Journal of Cell Science, Vol 10, 683-691, Copyright © 1972 by Company of Biologists

Submitted on September 1, 1971

A New Junctional Structure in the Epithelia of Insects of the Order Dictyoptera

¹ Physics and Engineering Laboratory, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

The junctional complexes in the epithelia of insects of the order Dictyoptera have been investigated using the freeze-etch technique. As well as septate junctions, a new type of junction has been identified and the name ‘inverted gap junction’ proposed. The patch-like distribution of the inverted gap junctions basal to and often closely associated with septate junctions is very similar to the form of gap junctions and their relationship to tight junctions in vertebrates. This suggests that the inverted gap junctions, like normal gap junctions, could perform a communicating function between epithelial cells. The following features distinguish inverted gap junctions from normal gap junctions in freeze-etch preparations: (i) the arrays of particles and holes within inverted gap junctions appear on B- and A-type faces respectively, i.e. on the opposite faces to the particles and holes in gap junctions; (ii) the particles within inverted gap junctions appear to lie in rows which anastomose to form an irregular net, and not in an hexagonal array, as occurs in gap junctions.

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				G. P. Dempsey, S. Bullivant, and W. B. Watkins Endothelial Cell Membranes: Polarity of Particles as Seen by Freeze-Fracturing Science, January 12, 1973; 179(4069): 190 - 192. [Abstract] [PDF]