Rapid determination of membrane transport parameters in adherent cells

Reported here is a new method that permits rapid (approximately 5 s) determinations of membrane transport phenomena in cells grown in monolayers at the base of 17-mm glass scintillation vials. The method is convenient, cost effective and requires no special apparatus. Initial uptake rates, steady-state and free substrate levels are demonstrated in ZR-75-1 breast cancer and Chinese hamster ovary cell lines using methotrexate, a model agent transported by the reduced folate carrier. The technique should be applicable to the study of the transport properties in a broad range of substrates and cells in monolayer culture.     

Membrane-active peptides for non-viral gene therapy: making the safest easier

Non-viral gene therapy uses engineered nanoparticles in the virus size range for the cell-targeted delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids. A diverse range of macromolecules are suitable for constructing such 'artificial viruses'. However, proteins, either man-made or from natural sources, are especially convenient for mimicking the viral functions critical for gene transfer. Cell penetration is a critical step for the delivery of nucleic acids in sufficient amounts and hence for reaching satisfactory transgene expression levels. Membrane-active peptides have shown great promise because of their positive role in cross-membrane transport and intracellular trafficking, and they have been incorporated into different artificial viruses. In this review, we will discuss the biological properties of these peptides together with the newest rational approaches designed to optimize their application.     

Differences in glucose transport rates between perfused and in vitro incubated muscles

In vitro incubated muscles are a convenient preparation for glucose transport studies, but it is not known how closely they reflect the in vivo condition. Perfused muscle preparations more closely resemble the in vivo condition, and thus to validate the use of in vitro incubated muscles, we have compared glucose transport rates in the two preparations. 3-O-Methylglucose transport rates in incubated soleus (SOL) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle strips were compared to transport rates obtained in SOL and EDL muscles removed from perfused hindquarters. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250 g) were used for both procedures. SOL muscles showed an average 25% higher transport rate than EDL muscles at all insulin concentrations examined (0-100 nM) in the perfused system. This difference was diminished in the incubated muscles, SOL being 15% greater than EDL, but the relationship between the two muscles was maintained. Basal transport was lower and maximal transport was higher in the perfused muscles compared to the incubated muscles. This resulted in significantly higher fold stimulation in the perfused vs. incubated muscles (15 vs. 2.5 in the SOL, and 9.8 vs. 2.3 in the EDL). We conclude that in vitro muscle preparations may be convenient for showing relative differences between experimental treatments, but absolute transport rates and insulin stimulation must be interpreted with caution.     

Effect of radiation on the regulation of sodium-dependent glucose transport in LLC-PK1 epithelial cell line: possible model for gene expression

Low concentrations of glucose induce cultured kidney epithelial cells (LLC-PK1) to produce hexose transport proteins. We have investigated the effects of ionizing radiation on this induction process in plateau-phase cultures. The induced production of hexose transporters, requiring approximately 6 to 9 days for complete expression, can be inhibited by irradiation during the first 4 days. After the fourth postinduction day, radiation sensitivity decreases with almost no radiation effect on the induction of hexose transport apparent by the sixth day of the induction period. The D0 value associated with the induction block is approximately 25 Gy, a value which is considerably greater than that necessary to inhibit cell replication. Hexose transport, itself resistant to ionizing radiation at doses in excess of 100 Gy, is sensitive to cycloheximide throughout the induction period. The sensitivity to cycloheximide decreases during the last 2 days of the induction period, approximately 1 day after the reduction in radiosensitivity. Based on these properties hexose transport may be a convenient model for the study of radiation effects upon gene expression in this cell line.     

