Definition
Microvilli are finger-shaped plasma membrane protrusions that are found at the surface of a large variety of cell types but are most numerous and elaborated on simple epithelial, for example intestinal mucosa and the epithelium of the kidney proximal tubule. In contrast to other plasma membrane extensions, microvilli are not attached to the extra-cellular matrix but cover free cell surfaces that are, in many cases, facing a lumen where exchange occurs. These protrusions were termed microvilli by analogy with the intestinal villi because they increase, as do those, the absorptive surface of the gut. Microvilli of cells of the placental syncytiotrophoblast contribute to the bi-directional foeto-maternal exchanges. However, the function of microvilli is not restricted to absorption. Microvilli of the apical surface of hepatocytes participate in secretion. Stereocilia are surface projections present on the surface of the hair cells of the sensory neuroepithelium of the inner ear...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Mooseker MS, Tilney LG (1975) Organization of an actin filament-membrane complex. Filament polarity and membrane attachment in the microvilli of intestinal epithelial cells. J Cell Biol 67:725–743
Bretscher A, Weber K (1978) Localization of actin and microfilament-associated proteins in the microvilli and terminal web of the intestinal brush border by immunofluorescence microscopy. J Cell Biol 79:839–845
Gibson F, Walsh J, Mburu P et al (1995) A type VII myosin encoded by the mouse deafness gene shaker-1. Nature 374:62–64
Bevilacqua MP, Stengelin S, Gimbrone MA Jr et al (1989) Endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1: an inducible receptor for neutrophils related to complement regulatory proteins and lectins. Science 243:1160–1165
Kenney D, Cairns L, Remold-O'Donnell E et al (1986) Morphological abnormalities in the lymphocytes of patients with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Blood 68:1329–1332
Baas AF, Kuipers J, van der Wel NN et al (2004) Complete polarization of single intestinal epithelial cells upon activation of LKB1 by STRAD. Cell 116: 457–466
Phillips MJ, Azuma T, Meredith SL et al (2003) Abnormalities in villin gene expression and canalicular microvillus structure in progressive cholestatic liver disease of childhood. Lancet 362:1112–1119
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer-Verlag
About this entry
Cite this entry
Friederich, E., Louvard, D. (2006). Microvilli. In: Encyclopedic Reference of Genomics and Proteomics in Molecular Medicine. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29623-9_4120
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29623-9_4120
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-44244-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29623-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences