Summary
The membranes of the microvilli of UV- and green-photoreceptors of the ant Myrmecia gulosa have been studied with the freeze-fracture technique. Both inner fracture faces, the cytoplasmic P-face and the extracellular E-face, are covered by globular particles. The P-face particles appear to be randomly distributed, occasionally forming clusters. Their density is about 7,000/μm2, and their mean diameter is 8.5 nm. The E-face particles, however, are arranged in an ordered square pattern with a center-to-center spacing of 9 nm. The density and distribution of P- and E-face particles are the same in both the UV- and the green-photoreceptor membranes. No differences were found in the ultrastructural organization of photoreceptor membranes after dark or light adaptation. It is suggested that the P-face particles represent rhodopsin molecules.
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Nickel, E., Menzel, R. Insect UV-, and green-photoreceptor membranes studied by the freeze-fracture technique. Cell Tissue Res. 175, 357–368 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218715
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218715