STRUCTURAL-CHANGES IN THE GILL CELLS OF GAMMARUS-DUEBENI (CRUSTACEA, AMPHIPODA) UNDER OSMOTIC-STRESS - WITH NOTES ON MICROTUBULES IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SEPTATE JUNCTIONS
R. Shires et al., STRUCTURAL-CHANGES IN THE GILL CELLS OF GAMMARUS-DUEBENI (CRUSTACEA, AMPHIPODA) UNDER OSMOTIC-STRESS - WITH NOTES ON MICROTUBULES IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SEPTATE JUNCTIONS, Tissue & cell, 26(5), 1994, pp. 767-778
The amphipod crustacean Gammarus duebeni (Lilljeborg) tolerates salini
ties in the range freshwater to seawater. Such tolerance requires the
ability to respond to the varying degrees of osmotic stress imposed on
the single layer of epithelial cells separating the outside medium fr
om the haemolymph space in the gills. Following transfer of individual
s from low salinities to seawater, changes occur in the fine structure
of the epithelial cells. These changes invoke the configuration of th
e apical border of the cells, the mitochondria and cytoplasmic lacunae
. Despite such variation in cell organisation, the association between
neighbouring epithelial cells appears unaffected. Attention is drawn
to a well developed system of microtubules in association with the sep
tate junctions. The possible mechanical role of these microtubules in
protecting the integrity of the septate junctions from the effects of
osmotically induced changes in cell volume is discussed.