The conjugation junction of Tetrahymena: Its structure and development

The conjugation junction of Tetrahymena has been examined by thin sections, freeze fracture preparations, and by scanning electron microscopy. The junction is formed where the anterior tips of the pairing cells attach to one another. The structure is essentially a large disk composed of two face-to-face plasma membranes separated by a gap of extracellular space measuring about 50 nm. Rows of intramembrane particles are present at the boundary between the junction and ordinary cell cortex. These particles form a ring around the junction. Subjacent to each membrane is a thick mottled layer of material. Pores form in the junction at sites of membrane fusion. Though wider than long, these structures are actually bridges of cytoplasm that connect the conjugating cells. Pores fall into certain size and shape classes, indicating that membrane fusion is highly controlled in this system. At the level of the cytoplasmic bridge the submembrane material is compact and electron-dense. Changes in the structure of the epiplasmic layer have been monitored as the normal cortex is modified during tip transformation and through formation of the mature conjugation junction. Evidence is provided that the submembrane layer plays a significant role in the regulation of pore formation. This cytoskeletal structure may also limit the extent of membrane fusion, thus controlling the size of the cytoplasmic channels.