attached to polylysine-coated surfaces; their upper portions were sheared away with a stream of buffer which left behind only their plasma membranes and adjacent cytoplasmic structures. Scanning electron microscopy (EM) of such fragments revealed intact thin protoplasmic projections radiating away from the body of the cortex. By transmission EM of cortices similarly prepared on grids, small bundles of microfilaments appear as cores within the thin cytoplasmic projections. These microfilaments are shown to be composed of actin by their ability to interact with muscle heavy meromyosin (HMM). HMM-decorated microfilaments possess repeating arrowheads which uniformly point toward the cell interior. Actin bundles in the microvilli of sea urchin eggs may mediate microvillus support and elongation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008871 Microvilli Minute projections of cell membranes which greatly increase the surface area of the cell. Brush Border,Striated Border,Border, Brush,Border, Striated,Borders, Brush,Borders, Striated,Brush Borders,Microvillus,Striated Borders
D002462 Cell Membrane The lipid- and protein-containing, selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Plasma Membrane,Cytoplasmic Membrane,Cell Membranes,Cytoplasmic Membranes,Membrane, Cell,Membrane, Cytoplasmic,Membrane, Plasma,Membranes, Cell,Membranes, Cytoplasmic,Membranes, Plasma,Plasma Membranes
D003593 Cytoplasm The part of a cell that contains the CYTOSOL and small structures excluding the CELL NUCLEUS; MITOCHONDRIA; and large VACUOLES. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990) Protoplasm,Cytoplasms,Protoplasms
D003599 Cytoskeleton The network of filaments, tubules, and interconnecting filamentous bridges which give shape, structure, and organization to the cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic Filaments,Cytoskeletal Filaments,Microtrabecular Lattice,Cytoplasmic Filament,Cytoskeletal Filament,Cytoskeletons,Filament, Cytoplasmic,Filament, Cytoskeletal,Filaments, Cytoplasmic,Filaments, Cytoskeletal,Lattice, Microtrabecular,Lattices, Microtrabecular,Microtrabecular Lattices
D005260 Female Females
D000199 Actins Filamentous proteins that are the main constituent of the thin filaments of muscle fibers. The filaments (known also as filamentous or F-actin) can be dissociated into their globular subunits; each subunit is composed of a single polypeptide 375 amino acids long. This is known as globular or G-actin. In conjunction with MYOSINS, actin is responsible for the contraction and relaxation of muscle. F-Actin,G-Actin,Actin,Isoactin,N-Actin,alpha-Actin,alpha-Isoactin,beta-Actin,gamma-Actin,F Actin,G Actin,N Actin,alpha Actin,alpha Isoactin,beta Actin,gamma Actin
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012617 Sea Urchins Somewhat flattened, globular echinoderms, having thin, brittle shells of calcareous plates. They are useful models for studying FERTILIZATION and EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT. Echinoidea,Sand-Dollar,Clypeasteroida,Sand Dollars,Clypeasteroidas,Dollar, Sand,Dollars, Sand,Echinoideas,Sand Dollar,Sand-Dollars,Sea Urchin,Urchin, Sea,Urchins, Sea
D015053 Zygote The fertilized OVUM resulting from the fusion of a male and a female gamete. Fertilized Ovum,Ovum, Fertilized,Fertilized Egg,Egg, Fertilized,Eggs, Fertilized,Fertilized Eggs,Zygotes
D015879 Myosin Subfragments Parts of the myosin molecule resulting from cleavage by proteolytic enzymes (PAPAIN; TRYPSIN; or CHYMOTRYPSIN) at well-localized regions. Study of these isolated fragments helps to delineate the functional roles of different parts of myosin. Two of the most common subfragments are myosin S-1 and myosin S-2. S-1 contains the heads of the heavy chains plus the light chains and S-2 contains part of the double-stranded, alpha-helical, heavy chain tail (myosin rod). Actomyosin Subfragments,Meromyosin Subfragments,Myosin Rod,Myosin S-1,Myosin S-2,ATPase, Actin-S1,Actin S1 ATPase,Actoheavy Meromyosin,Actomyosin Subfragment 1 ATPase,H-Meromyosin,Heavy Meromyosin,Heavy Meromyosin Subfragment-1,Heavy Meromyosin Subfragment-2,Light Meromyosin,Myosin Subfragment-1,Myosin Subfragment-2,ATPase, Actin S1,Actin-S1 ATPase,H Meromyosin,Heavy Meromyosin Subfragment 1,Heavy Meromyosin Subfragment 2,Meromyosin Subfragment-1, Heavy,Meromyosin Subfragment-2, Heavy,Meromyosin, Actoheavy,Meromyosin, Heavy,Meromyosin, Light,Myosin S 1,Myosin S 2,Myosin Subfragment 1,Myosin Subfragment 2,Subfragment-1, Heavy Meromyosin,Subfragment-1, Myosin,Subfragment-2, Heavy Meromyosin,Subfragment-2, Myosin,Subfragments, Actomyosin,Subfragments, Meromyosin,Subfragments, Myosin

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