ABSTRACT
The elliptical, anucleate erythrocytes of camels have been examined for the presence of marginal bands and their constituent microtubules. Lysis of erythrocytes under microtubulestabilizing conditions readily revealed marginal bands in at least 3 % of the cells, as observed by phase-contrast and darkfield light microscopy. Microtubules plus a marginal bandencompassing network of material are visible in lysed cell whole mounts with transmission electron microscopy. Marginal band microtubules are also evident in electron micrographs of thin-sectioned camel erythrocytes identifiable as reticulocytes on the basis of submaximal electron density (reduced haemoglobin iron content) and presence of polysomes. The results suggest that marginal bands may be involved in morphogenesis of camel erythrocytes but are not required for maintenance of their ellipticity after cells are fully differentiated.
Terminology in the literature is often confusing with respect to erythrocyte shape, referring to ‘round disks’, ‘elliptical disks’, and ‘disk-shaped’ elliptical cells. The terms ‘disk’ and ‘diskoidal’ should be reserved for cells which are flattened and circular; a disk cannot be elliptical.
