Immunocytochemical localization of myosin in normal and phalloidin-treated rat hepatocytes

To clarify the intracellular distribution of myosin in normal rat hepatocytes and its alterations in phal-loidin-treated rat hepatocytes as a morphologic basis for the dysfunction of microfilaments, we performed indirect immunofluorescence using monospecific antibody raised against rat hepatocyte myosin. Cryostat rat liver sections analyzed by the use of this antibody showed a characteristic polygonal staining pattern, indicating that myosin is localized close to the plasma membrane including the region of bile canaliculi. The observed myosin staining pattern of normal liver coincides with the pattern of actin distribution as demonstrated by double-staining on the same liver section with antimyosin antibody and rhodamine-phalloidin. Upon administration of phalloidin to rats, the following changes in the myosin staining pattern were observed. (a) Peripheral fluorescence along the plasma membrane, especially around the bile canaliculi and sinusoids, was greatly enhanced. (b) Numbers of small fluorescent dots appeared in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. These changes in the localization of myosin are shown to overlap with those of actin filament distribution. Accompanying these changes of localization, cellular myosin content appears to be increased, as the myosin marker-enzyme NH4+(-)ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-adenosine triphosphatase activity in hepatocyte extracts was elevated threefold after 7 days of phalloidin treatment. This increase of myosin may be due to the previously observed stabilizing effect on microfilaments of phalloidin against cellular proteases. Thus, phalloidin, which primarily alters actin filament distribution, induces the changes in myosin localization and the increase in cellular myosin content without causing dissociation of myosin from actin in the hepatocyte.