Intercellular junctions in nerve-free hydra

Epithelial cells of nerve-free hydra contain septate and gap junctions. In thin sections the gap junctions are characterized by a gap of 3-4 nm. Freeze-fracture demonstrates the presence of septate junctions and two further types of structures: (i) the "E-type" or "inverted" gap junctions with particles in an "enplaque conformation appearing as a raised plateau on the E-face or as a depression on the P-face; (ii) structures morphologically similar to gap junctions in rat liver, containing particles on the P-face and corresponding pits on the E-face, both having hexagonal packing with a lattice constant of 8 nm. We propose that these structures are also gap junctions.