Relationship between microtubules and Golgi apparatus in hepatocytes: a quantitative study during experimental...

In many cell types, microtubules are preferentially associated with the Golgi apparatus. However, the existence of a functional link between these two organelles is still hypothetical. To gain insight into this question, the relationships between microtubules and the Golgi apparatus were studied in rat hepatocytes during experimental nephrosis induced by the aminonucleoside of puromycin. This condition is known to cause prolonged stimulation of plasma protein production by the hepatocytes. Rats were studied 2, 4, 5, 10 and 20 days after aminonucleoside injection. The amount of albumin was measured in serum and hepatic microsomes by laser immunonephelometry. The volume densities of microtubules around the Golgi apparatus and in the remaining cytoplasm were measured by ultrastructural morphometry. Changes of the Golgi apparatus were analysed by measuring the volume density of the whole organelle and the respective proportion of saccules and vesicles. Proteinuria began 5 days after aminonucleoside injection and was accompanied by a decrease in serum albumin and a rise in microsomal albumin. These changes were still more striking after 10 days, but protein and albumin levels were almost back to normal after 20 days. Concomitantly, the volume density of the microtubules increased significantly around the Golgi apparatus (32% after 10 days), and not in the remaining cytoplasm. The Golgi apparatus was enlarged (80% after 10 days) with a higher ratio of secretory vesicle to saccule volume densities. These results show that additional microtubules are present around the Golgi apparatus during the enhanced production of plasma proteins which occurs in nephrosis. They suggest that in hepatocytes, microtubules play a part in the Golgi apparatus function of plasma protein processing.