Devos P, Baudhuin P, Van Hoof F, Hers H G
Biochem J. 1983 Jan 1;209(1):159-65. doi: 10.1042/bj2090159.
Electron micrographs of rat hepatocytes with a glycogen content between 0.36 and 2.55% (w/w) were submitted to morphometrical analysis. From the number and size of glycogen profiles, the distribution of radius and volume of glycogen alpha particles were computed. The 7-fold difference in glycogen content was accompanied by an only 1.8-fold increase in the mean volume of the particles while their number increased by a factor of 4. On the basis of these observations, it is proposed that the population of glycogen particles can be divided in two groups. The first one is made of growing particles, still associated with glycogen synthase; they are the only particles present at low glycogen concentration and their number is limited. Application of a simple mathematical model allows to estimate their number in hepatocytes as 49 X 10(12) particles . ml-1. The second group is made of glycogen particles which have reached their maximal size and the number of which is in principle unlimited. The maximal particle size is estimated to be 0.36 X 10(-15) ml, corresponding to an average molecular weight of 178 X 10(6). The average molecular weight of glycogen, as measured from the actual size of the particles, varied from 89 X 10(6) to 161 X 10(6).
对糖原含量在0.36%至2.55%（w/w）之间的大鼠肝细胞进行电子显微镜检查，并进行形态计量分析。根据糖原轮廓的数量和大小，计算糖原α颗粒的半径和体积分布。糖原含量相差7倍，而颗粒的平均体积仅增加1.8倍，其数量增加了4倍。基于这些观察结果，提出糖原颗粒群体可分为两组。第一组由仍与糖原合酶相关的生长颗粒组成；它们是糖原浓度低时唯一存在的颗粒，数量有限。应用一个简单的数学模型可以估计肝细胞中它们的数量为49×10¹²个颗粒·ml⁻¹。第二组由已达到最大尺寸的糖原颗粒组成，其数量原则上是无限的。最大颗粒尺寸估计为0.36×10⁻¹⁵ml，对应平均分子量为178×10⁶。根据颗粒的实际大小测量，糖原的平均分子量在89×10⁶至161×10⁶之间变化。
