Biogenesis of the apical endosome-lysosome complex during differentiation of absorptive epithelial cells in rat ileum

Absorptive cells of the neonatal rat ileum have an elaborate apical endocytic complex consisting of tubular and visicular endosomes, multivesicular bodies (MVB), and a giant lysosomal vacuole. This system develops rapidly over the last 3 days (20-22) of gestation. We followed the assembly of this complex by ultrastructural analysis and immuno-cytochemistry using antigenic markers for microvilli, endosomal tubules and lysosomal membranes. At 19 days gestation, low levels of lactase appeared on microvilli but specialized apical endosomal tubules and lysosomes were absent. At 20 days, expression of microvillar lactase increased and the endosomal marker entubin appeared, in parallel with the appearance of specialized apical endosomal tubules. The compartments of the apical endosome-lysosome system were assembled sequentially after differentiation of the apical plasma membrane domains; first endosomal tubules and vesicles, followd by MVB, and ending with the assembly of the giant lysosome shortly after birth. During early stages of the assembly process, membrane components of the tubular endosomes and lysosomes appeared in the apical plasma membrane before being restricted to their respective intracellular compartments.