Figure 4 of Biswas, Mol Vis 2007; 13:345-359.


Figure 4. Heterogeneous distribution of cholesterol in gap junction plaques in the outer cortical fiber cells

Gap junctions in the outer cortex (0-200 μm deep) contain different amounts of cholesterol as determined by filipin cytochemistry and freeze-fracture TEM. Newly formed gap junctions (A and B) and well-formed cholesterol-rich gap junctions (C and D) contain a large number of filipin-cholesterol complexes (FCCs). Some FCCs (25-35 nm particles) in the P-face of the non-junctional membrane are indicated by the arrows in A. At high magnification, the border of such cholesterol-rich gap junction is outlined by arrowheads for a clearer visualization (D). Cholesterol-intermediate gap junctions contain considerably less FCCs (E and F). Cholesterol-poor or -free gap junctions contain only a few or no FCCs in the junctional plaques (G and H). pf, P-face of the membrane; ef, E-face of the membrane. The scale bars are equal to 200 nm.

(581 K)

Biswas, Mol Vis 2007; 13:345-359 <http://www.molvis.org/molvis/v13/a38/>
©2007 Molecular Vision <http://www.molvis.org/molvis/>
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