Comparative radioautographic study of the effects of L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid on matrix secretion and Golgi of the mouse incisor

Effects of L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid on matrix secretion and Golgi structure in fibroblasts and osteoblasts of the mouse

The effect of a proline analogue, L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (LACA), on collagenous matrix secretion by periodontal ligament fibroblasts and alveolar bone osteoblasts was studied by light and electron microscopic radioautography after injection of 3H-glycine; 3H-glycine labeled material accumulated in the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and was not secreted for over 4 hours. The Golgi complex of both fibroblasts and osteoblasts showed a marked alteration of its composition after LACA administration. All Golgi saccules and collagen secretion granules disappeared within 2 hours. Flattened Golgi cisternae were still present and appeared to be unaffected by the administration of LACA. These observations indicate that Golgi saccules in collagen-secreting cells are the initial staging areas for the formation of collagen secretory granules and that there is a close correlation between form and function in the Golgi apparatus of collagen-secreting cells.