Abstract
The effect of deoxycholate (DOC) on smooth-surface membranes was studied by means of electron microscopy. The smooth-surface membranes were isolated from Harding-Passey mouse melanomas and treated with 0.05% DOC. In the sectioned specimens, the untreated smooth-surface membranes appear as unit membranebound, closed vesicles. The unit membranes measure 50 Å across. The treated membranes showed significant vesiculation and swelling. In some parts many small vesicles are grouped in a cluster and enclosed by a membrane. A few to several unit membranes are stuck together to form myelin-like structures. In the negatively stained specimens, varying degrees of smooth-surface membrane vesiculation are apparent. Most large vesicles are found to exhibit myelin-like lamellar structures. From these observations, DOC appears to cause a vesiculation and swelling of the smooth-surface membranes but does not appear to destroy the unit membrane structure. There were a few myelin-like lamellar structures which were thought to have been produced by uniting several unit membranes.
