Early Phase Interactions of Toluene with Membranes: A Structural and Functional Evaluation.

Abstract

The most sensitive cell component to toluene was the plasma membrane where a morphological response in terms of a loss of membrane protuberances and a response in terms of enzymatic activity was observed at 25 ppm both with treatment times of 5 min or less. Thus the plasma membrane is indicated as one important target for toluene intoxication A perturbation of an ATP or ATPase-dependent reaction is indicated. A second target identified was that of the transition region between endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus where transfer of material appears to be blocked rapidly by 100 ppm or lower toluene both in situ and in a cell-free system newly developed to study this phenomenon. Specifically, membranes involved in the internal trafficking between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus fail to form protuberances. Again perturbation of the ATP or ATP-dependent step is indicated together with a related involvement of boundary lipids of membrane proteins involved in membrane energization that provide some common denominator between the two different sites of toluene action at the subcellular level. Keywords: Toxicity. (aw)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 31, 1988
Accession Number
ADA200549

Entities

People

  • D. J. Morre

Organizations

  • Purdue University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Animal Structures
  • Cell Membrane
  • Cell-Free System
  • Cells
  • Cellular Structures
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum
  • Golgi Apparatus
  • Materials
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Membranes
  • Perturbations

Readers

  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Polymer Science and Engineering.