Permeability properties of monolayers of the human trophoblast cell line BeWo

The BeWo cell line (b30 clone) has been examined as a potentialin vitro system to study transplacental transport. At the light andelectron microscope level, the cells were observed to form confluentmonolayers on polycarbonate filters in ~5 days and morphologicallyresembled the typical human trophoblast. BeWo monolayers developed amodest transepithelial electrical resistance and a molecularsize-dependent permeability to hydrophilic passive diffusion markers,fluorescein, and selected fluorescein-labeled dextrans. Linoleic acidpermeation across BeWo monolayers was asymmetric, saturable, andinhibited by low temperature and excess competing fatty acid. Forskolinand 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate treatmentsstimulated morphological changes in BeWo cultures and enhanced theasymmetric passage of linoleic acid across the BeWo monolayers whilehaving minimal effects on passive permeability, affirming that thedifferentiation state of the cells can influence membrane transportersand transmonolayer permeability. The basic permeability properties ofthe BeWo monolayers suggest that the cells grown on permeable supportsmay be examined as a convenient in vitro system to evaluate sometransplacental transport mechanisms.

     

A high affinity fungal nitrate carrier with two transport mechanisms

We have expressed the CRNA high affinity nitrate transporter from Emericella (Aspergillus) nidulans in Xenopus oocytes and used electrophysiology to study its properties. This method was used because there are no convenient radiolabeled substrates for the transporter. Oocytes injected with crnA mRNA showed nitrate-, nitrite-, and chlorite-dependent currents. Although the gene was originally identified by chlorate selection there was no evidence for transport of this anion. The gene selection is explained by the high affinity of the transporter for chlorite, and the fact that this ion contaminates solutions of chlorate. The pH-dependence of the anion-elicited currents was consistent with H(+)-coupled mechanism of transport. At any given voltage, currents showed hyperbolic kinetics with respect to extracellular H(+), and these data could be fitted with a Michaelis-Menten relationship. But this equation did not adequately describe transport of the anion substrates. At higher concentrations of the anion substrates and more negative membrane voltages, the currents were decreased, but this effect was independent of changes in external pH. These more complicated kinetics could be fit by an equation containing two Michaelis-Menten terms. The substrate inhibition of the currents could be explained by a transport reaction cycle that included two routes for the transfer of nitrate across the membrane, one on the empty carrier and the other proton coupled. The model predicts that the substrate inhibition of transporter current depends on the cytosolic nitrate concentration. This is the first time a high affinity nitrate transport activity has been characterized in a heterologous system and the measurements show how the properties of the CRNA transporter are modified by changes in the membrane potential, external pH, and nitrate concentration. The physiological significance of these observations is discussed.     

Fluorescence in Biomolecular Phospholipid Membranes

FLUORESCENCE probes have been used in several investigations of biological membranes^1,2, but the results are very often difficult to interpret in terms of structures. To correlate the spectroscopic properties, of the probes with the structures of their fixation sites, many different membrane model systems have been used: liposomes, pure lipid-water and protein-lipid-water phases of known structures and some preliminary studies on the black bilayers have been made^3–5. In certain respects black bilayer membranes offer distinct advantages over other systems—large size, convenient geometry, accessibility to both sides for study of transport and the effect of electric fields and so on.     

冬小麦生育期农田尺度下土壤硝态氮淋失动态的数值模拟

在北京通州区永乐店田间试验的基础上 ,假设土壤由一系列不发生相互作用的一维土柱组成 ,根据实测的土壤有机质含量 ,假定土壤有机氮的矿化作用速率常数 (零级动力学 )和有机质含量成正比 ,运用 HYDRUS- 1D软件 ,分别就考虑和不考虑土壤有机氮的矿化速率的空间变异性这两种方案 ,对 2 0 0 0～ 2 0 0 1年冬小麦生长条件下农田尺度土壤氮素转化和硝态氮淋失规律进行了数值分析。两种方案的模拟结果表明 :考虑和不考虑土壤有机氮矿化速率的空间变异性对剖面 2 5 0 cm埋深处硝态氮淋失量的影响很小 ,其差异主要在于前者对土壤氮素的矿化量、固持及反硝化量、作物吸氮量的影响更大 ,其空间变异性高于不考虑矿化速率时的结果。剖面 2 5 0 cm埋深处平均的土壤水渗透量和累积硝态氮淋失量分别为 2 .2 5 mm、0 .0 0 984 m g/cm2 ,变异系数大于 1.4 6 ,属于强变异性。对模拟结果进行地统计学分析 ,结果表明 :剖面 2 5 0 cm埋深处的土壤水渗透量和硝态氮淋失量的半方差函数为纯块金形式 ,在空间上表现为相互独立。考虑有机氮矿化速率空间变异性时的土壤氮素净转化量、吸氮量均可用球状模型描述 ,其变程与土壤有机质含量的变程接近 ,约为 4 .7m;而不考虑有机氮矿化速率空间变异性时的土壤氮素净转化量用线性无基台值     

