异毛虫形成包囊过程中细胞皮层及纤毛结构分化的扫描电镜观察

在纤毛虫无性生殖中,生命活动受阻时经常会发生形成包囊的现象。研究纤毛虫的包囊现象,已成为揭示真核细胞的结构与功能、细胞模式形成与控制机理的一个重要方面。目前,对腹毛目纤毛虫中游仆虫类包囊的形态及其生理生化特征已进行了较系统的研究,积累了较多的资料,但对其他类     

Electron microscopic study of spermiogenesis in the free-living marine nematode <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptosomatides marinae</Emphasis> Platonova 1976 (Enoplida: Leptosomatidae)

The ultrastructure of spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa of the free-living marine nematode Leptosomatides marinae was studied by transmission electron microscopy. In early spermatids, the number of mitochondria, cisterns of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and dictyosomes increased; the number of membranous organelles (MOs) was insignificant. Later, dictyosomes and MOs filled the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm became distinctly segregated in late spermatids and the MOs concentrated around the nucleus; the mitochondria and organelles of synthesis settled on the cell periphery. Later, a densely packed conglomerate was formed from the central nucleus and a mass of MOs surrounded by an extensive zone of the cytoplasm containing mitochondria and organelles of synthesis. Early spermatozoa had an elongated nucleus surrounded by a layer of cytoplasm containing mitochondria, polarized MOs and bundles of filamentous material, which can be interpreted as fibrous bodies (FBs). The formed spermatozoa had elongated nuclei surrounded by a transparent halo; the cell periphery was a dense matrix, in which MOs and sparse mitochondria were submerged; no FBs were revealed in that phase. In general, the spermatozoa of L. marinae have the main attributes common to the Enoplida spermatozoa, availability of nuclear environment and development of the specific organelles, MOs and FBs, which are not united in complexes.     

Prediction and classification of protein subcellular location-sequence-order effect and pseudo amino acid composition

Given a protein sequence, how to identify its subcellular location? With the rapid increase in newly found protein sequences entering into databanks, the problem has become more and more important because the function of a protein is closely correlated with its localization. To practically deal with the challenge, a dataset has been established that allows the identification performed among the following 14 subcellular locations: (1) cell wall, (2) centriole, (3) chloroplast, (4) cytoplasm, (5) cytoskeleton, (6) endoplasmic reticulum, (7) extracellular, (8) Golgi apparatus, (9) lysosome, (10) mitochondria, (11) nucleus, (12) peroxisome, (13) plasma membrane, and (14) vacuole. Compared with the datasets constructed by the previous investigators, the current one represents the largest in the scope of localizations covered, and hence many proteins which were totally out of picture in the previous treatments, can now be investigated. Meanwhile, to enhance the potential and flexibility in taking into account the sequence‐order effect, the series‐mode pseudo‐amino‐acid‐composition has been introduced as a representation for a protein. High success rates are obtained by the re‐substitution test, jackknife test, and independent dataset test, respectively. It is anticipated that the current automated method can be developed to a high throughput tool for practical usage in both basic research and pharmaceutical industry. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Differences in cortical actin structure and dynamics document that different types of blebs are formed by distinct mechanisms

Bleb formation has been studied by specifically targeting major factors controlling this process, such as microtubule disassembly, local actin depolymerization, and increased pressure. At least two different types of blebs (types 1 and 2) formed by different mechanisms and possibly a third type (type 3) can be documented at the front of living polarized cells expressing green fluorescent protein-actin and/or in fixed and stained cells. Type 1 blebs (membrane/cortex dissociation blebs) formed by dissociation of the plasma membrane from cortical actin develop cytoplasmic actin layers associated with restriction rings. They can be induced by the microtubule-disassembling agent colchicine. Type 2 blebs (cortical actin disassembly blebs) form after disassembly of the cortical actin layer in the presence of latrunculin A. Restriction rings without a cytoplasmic actin layer occur in a transition zone between the intact cortical actin layer of the cell body and the compromised actin layer of the bleb. Evidence for a third type of bleb (type 3), showing an intact cortical actin layer but no cytoplasmic actin layer and no recognizable relationship between the actin cytoskeleton and the restriction ring, has been obtained by passive cell deformation in micropipettes, which increases pressure. Repolymerization of the cortical actin layer does not necessarily result in bleb retraction. Once formed, restriction rings do not narrow, suggesting that they result from isometric contraction. A simplified classification scheme has been developed to relate the type of bleb to specific signals or cell functions. Its application shows that spontaneously blebbing cells form almost exclusively type 1 blebs.     

Characterization of melanosomes and melanin in Japanese patients with Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome types 1, 4, 6, and 9

Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), a bleeding tendency, and ceroid deposition. Most of the causative genes for HPS encode subunits of the biogenesis of lysosome‐related organelles complex (BLOC). In this study, we identified one patient each with HPS4, HPS6, and HPS9 by whole‐exome sequencing. Next, we analyzed hair samples from the three patients and representative patients with HPS1 and controls using electron microscopy and chemical methods. All HPS patients had fewer, smaller, and more immature melanosomes than healthy controls. Further, all patients showed reduced total melanin content and increased levels of benzothiazine‐type pheomelanin. The results of this study demonstrate the impact of the dysfunctions of BLOCs on the maturation of melanosomes and melanin levels and composition through analysis of their hair samples.     

Chemistry,clones, and circadian control of the dinoflagellate bioluminescent system. The Marlene DeLuca memorial lecture

Bioluminescence in the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra occurs as brief bright flashes, originating from many (～400) small (～0.5 μm) cytoplasmic organelles which protrude into the acidic vacuole, and are thus surrounded by the tonoplast. Biochemically, the substrate is unusual; it is an open chain tetrapyrrole, highly unstable to air but protected in the cell at pH? 8 by virtue of a luciferin binding protein (LBP). This molecule is a dimer of 72 kDa subunits which, upon a decrease in pH, releases luciferin to react with oxygen in the luciferase (～140 kDa) catalysed luminescent reaction. cDNAs for both luciferase and LBP have been isolated and cloned, and the identity of LBP was confirmed by hybrid selection and in vitro translation of the message. The tenfold circadian (day to night) change in the amount of LBP, which parallels the in vivo rhythm of luminescence, is due to de novo synthesis and subsequent degradation of the protein each day. The LBP mRNA levels, as determined by in vitro translations and by Northern hybridizations, do not vary over the daily cycle, indicating that circadian control of bioluminescence in this species is mediated at the level of translation.     

酿酒酵母细胞器区室化合成化学品的研究进展

公认食品安全的酿酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)是合成生物学中被广泛研究的底盘细胞,常作为生产高值或大宗化学品的微生物细胞工厂。近年来,通过各种代谢工程改造策略,已有大量化学品的合成途径在酿酒酵母中建立并优化,且部分化学品具备了产业化价值。作为真核生物,酿酒酵母具有完整的细胞内膜系统及其组成的复杂细胞器区室,而这些细胞器区室往往含有某些化学品合成所必需的较高浓度前体底物(如线粒体中的乙酰辅酶A),或更加充足的酶、辅因子、能量等,可为目标产物的生物合成提供更适宜的物理、化学环境,但同时不同细胞器的结构特点有时也成为特定化合物合成的障碍。为此,研究人员在深入分析不同细胞器自身特点的基础上,结合目标化学品合成途径与细胞器之间的适配度,对细胞器开展了大量针对性改造工作以提高产物合成效率。本文详细综述了酿酒酵母中线粒体、过氧化物酶体、高尔基体、内质网、脂滴和液泡等细胞器的途径改造及优化策略,以及利用细胞器区室化合成化学品的研究进展,并对目前存在的困难和挑战以及未来研究方向进行了总结与展望。     

制备高分辨植物SEM样品的微波浸软法

微波辐射浸软法是一种简单、快速制备高分辨植物扫描电镜样品的方法。经冰冻断裂处理后的样品,利用断续微波辐射浸软,既可阻止浸软溶液温度陡然升高,不使植物结构受到破坏,又可使浸软时间显著缩短,由原来的72小时变为30分钟。因为断续的微波辐射能保持较低的炉内温度,所以它不仅能很好地适用于扫描电镜样品制备过程中的浸软,而且也适用于样品固定、导电染色等。此法大大缩短了O-D-O法的制样周期。     

Accumulation of adenine and thymine in agroE-homologous operon of an intracellular symbiont

Summary As a result of the nucleotide sequence analysis of an aphid endosymbiont's operon homologous to theEscherichia coli groE, we noted that directional base substitutions tending toward an increase of A + T content represent an obvious evolutionary trend in this prokaryotic operon, housed for a long period by an eukaryotic cell. This result, when taken together with previous reports, raised the possibility that genomic DNA of prokaryotes residing in an eukaryotic cell is subject to A/T-biased directional mutation pressure and/or both negative and positive selection operating under conditions specific to the intracellular environments.Offprint requests to: H. Ishikawa