spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by GOODALL, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by THOMPSON, J. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by GOODALL, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by THOMPSON, J. E.

Journal of Cell Science, Vol 11, 569-579, Copyright © 1972 by Company of Biologists

Submitted on February 7, 1972

Turnover of Plasma Membrane During Phagocytosis

R. J. GOODALL 1, Y. F. LAI 1, and J. E. THOMPSON 1

1 Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Levels of radioactive glycine and glycerol incorporated into the plasma membrane of Acanthamoeba castellanii during phagocytosis were determined in order to elucidate how surface membrane expended during this process is replaced. The amoebae were allowed to ingest latex beads in the presence of the labelled membrane precursors and plasma membrane was then isolated and analysed for the presence of radioactivity. The isolated membrane fragments were found to be quite highly labelled. In order to ascertain whether this represented preferential synthesis of plasma membrane in response to phagocytosis, the specific radio-activities of the isolated membrane fractions were compared with those of corresponding particulate homogenates, which were composites of all cellular membranes. Enrichment values calculated in this manner proved to be essentially similar for both phagocytosing and non-phagocytosing amoebae. This indicates that de novo synthesis of plasma membrane is not essential for phagocytosis and in turn suggests that pre-existing cytoplasmic membrane is used to replace surface membrane consumed during ingestion. Presumably the incorporation of membrane precursors that was observed represents molecular turnover that occurs irrespective of phagocytosis.

Submitted on February 7, 1972






© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1972