Computer assisted simulations and molecular graphics methods in molecular design 2. Proteinases and receptor and transport proteins

A survey is presented of model building techniques and computer-assisted quantum-chemical and molecular-dynamics simulations, as applied to the study of protease and receptor design, to the determination of the properties of related effectors, agonist and antagonist molecules, and to the design of fatty-acid transport proteins and molecular carriers. Studies covering integral membrane protein design have been reviewed: they include porins, ion channels and G protein coupled receptors. In the transport molecule class, hydrophobic ligand transporters, such as serum and cellular retinoid binding proteins, have been reviewed.     

Mitochondria as regulators of stimulus-evoked calcium signals in neurons

An important challenge in the study of Ca2+ signalling is to understand the dynamics of intracellular Ca2+ levels during and after physiological stimulation. While extensive information is available regarding the structural and biophysical properties of Ca2+ channels, pumps and exchangers that control cellular Ca2+ movements, little is known about the quantitative properties of the transporters that are expressed together in intact cells or about the way they operate as a system to orchestrate stimulus-induced Ca2+ signals. This lack of information is particularly striking given that many qualitative properties of Ca2+ signals (e.g. whether the Ca2+ concentration within a particular organelle rises or falls during stimulation) depend critically on quantitative properties of the underlying Ca2+ transporters (e.g. the rates of Ca2+ uptake and release by the organelle). This monograph describes the in situ characterization of Ca2+ transport pathways in sympathetic neurons, showing how mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and release systems define the direction and rate of net Ca2+ transport by this organelle, and how the interplay between mitochondrial Ca2+ transport and Ca+2 transport across the plasma membrane contribute to depolarization-evoked Ca2+ signals in intact cells.     

Auxin Transport Inhibitors: IV. EVIDENCE OF A COMMON MODE OF ACTION FOR A PROPOSED CLASS OF AUXIN TRANSPORT INHIBITORS: THE PHYTOTROPINS

The more active members of a proposed class of auxin transport inhibitors have been shown to have the ability to inhibit the active movement of auxin at concentrations where they have little effect on auxin action and no significant auxin activity. They have also been shown to give rise to characteristic biphasic dose-response curves on cress root growth. Based on these physiological similarities and other common physiological properties, it is concluded that they may achieve their effects by a common mode of action which differs from that of other known auxin transport inhibitors. It is suggested that the name "phytotropins" be given to the class of auxin transport inhibitors now defined by a similar mode of action and common chemical properties.     

Transport properties and hydrodynamic centers of rigid macromolecules with arbitrary shapes

A general formalism, which includes translation–rotation coupling, is proposed for calculating translational and rotational transport properties, as well as intrinsic viscosities, of rigid macromolecules with an arbitrary shape. This formalism is based on Brenner's theory of translational–rotational dynamics and on methods for the calculation of hydrodynamic properties that have been already presented, and can be regarded as a generalization of the one proposed by Nakajima and Wada. The calculated transport properties depend on the origin as predicted by Brenner's theory, but in a disagreement with him, the center of resistance and the center of diffusion do not coincide. As one can define several hydrodynamic centers, which in practice turn out to be located at different points, the influence of the choice of the center on the calculated transport properties is discussed. An analysis of the translation–rotation coupling effects in translational diffusion reveals that they arise exclusively from hydrodynamic interactions and are rather small in some cases of interest. Finally, we present a study of the rotational diffusion of rigid bent rods with a fixed length-to-diameter ratio. The diffusion coefficients obtained can be useful to estimate changes with respect to a straight rod.     

