Immunological detection of spectrin during differentiation and in mature ciliated cells from quail oviduct

A protein that was immunologically related to the erythrocyte and brain alpha-240-subunit and to the brain beta-235-subunit of spectrin was characterized by immunoblotting and was detected by immunofluorescence in the apical part of ciliated cells from quail oviduct. After immunogold-labeling electron immunocytochemistry, spectrin was detected mainly in a fibrillar meshwork located between the proximal parts of the basal bodies. It was also observed to be in contact with the basal foot of basal bodies, but was not found to be associated with the apical plasma membrane. Cilia and microvilli were unlabeled. In contrast, spectrin was detected in close contact with the lateral plasma membrane of mature ciliated cells as well as in stem epithelial cells in unstimulated oviduct. During ciliogenesis induced by estrogen, spectrin gradually appeared at the apex of the cells as the apical cytoskeleton differentiated.