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Epithelial cell polarity as reflected in enterocytes
Author(s) -
MasseyHarroche Dominique
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0029(20000515)49:4<353::aid-jemt4>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - apical cell , epithelial polarity , microbiology and biotechnology , brush border , apical membrane , cell polarity , glycocalyx , polarity (international relations) , golgi apparatus , chemistry , epithelium , enterocyte , biology , cell , membrane , biochemistry , vesicle , small intestine , endoplasmic reticulum , genetics
Absorptive cells are the main cells present in the intestinal epithelium. The plasma membrane of these tall columnar cells reflects their high degree of polarization, by dividing into apical and basolateral domains with different compositions. The most characteristic structure of these cells consists of closely packed apical microvilli with the same height, looking like a brush, which is why they were named the brush border. The concentrated pattern of some apical markers observed in a restricted brush border domain shows that mature enterocytes are hyperpolarized epithelial cells: the filamentous brush border glycocalyx is anchored at the top of the microvilli and the annexin XIII is concentrated in the lower three fourths. Many studies have been carried out on the biosynthesis and intracellular pathway of domain markers. The results show clearly that the basolateral markers take a direct pathway from the trans ‐Golgi network to the basolateral membrane. However, the two apical pathways, one direct and one indirect pathway via the basolateral membrane, are used, depending on the apical protein involved. Efficient protein sorting and addressing are essential to the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, on which the integrity of the epithelial barrier depends. Microsc. Res. Tech. 49:353–362, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.