Buoyant density of EMT6 fibrosarcoma cells: time course of the density changes after growth in hypoxia

EMT6 fibrosarcoma cells were grown to the exponential phase in tissue culture and incubated at 37 degrees C under hypoxic conditions. Buoyant density was determined as a function of the time in hypoxia. Hypoxia was produced in two ways. The first involved incubation of the cells in sealed aluminum chambers containing 95% N2, 5% CO2 gas, and < 10 ppm oxygen, resulting in the cells rapidly becoming exposed to the hypoxic environment. After incubation at 37 degrees C, they were centrifuged in linear Ficoll gradients to their isopycnic density. A significant decrease in density was found after 4 h, and prolonged incubation up to 24 h did not result in further change. This density change was reversible on transfer back to aerobic conditions, with the hypoxic cells reverting to their aerobic density after about 10 h reincubation in air. The second method of producing hypoxia involved growing about 8 X 10(6) cells in a medium-filled air-tight container. Hypoxia was produced gradually as the oxygen in the medium was consumed by cellular respiration. Similar results were obtained; that is, hypoxic cells became significantly less dense. However, when the level of hypoxia was varied between 4000 and < 10 ppm at 2-h intervals after the cells had depleted all of the original oxygen, no significant difference in density was found between hypoxic and aerobic cells.     

Buoyant density constancy of Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells.

Buoyant densities of cells from exponentially growing cultures of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe 972h- with division rates from 0.14 to 0.5 per h were determined by equilibrium centrifugation in Percoll gradients. Buoyant densities were independent of growth rate, with an average value (+/- standard error) of 1.0945 (+/- 0.00037) g/ml. When cells from these cultures were separated by size, mean cell volumes were independent of buoyant density, indicating that buoyant densities also were independent of cell age during the division cycle. These results support the suggestion that most or all kinds of cells that divide by equatorial fission may have similar, evolutionarily conserved mechanisms for regulation of buoyant density.     

Buoyant density separation of human blood cells in renografin gradients

Renografin, because of its high density and low viscosity, has been shown to be suitable as a supporting medium for the construction of continuous density gradients. The conditions necessary for the isopycnic banding of cells were determined, initially, using human erythrocytes. In the order of increasing density, human blood cells were separated into relatively pure bands of nongranular leucocytes, erythrocytes, and granulocytes. Their relative positions in the gradient were affected, however, by the high osmolarity of Renografin. Renografin is not cytotoxic and does not aggregate cells. It has the additional advantages of being stable, readily obtained in sterile ampoules, and inexpensive.     

Buoyant density fractionation ofDrosophila melanogaster chromatin

Buoyant density fractionation ofDrosophila melanogaster chromatin utilizing low molecular weight molecules such as actinomycin-D to induce changes in buoyant density has been investigated. Fractions of chromatin containing identifiable repeated DNA sequences could be isolated using actinomycin-D as the selective agent. Protein displacement from the chromatin complex was found to be a prerequisite for the observed buoyant density changes.     

Buoyant density and solvation of magnesium DNA

The buoyant density of T-4 DNA was determined by equilibrium sedimentation in a density gradient, of mixed solutions of cesium and magnesium chlorides and bromides. The preferential hydration was calculated from these data, allowing appropriately for the exchange equilibrium of DNA with Cs⁺ and Mg⁺⁺ ions. The charge and intrinsic solvation of the counterions were found to have no appreciable effect on the hydration of the DNA, the extent of solvation depending only on the thermodynamic, activity of the water. Various reasonable hypotheses are discussed to account for these results.     

