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Evidence of a microtrabecular cytoskeletal lattice in glandular cells of hydrozoan planulae
Author(s) -
Walch E. Timothy,
Martin Vicki J.,
Archer William E.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051870307
Subject(s) - cytoplasm , biology , cytoskeleton , microtubule , embedment , ultrastructure , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , electron microscope , transmission electron microscopy , anatomy , cell , materials science , composite material , nanotechnology , physics , optics , genetics
Hydrozoan planulae of Pennaria tiarella and Podocoryne carnea were processed for transmission electron microscopy using diethylene glycol distearate (DGD). The DGD functions as a removable embedding medium to produce embedment‐free sections of intact planulae. Images of glandular cells obtained using embedment‐free sections were compared with those from conventional Spurr‐embedded sections. In unembedded sections a large number of thin anastomosing fibers were observed throughout the cytoplasm of the glandular cell. The fibers appeared to coalesce in certain areas to form thick bundles of fibers that partitioned the glandular cytoplasm into spherical compartments. The meshwork of fibers is three‐dimensional and resembles a microtrabecular lattice. Mitochondria are suspended within and attached to the network of fibers, thus suggesting a cytoskeletal role of the fibers. This study documents the presence of a cytoplasmic fiber system within cells of intact invertebrate larvae.