Impact of fluorochrome stains used to study bacterial transport in shallow aquifers on motility and chemotaxis of Pseudomonas species

One of the most common methods of tracking movement of bacteria in groundwater environments involves a priori fluorescent staining. A major concern in using these stains to label bacteria in subsurface injection-and-recovery studies is the effect they may have on the bacterium's transport properties. Previous studies investigated the impact of fluorophores on bacterial surface properties (e.g. zeta potential). However, no previous study has looked at the impact of fluorescent staining on swimming speed and chemotaxis. It was found that DAPI lowered the mean population swimming speed of Pseudomonas putida F1 by 46% and Pseudomonas stutzeri by 55%. DAPI also inhibited the chemotaxis in both strains. The swimming speeds of P. putida F1 and P. stutzeri were diminished slightly by CFDA/SE, but not to a statistically significant extent. CFDA/SE had no effect on chemotaxis of either strain to acetate. SYBR(?) Gold had no effect on swimming speed or the chemotactic response to acetate for either strain. This research indicates that although DAPI may not affect sorption to grain surfaces, it adversely affects other potentially important transport properties such as swimming and chemotaxis. Consequently, bacterial transport studies conducted using DAPI are biased to nonchemotactic conditions and do not appear to be suitable for monitoring the effect of chemotaxis on bacterial transport in shallow aquifers.     

The mitochondrial ornithine transporter. Bacterial expression,reconstitution, functional characterization,and tissue distribution of two human isoforms

Two isoforms of the human ornithine carrier, ORC1 and ORC2, have been identified by overexpression of the proteins in bacteria and by study of the transport properties of the purified proteins reconstituted into liposomes. Both transport L-isomers of ornithine, lysine, arginine, and citrulline by exchange and by unidirectional mechanisms, and they are inactivated by the same inhibitors. ORC2 has a broader specificity than ORC1, and L- and D-histidine, L-homoarginine, and D-isomers of ornithine, lysine, and ornithine are all substrates. Both proteins are expressed in a wide range of human tissues, but ORC1 is the predominant form. The highest levels of expression of both isoforms are in the liver. Five mutant forms of ORC1 associated with the human disease hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria were also made. The mutations abolish the transport properties of the protein. In patients with hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria, isoform ORC2 is unmodified, and its presence compensates partially for defective ORC1.     

Hexose transport in human myoblasts.

The present investigation reports on the hexose transport properties of human myoblasts isolated from normal subjects and from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Similar to rat myoblast L6, normal human myoblasts possess a high- (HAHT) and a low- (LAHT) affinity hexose transport system. The non-metabolizable hexose analogue, 2-deoxyglucose, is preferentially taken up by HAHT. The transport of this analogue is the rate-limiting step in the uptake process. This human myoblast HAHT is also similar to that of the rat myoblast in its substrate specificity and in response to the energy uncouplers, cytochalasin B and phloretin. The human myoblast LAHT resembles that of rat myoblast in its insensitivity to energy uncouplers, and in its transport affinity and capacity for 3-O-methyl-D-glucose. Although DMD myoblasts resemble their normal counterpart in their ability to differentiate, they differ significantly in their hexose transport properties. In addition to HAHT and LAHT present in normal human myoblast, DMD myoblasts contain a super-high-affinity hexose transport system (SHAHT). SHAHT can be detected only at very low substrate concentrations. It differs from HAHT not only in its much higher transport affinity, but also in its response to the traditional hexose transport inhibitors. For example, SHAHT can be activated by cytochalasin B and phlorizin, whereas it is more sensitive to inhibition by phloretin. Unlike HAHT, energy uncouplers are found to be ineffective in inhibiting SHAHT. It should be mentioned that SHAHT cannot be detected in myoblasts isolated from patients with other types of myopathy. The present study serves to demonstrate that more than one hexose transport system is operating in human skeletal muscle cells, as found in other cell types.     