Buoyant density analysis of myeloid colony-forming cells in germfree and conventional mice.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (CFUc), in the bone marrow of germfree and conventioal CBA mice, were compared quantitatively and qualitatively. Cells were separated on the basis of their buoyant density by equilibrium centrifugation in continuous albumin density gradients. CFUc in the density subpopulations were detected by culture in agar containing three different types of colony stimulating factor (CSF). The sources of the CSF were post-endotoxin mouse serum (CSFES), mouse lung conditioned medium (CSFMLCM) and human urine (CSFHU). Mice were removed from the germfree environment and the buoyant density status of their CFUc was examined 1, 4 and 8 weeks later. No difference was found between germfree and conventional mice in the number of nucleated cells per femur or in their modal density. Neither was the number of CFUc per femur different. The cell cycle status of CFUc, as determined by the thymidine suicide technique was not significantly different. Functional heterogeneity was found among the density subpopulations for both groups of mice. This depended on the type of CSF. The density distribution of CFUc was significantly different in germfree mice. There were proportionately more low density CFUc. The mean modal density of CFUc under CSFES stimulation was less by 0.0045 g/cm3 in germfree mice. The removal of mice from the germfree environment resulted in a shift of the distribution to higher densities. The trend was towards the conventional situation. The significance of the buoyant density status of CFUc is discussed.     

The radiation response of hypoxic cells in EMT6 spheroids in suspension culture does model data from EMT6 tumors

Radiation survival curves of EMT6/Ed spheroids have been obtained under conditions which eliminate changes in oxygen concentration between growth and irradiation. These curves show a high-dose, resistant component which is nearly parallel to the curves obtained when spheroids were irradiated under nitrogen. Thus EMT6 spheroids appear to model accurately the radiation responses of EMT6 tumors. In contrast, when spheroids were grown to relatively high density (300-400 spheroids per 250-ml spinner flask), then separated into several flasks for irradiation, an increase in oxygen concentration in the medium occurred which fully oxygenated the previously hypoxic cells. The two causes for the oxygen depletion in sealed growth flasks were quantitated. Depletion of total oxygen in the flask occurred, and, more importantly, oxygen consumption kept the growth medium well below equilibrium with the oxygen in the gas phase. Smaller but similar effects on oxygen concentration were found in flasks containing V79 spheroids.     

Buoyant density sedimentation of macromolecules in sodium iothalamate density gradients.

Nucleic acids, bacteriophages, phage capsids, and a DNA-capsid complex have been centrifuged to an equilibrium buoyant density in sodium iothalamate density gradients. Nucleic acids have comparatively high hydrations and are less dense than proteins in these gradients. Sodium iothalamate gradients can be used to separate DNA from RNA, single-chain DNA from double-chain DNA and to separate bacteriophage T7 and λ deletion mutants from the respective wild-type phage.The DNA packaged in bacteriophage T7 appears to be less hydrated than free DNA in sodium iothalamate gradients. There is evidence that the hydration of DNA packaged in phage T7 is restricted by the volume of the phage head. The total volume of phage T7 was estimated to be 1.32 × 10⁻¹⁶ ml. The volume available to package phage T7 DNA was estimated to be 2.2 times the volume of the B form of T7 DNA.     

Intracellular localisation studies of doxorubicin and Victoria Blue BO in EMT6-S and EMT6-R cells using confocal microscopy

The subcellular localisation of doxorubicin and Victoria Blue BO (VBBO) in a murine mammary tumour cell line EMT6-S, and the resistant sub-lineEMT6-R was studied, using confocal microscopy, in order to investigate their sites of action. In cells treated with doxorubicin (10 μ M) for 90 min, the pattern of intracellular drug distribution differed between the two cell lines. Doxorubicin was found to localise mainly in the nucleus of the sensitive cell line, whereas weak fluorescence was observed in the cytoplasm of the resistant cells, in a punctuate pattern, with no nuclear involvement. The drug also appeared to be effluxed more rapidly by the resistant cell line. The accumulation of doxorubicin at various time intervals over 1h in EMT6-S cells showed that the drug clearly interacted with both the plasma membrane and the nucleus. In contrast to doxorubicin, the intracellular distribution of VBBO in both EMT6-S and EMT6-R was similar, VBBO was clearly localised throughout the cytoplasm, in a punctuate pattern, which may be consistent with the widespread distribution of mitochondria. A more apical pattern of accumulation was noted in the EMT6-R cell line. No interaction with the plasma membrane was evident. These results indicate that the main modes of action for the two drugs differ markedly, suggesting involvement of both the membrane and the nucleus in the case of doxorubicin, but mitochondrial involvement for VBBO. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Buoyant density gradient fractionation and flow cytometric analysis of embryonic rat cortical neurons and progenitor cells

