[Ultrastructural changes in the organization of plasma membranes in adipocytes of obese mice (ob/ob)].

Freeze-fracture replicas were obtained from adipocytes in control and obese (ob/ob) Mice. Quantitative evaluation of the replicas shows that plasma membranes of adipocytes in ob/ob Mice have 50% less intramembrane particles than plasma membranes in control Mice. Since intra-membrane particles represent, at least in part, the proteins of the membrane, this suggests a decreased protein concentration, as well as a perturbed protein-lipid ratio in adipocyte membranes of obese Mice.