Electron microscopy of oral cells in vitro. II. Subsurface and intracytoplasmic confronting cisternae in strain KB cells.

Two special areas involving membranous components in strain KB cells were studied by electron microscopy. The first area described is that of the subsurface regions of two apposing cells in which flattened cisternae (one cisternae in each subsurface region) with membranes spaced 110-230 A apart were found in a confrontation alignment. The long dimension of the profiles of these cisternae ranges from 0.5 to 2 micro. At these intercellular contact areas, each cisterna is closely applied to the adjacent plasma membrane; the intervening space is 60-100 A. We have named the cisternae in these roughly symmetrical areas of cell contact the subsurface confronting cisternae. Communications between these cisternae and those of the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum also were observed. The second area described is that of the intracytoplasmic confronting cisternae. These cisternae were observed as oval or round images about 0.3-1.4 micro in diameter, each image being composed of a pair of concentrically arranged confronting cisternae with membranes spaced 200-400 A apart. The apposing membranes of the two confronting cisternae are electron opaque, smooth, and free of ribosomes, whereas the unapposed membranes are less dense, scalloped, and associated with ribosomes. The spacing between the two intracytoplasmic confronting cisternae is 70-110 A.