ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS ON NEGATIVELY STAINED PLASMA MEMBRANES ISOLATED FROM RAT LIVER

作者：E. Lucio Benedetti, Peter Emmelot · 发表于：The Journal of Cell Biology · 年份：1965 · DOI：10.1083/jcb.26.1.299 · 被引用次数：156 · 研究领域：Bacteriophages and microbial interactions、Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies、Copper-based nanomaterials and applications

The Davson-Danielli model of membrane structure features a bimolecular leaflet of phospholipids in lamellar arrangement, covered on both sides by protein (1). This model is in keeping with many electron microscopic and other observations on cellular membranes (2-4) and mixtures of phospholipids and proteins (5-8). An alternative model of membrane structure involving a micellar arrangement of the constituents in the plane of the membrane has also been considered, mainly on the basis of observations on lipid emulsions in water (8-12). Evidence for the presence of this type of structure in cellular membranes is scarce. A hexagonal array of subunit facets is suggested by the observations of Robertson (3, 13) on the synaptic disc of the Mauthner cell in goldfish brain, and of Murray (14) on the inner envelope layer of a Micrococcus species. Globular micelles in the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria and in the receptor of frog retina have been described by Sj6strand (15, 16) and Nilsson (17), respectively (compare for the latter case reference 3, Fig. 71). That the structure of a membrane may be further differentiated is shown by the regular array of units ("elementary particles") each composed of a globular head (80 to 100 A in diameter), stalk, and base, on the cristae and inner membrane of mitochondria (18). It has been proposed (18, 19) that all membrane systems may contain analogous particles.