[Ultrastructural characteristics of the pentalaminar contact and its role in myoblast fusion]. / Osobennosti ul'trastruktury piatisloinogo kontakta i ego rol' v sliianii mioblastov.

Two types of the pentalaminar structure were found in developing skeletal muscles. One of them is characterized by three electron-dense lines 23-25 nm in size. The other one, 11 nm in size, has only one electron-dense central line and forms membrane invaginations (blebs), 100-250 nm in diameter. The transformation of the "bridge" contact into the 2nd type pentalaminar structure and electron-dense bodies--"lenses" (60-65 nm) was established. The "lenses" contain an electron-dense material, similar to that of the "bridges". Neuraminidase hydrolysis shows that the "bridges" consist of glycoproteins. The muscle cells were extracted with 0.5% triton X-100. The detergent removes most of phospholipids. The first type of the pentalaminar structure remains stable to detergent treatment, whereas the second type may be dissolved. Besides, a partial destruction of surface membranes--"breaks"--are observed in the regions of membrane transmission to the pentalaminar structure. The detergent appears to act on those sites of the surface membrane which are instable and ready to fuse, especially on the bases of invaginations.

[Formation of intercellular contacts in myogenesis]. / Obrazovanie mezhkletochnykh kontaktov v miogeneze.

In myogenesis in vivo and in the muscle tissue culture certain intercellular junctions have been revealed; they differ in their ultrastructure and functions. For the stage of interaction between a myoblast with another myoblast contacts of adhesive type are distinctive: desmosomes and fasciae adherentes. They are necessary for adhesion of the cells with each other. Besides, gap and punctate contacts occur, serving for exchange of metabolites and electrical conjugation. At more advanced stages of fusion, when the myoblast gets into contact with the early muscle tubule, a bridge contact is observed, resembling the septal one, which is able to transform into a pentalayered (tight) junction. The latter type evidently participates in fusion of the membranes of the interacting cells.

[Intercellular interactions preceding muscle cell fusion]. / Mezhkletochnye vzaimodeistviia, predshestvuiushchie sliianiiu myshechnykh kletok.

Membrane interactions of myogenic cells of the 7-8 old chick embryos were investigated by electron microscopy. Tannic acid was used as specific fixative for biological membranes. Three types of specialized contacts can be revealed in fused myogenic cells: the first is like gap junctions, the second represents a pentalamellar structure, and the third is a so far non-described type of contact showing a membrane complex consisting of two parallel membranes arranged at a distance of approximately 15 nm and connected by electron-dense "bridges". The third type contact is revealed only by tannin-fixation. It is suggested that the "bridge" contact precedes the pentalamellar structure. A transition from the first type of contact to the second one is possible. The pentalamellar structure can be considered as an initial phase of fusion.

[Calcium localization in the degenerating myotubes of developing skeletal muscle in the chick embryo]. / Lokalizatsiia kal'tsiia v destruktivnykh miotrubkakh razvivaiushchikh skeletnykh myshts kurinogo émbriona.

Ca-accumulating formations found in degenerating myotubes of chick embryo by pyroantimonate technique have been identified as membrane bound bodies in the material fixed routinely for electron microscopy. These bodies seem to represent initial stages of a lipid degeneration of membranous structures. It is assumed that calcification of single degenerating subcellular structures may limit spreading necrosis over the whole cell.

[Calcium in the developing skeletal muscles of the chick embryo]. / Kal'tsii v razvivaiushchikhsia skeletnykh myshtsakh kurinogo émbriona.

The osmium-pyroantimonate technique was used for the ultrastructural study of Ca2+-localization in two types of chick embryo skeletal muscles: m. pectoralis and m. soleus. In 8- and 12-day old embryos the pyroantimonate precipitate was found on plasmalemma, condensed chromatine and ribosomes and in N-lines of I-band. During myogenesis (15-, 21-day old embryos) the calcium precipitate is redistributed from the above mentioned sites to terminal cisternae and N-line of I-band. It is proposed that calcium of N-lines may be involved in the glycogenolysis, its association with the muscle contraction occurring particularly at early developmental stages.

[Role of membrane structure in the formation of the myofibrillar system in myogenesis]. / O roli membrannykh struktur v formirovanii miofibrilliarnogo apparata v miogeneze.

The leading role of membranes in the formation of the myofibrillar system at different stages of chick embryo development (on the 8th, 12th, 15th day) was considered. At the early stages the myofibrillar assembly depends mainly on the plasma membrane (myofibrils are located beneath the sarcolemma) and later on it depends on the developing sarcoplasmic reticulum and T-system. It was shown that transverse tubules invaginating from the plasma membrane are the framework for the forming myofibrillar system, and thin filaments are attached to the transverse tubules at the sites of future Z-lines. These results support the idea that Z-lines originate from the membrane. Destruction of the membrane elements provokes disorganization of myofibrillar contractile material.