Three-dimensional analysis of the arrangement of microtubules of the outer segment in the ciliary-type photoreceptor cell in the Onchidium dorsal eye

The inverted retina of the Onchidium dorsal eye (DE) is composed only of ciliary-type photoreceptor cells (CC's). The outer segment (OS) of the CC is a concentric lamellar structure consisting of many modified ciliary membranes and stains positively with anti-$\beta$-tubulin antibody. Near the base of the OS there are about 30 basal bodies each connecting individually to a cilium. The cilia are rod-shaped at the base, progressing upwards to a flattened sheet-like shape with increasing surface area. Three-dimensional analysis on serial sections demonstrates the ladle-shape of a modified cilium. Many modified cilia wrap around each other like the leaves of a cabbage. Nine pairs of microtubules (MT's) are located regularly in a ring at the base of the cilium, gradually losing their regular arrangement towards the periphery, where they separate into two subgroups that are contained within two swollen portions of a modified cilium. Within the CC of the Onchidium DE, MT's in the modified cilium exist as two poles extending longitudinally in a thin expanded ciliary membrane. This arrangement may support the photoreceptive OS and serve to maintain its structural integrity.