Summary
In the bullfrog, the meninges surrounding the central nervous system include an arachnoid mater that contains layers of cells with abundant intermediate filaments (IFs) having unique organizational characteristics. This membrane contains an inner lamina of cells that resemble fibroblasts and an outer lamina of flattened cells that are almost filled with IFs. The IFs of the outer arachnoid are arranged in compact, arching bundles that lie parallel to the outer surface of the central nervous system. Thus, sections cut tangentially to the membrane reveal bending of filament bundles, whereas transverse sections do not. In some cells bordering the subdural space, bundles of filaments are organized into highly-ordered spiral arrays. Attachments to the numerous desmosomes and, apparently, to the nuclear envelope suggest anchoring of cytoplasmic structures by the IF system. Microtubules occur primarily near the plasma membrane and the nucleus. Numerous caveolae also are associated with the plasma membrane.
The unusual abundance, organization, and cytoplasmic relations of IFs in the bullfrog arachnoid suggest that this membrane may serve as an important model for study of fundamental cytoskeletal relations and function.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blose SH, Chacko S (1976) Rings of intermediate (100 Å) filament bundles in the perinuclear region of vascular endothelial cells. J Cell Biol 70:459–466
Boycott BB, Gray EG, Guillery RW (1961) Synaptic structure and its alteration with environmental temperature: a study by light and electron microscopy of the central nervous system of lizards. Proc Roy Soc B 154:151–172
Brecher S (1975) The occurrence and possible role of 80–100 Å filaments in PtKl cells. Exp Cell Res 96:303–310
Brinkley BR (1982) Summary: Organization of the cytoplasm. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 46:1029–1040
Devine CE, Somlyo AV, Somlyo AP (1973) Sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria as cation accumulation sites in smooth muscle. Philos Trans R Soc Lond (Biol) 265:17–23
Eagles PAM, Gilbert DS, Maggs A (1981) The location of phosphorylation sites and Ca2+-dependent proteolytic cleavage sites on the major neurofilament polypeptides from Myxicola infundibulum. Biochem J 199:101–111
Gilbert DS, Newby BJ Anderton BH (1975) Neurofilament disguise, destruction and discipline. Nature 256:586–589
Goldman RD, Knipe DM (1972) Functions of cytoplasmic fibers in nonmuscle cell motility. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 37:523–534
Goldman RD, Hill BF, Steinert P, Whitman MA, Zackroff RV (1980) Intermediate filament-microtubule interactions: Evidence in support of a common organization center. In: De Brabander M, De Mey J (eds) Microtubules and microtubule inhibitors. Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, pp 91–102
Kelly D (1966) Fine structure of desmosomes, hemidesmosomes, and an adepidermal globular layer in developing newt epidermis. J Cell Biol 28:51–72
Knapp LW, O'Guin WM, Sawyer RH (1983) Drug-induced alterations of cytokeratin organization in cultured epithelial cells. Science 219:501–503
Lasek RJ, Krishnan N, Kaiserman-Abramof IR (1979) Identification of the subunit proteins of 10-nm neurofilaments isolated from axoplasm of squid and Myxicola giant axons. J Cell Biol 82:336–346
Lazarides E (1980) Intermediate filaments as mechanical integrators of cellular space. Nature 283:249–256
Lehto V-P, Virtanen I, Kurki P (1978) Intermediate filaments anchor the nuclei in nuclear monolayers of cultured human fibroblasts. Nature 272:175–177
Massa PT (1982) Plasmalemmal vesicles (caveolae) of fibrous astrocytes of the cat optic nerve. Am J Anat 165:69–81
Michaels JE, Tornheim PA (1980) Fine structure of the lateral areas of the rhombencephalic tela of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. Cell Tissue Res 211:449–463
Potter HD, Hafner GS (1974) Sequence of changes in neurofibrils (neurofilaments) induced in synaptic regions of bullfrogs by environmental temperature changes. J Comp Neurol 155:409–423
Sun T-T, Shih C, Green H (1979) Keratin cytoskeletons in epithelial cells of internal organs. Proc Natl Acad Sci 76:2813–2817
Virtanen I, Kurkinen M, Lehto V-P (1979) Nucleus-anchoring cytoskeleton in chicken red blood cells. Cell Biol Int Rep 3:157–162
Wang E, Roos DS, Heggeness MH, Choppin PW (1981) Function of cytoplasmic fibers in syncytia. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 46:997–1012
Zajicova A (1975) Comparative morphology of the meninges of amphibians and reptiles. Folia Morphol (Praha) 23:56–64
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Michaels, J.E., Tornheim, P.A. Arachnoid mater of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana . Cell Tissue Res. 236, 693–697 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217240
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217240