Biomaterial Database

Freeze-fracture electronmicroscopic analysis of plasma membranes of cultured muscle cells in Duchenne dystrophy. 1981

M Osame, and A G Engel, and C J Rebouche, and R E Scott

Depletion of intramembranous particles has been reported in the muscle fiber plasma membrane in Duchenne dystrophy. We searched for a similar abnormality in plasma membranes of cultured muscle cells obtained from six patients with Duchenne dystrophy and six controls. A precise method for phase microscopic to freeze-fracture electronmicroscopic correlation was devised to identify the cell of origin of each replicated membrane face. For both control and patient cells, P-face particle density was higher in myotubes than in mononuclear cells. However, there were no significant differences between control and dystrophic cells when comparing P faces of myotubes, E faces of myotubes, P faces of single cells, or E faces of single cells. The frequency distribution of particle diameters was similar in P faces of control and Duchenne myotubes. Other structural features of the freeze-fractured plasma membrane also were similar.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007365	Intercellular Junctions	Direct contact of a cell with a neighboring cell. Most such junctions are too small to be resolved by light microscopy, but they can be visualized by conventional or freeze-fracture electron microscopy, both of which show that the interacting CELL MEMBRANE and often the underlying CYTOPLASM and the intervening EXTRACELLULAR SPACE are highly specialized in these regions. (From Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2d ed, p792)	Cell Junctions,Cell Junction,Intercellular Junction,Junction, Cell,Junction, Intercellular,Junctions, Cell,Junctions, Intercellular
D008297	Male		Males
D009132	Muscles	Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals.	Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D009136	Muscular Dystrophies	A heterogeneous group of inherited MYOPATHIES, characterized by wasting and weakness of the SKELETAL MUSCLE. They are categorized by the sites of MUSCLE WEAKNESS; AGE OF ONSET; and INHERITANCE PATTERNS.	Muscular Dystrophy,Myodystrophica,Myodystrophy,Dystrophies, Muscular,Dystrophy, Muscular,Myodystrophicas,Myodystrophies
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
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260	Female		Females
D005614	Freeze Fracturing	Preparation for electron microscopy of minute replicas of exposed surfaces of the cell which have been ruptured in the frozen state. The specimen is frozen, then cleaved under high vacuum at the same temperature. The exposed surface is shadowed with carbon and platinum and coated with carbon to obtain a carbon replica.	Fracturing, Freeze,Fracturings, Freeze,Freeze Fracturings