Lipoprotein Granules in the Cortical Collecting Tubules of Mouse Kidney

The light and, to a lesser extent, the dark cells of the cortical collecting tubules in mouse kidney contain a great number of granules which according to histochemical tests are composed of phospholipids and proteins. These granules are bounded by a triple-layered membrane measuring approximately 75 A across, and contain one or several crystals with a hexagonal or square lattice. These crystals are built up of rod-shaped units, which appear dense after osmium fixation, measure about 48 A in diameter, and are separated by a light interspace of similar dimensions. The mean center-to-center distance of the rods is about 96 A. The structure is explained as a lipoprotein crystallized within a membrane-bounded vacuole. No relationship between these granules and mitochondria was found. The physiological significance of the granules remains unknown.