CHANGES IN THE ORGANELLE ARRANGEMENT IN PRIMARY CULTURED-HEPATOCYTES FOLLOWING THE FORMATION OF CYTOSKELETON

The relationship between the arrangement of organelles and cytoskeleto n in primary cultured hepatocytes was studied morphologically by using fluorescent dyes. Double staining with DiOC6(3) and rhodamine-conjuga ted phalloidin revealed that the distribution of endoplasmic reticulum was identical with the distribution of F-actin in the marginal areas of well-spread hepatocytes. As the cells spread further, the mitochond ria which were positively stained with rhodamine 123 began to show a r adial distribution, extending from the centre of the cell towards its margins. This pattern was disturbed after the microtubules were depoly merized with colchicine. Simultaneous double staining using rhodamine- conjugated phalloidin and anti-tubulin antibody revealed that the dist ribution of stress fibres resembles that of microtubules in hepatocyte s. These result suggest that the arrangement of organelles in hepatocy tes is determined by the cytoskeleton.