Endocytosis in nonciliated epithelial cells of the ductuli efferentes in the rat.

The nonciliated cells lining the ductuli efferentes presented three distinct cytoplasmic regions. The apical region contained, in addition to cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, two distinct membranous elements. The tubulovesicular system consisted of dilated tubules connected to the apical plasma membrane and subjacent distended vesicular profiles. The apical tubules, not connected to the cell surface, consisted of numerous densely stained tubules of small size which contain a compact, finely granulated material. The supranuclear region, in addition to a Golgi apparatus and ER cisternae, contained dilated vacuoles, pale and dense multivesicular bodies, as well as numerous dense granules identified cytochemically as lysosomes. The basal region contained the nucleus and many lipid droplets. The endocytic activity of these cells was investigated using cationic ferritin (CF) and concanavalin-A-ferritin (Con-A-ferritin) as markers of adsorptive endocytosis; and native ferritin (NF), concanavalin-A-ferritin in the presence of alpha-methyl mannoside, and horseradish peroxidase or albumin bound to colloidal gold for demonstrating fluid-phase endocytosis. These tracers were injected separately into the rete testis, and animals were sacrificed at various time intervals after injection. At 1 min, CF or Con-A-ferritin were seen bound to the apical plasma membrane, to the membrane of microvilli, and to the membrane delimiting elements of the tubulovesicular system. Between 2 and 5 min, these tracers accumulated in the densely stained apical tubules and at 15 min in the dilated vacuoles. Between 30 min and 1 hr, the tracers appeared in multivesicular bodies of progressively increasing density, whereas at 2 hr and later time intervals, many dense lysosomal elements became labeled. The tracers for fluid-phase endocytosis showed a distribution similar to that for CF or Con-A-ferritin except that they did not bind to the apical plasma membrane, microvilli, or membrane delimiting the tubulovesicular system. At no time interval were any of the tracers observed in the abluminal spaces. Thus, the nonciliated epithelial cells of the ductuli efferentes are actively involved in fluid-phase and adsorptive endocytosis, both of which result in the sequestration of endocytosed material within the lysosomal apparatus of the cell.