Asymmetric distribution of anionic sites on rat liver nuclear membranes

The labelling characteristics of isolated rat liver cell nuclei was studied using polycationized ferritin as an ultrastructural probe for anionic sites. At low concentrations of the marker the nuclear surface was partly labelled eg. at sites of nuclear annuli. At high probe concentrations the entire cytoplasmic surface of the outer nuclear membrane bound ferritin particles. On the other hand, the cisternal surfaces of nuclear membranes could not be labelled although in parallel experiments Concanavalin A-ferritin bound to the cisternal surface of both nuclear membranes indicating free access of ferritin particles to the perinuclear space. The results indicate that nuclear membranes show a distinct vectorial asymmetry in respect to the presence of anionic surface sites.