Journal of Cell Science & Therapy
Open Access

Department of Biology, Louisiana State University, The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States

Publications

• Mini Review   
  Cells without an External Plasma Membrane
  Author(s): Earl Weidner*
  
  Nearly all eukaryotes have an exterior plasma membrane with glycoproteins on the outer leaflet however. The exception may be the intracellular microsporidian parasites which have an outer membrane with an exterior leaflet bearing only cytoplasmic proteins. How can this be? The initial stage, the sporoplasm, is injected into a host cell and its outer membrane appears to be derived from a cytoplasmic organelle referred to as the extrusion apparatus. The introduced microsporidian cell retains this organelle membrane with its outer leaflet of cytoplasmic proteins throughout the remainder of its life cycle. A conventional plasma membrane does appear but only during spore wall formation and this membrane remains interior to the microsporidian while it is engaged with the development of the external wall whereas, the outside cytoplasmic membrane remains exterior to the developing spore wall... View More»
  DOI: 10.35248/2157-7013.21.s4.311

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