We have used the property of natural cell buoyant density to selectively fractionate embryonic rat neocortical cells into 20 subpopulations ranging in phenotype from proliferatively active progenitors to terminally postmitotic neurons. Immunocytochemical and cell cycle analysis of the cellular fractions with flow cytometry revealed an inverse relationship between cell buoyant density and neuronal differentiation. The most buoyant fractions contained predominantly terminally postmitotic, tubulin betaIII-positive, tetanus toxin-positive, and nestin-negative differentiating neurons, while immature, bromodeoxyuridine-positive and nestin-positive proliferating cells were more prevalent in less buoyant fractions. Double loading of isolated cells with voltage- and Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent indicator dyes followed by simultaneous recordings of membrane potential and cytoplasmic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]c]) using flow cytometry revealed that >50% of the least buoyant cells produced functional responses to veratridine, a Na+ channel agonist, and muscimol, a GABA(A) receptor agonist, but <10% responded to kainic acid, an agonist of a subset of glutamate receptors. As cells became more buoyant the percentage of cells that depolarized and produced a rise in [Ca2+]c to each ligand increased, particularly in response to kainic acid. Short-term culture of select fractions revealed a marked enrichment for cells with morphologies and epitopes characteristic of neuronal and progenitor cell subpopulations. The results show that embryonic cortical cells exhibit a range of naturally occurring buoyant densities that can be used to expeditiously fractionate cortical cells according to their pre- or postmitotic status, thus providing ready access for cellular and molecular studies of proliferation and differentiation.     

Buoyant density fluctuations during the cell cycle of Bacillus subtilis

A simple rapid method for preparing synchronous cultures of Bacillus subtilis has been used to investigate changes in density during the cell cycle. Asynchronous cells separated on a stepped Percoll density gradient had a mean cell density of 1.117 g ml^-1±0.004. Samples from a synchronous culture exhibited variation (ca. 1.5%) in mean cell density which was greatest at the onset of cell division. An asynchronous control culture showed little variation in density. These results are discussed in relation to previous work on Escherichia coli.     

Buoyant density constancy during the cell cycle of Escherichia coli

Cell buoyant densities were determined in exponentially growing cultures of Escherichia coli B/r NC32 and E. coli K-12 PAT84 by equilibrium centrifugation in Percoll gradients. Distributions within density bands were measured as viable cells or total numbers of cells. At all growth rates, buoyant densities had narrow normal distributions with essentially the same value for the coefficient of variation, 0.15%. When the density distributions were determined in Ficoll gradients, they were more than twice as broad, but this increased variability was associated with the binding of Ficoll to the bacteria. Mean cell volumes and cell lengths were independent of cell densities in Percoll bands, within experimental errors, both in slowly and in rapidly growing cultures. Buoyant densities of cells separated by size, and therefore by age, in sucrose gradients also were observed to be independent of age. The results make unlikely any stepwise change in mean buoyant density of 0.1% or more during the cycle. These results also make it unlikely that signaling functions for cell division or for other cell cycle events are provided by density variations.     

Buoyant density variation during the cell cycle of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cell buoyant densities of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were determined for rapidly growing asynchronous and synchronous cultures by equilibrium sedimentation in Percoll gradients. The average cell density in exponentially growing cultures was 1.1126 g/ml, with a range of density variation of 0.010 g/ml. Densities were highest for cells with buds about one-fourth the diameter of their mother cells and lowest when bud diameters were about the same as their mother cells. In synchronous cultures inoculated from the least-dense cells, there was no observable perturbation of cell growth: cell numbers increased without lag, and the doubling time (66 min) was the same as that for the parent culture. Starting from a low value at the beginning of the cycle, cell buoyant density oscillated between a maximum density near midcycle (0.4 generations) and a minimum near the end of the cycle (0.9 generations). The pattern of cyclic variation of buoyant density was quantitatively determined from density measurements for five cell classes, which were categorized by bud diameter. The observed variation in buoyant density during the cell cycle of S. cerevisiae contrasts sharply with the constancy in buoyant density observed for cells of Escherichia coli, Chinese hamster cells, and three murine cell lines.