Tempo-phosphate as an ESR tool to study phosphate transport

Abstract

TEMPO-phosphate has been introduced as a phosphate analogue to study phosphate transport in erythrocytes. The nitroxide is reduced intracellularly upon entering the cells, the membrane transport being the rate-limiting step of the loss of ESR signal. The use of TEMPO-phosphate is convenient and avoids the hazard of radioactivity. We studied the inhibition of TEMPO-phosphate transport to human erythrocytes by various compounds. DIDS and SITS, inhibitors of Band 3, inhibited the TEMPO-phosphate transport. 1-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, inhibitor of monocarboxylate transporters, did not affect the permeation of TEMPO-phosphate. The transport of TEMPO-phosphate was inhibited by various polyphenols, especially curcumin, naringin, quercetin, luteolin and kaempferol. Interestingly, 3-bromopyruvic acid, an alkylating agent and potential anticancer agent, induced an apparent enhancement of TEMPO-phosphate transport into erythrocytes.     

Transported biofilms and their influence on subsequent macrofouling colonization

Biofilm organisms such as diatoms are potential regulators of global macrofouling dispersal because they ubiquitously colonize submerged surfaces, resist antifouling efforts and frequently alter larval recruitment. Although ships continually deliver biofilms to foreign ports, it is unclear how transport shapes biofilm microbial structure and subsequent macrofouling colonization. This study demonstrates that different ship hull coatings and transport methods change diatom assemblage composition in transported coastal marine biofilms. Assemblages carried on the hull experienced significant cell losses and changes in composition through hydrodynamic stress, whereas those that underwent sheltered transport, even through freshwater, were largely unaltered. Coatings and their associated biofilms shaped distinct macrofouling communities and affected recruitment for one third of all species, while biofilms from different transport treatments had little effect on macrofouling colonization. These results demonstrate that transport conditions can shape diatom assemblages in biofilms carried by ships, but the properties of the underlying coatings are mainly responsible for subsequent macrofouling. The methods by which organisms colonize and are transferred by ships have implications for their distribution, establishment and invasion success.     

Simulations of electrophoretic RNA transport through transmembrane carbon nanotubes

The study of interactions between carbon nanotubes and cellular components, such as membranes and biomolecules, is fundamental for the rational design of nanodevices interfacing with biological systems. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study the electrophoretic transport of RNA through carbon nanotubes embedded in membranes. Decorated and naked carbon nanotubes are inserted into a dodecane membrane and a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine lipid bilayer, and the system is subjected to electrostatic potential differences. The transport properties of this artificial pore are determined by the structural modifications of the membrane in the vicinity of the nanotube openings and they are quantified by the nonuniform electrostatic potential maps at the entrance and inside the nanotube. The pore is used to transport electrophoretically a short RNA segment and we find that the speed of translocation exhibits an exponential dependence on the applied potential differences. The RNA is transported while undergoing a repeated stacking and unstacking process, affected by steric interactions with the membrane headgroups and by hydrophobic interaction with the walls of the nanotube. The RNA is structurally reorganized inside the nanotube, with its backbone solvated by water molecules near the axis of the tube and its bases aligned with the nanotube walls. Upon exiting the pore, the RNA interacts with the membrane headgroups and remains attached to the dodecane membrane while it is expelled into the solvent in the case of the lipid bilayer. The results of the simulations detail processes of molecular transport into cellular compartments through manufactured nanopores and they are discussed in the context of applications in biotechnology and nanomedicine.     

An integrated microfluidic device for single cell trapping and osmotic behavior investigation of mouse oocytes

Transport properties of oocytes play an important role in the optimization of their cryopreservation. However, there are still no systematical investigations on oocyte transport properties from the viewpoint of single-cell trapping and high precision perfusion, especially with the powerful microfluidic approach. To this end, we developed an easy-to-fabricate and easy-to-use microfluidic chip along with automatic single cell trapping capability to investigate the oocyte membrane transport properties. The experimental results indicate that the device is available and reliable. We further performed a comparative study of the oocyte membrane transport properties between single and multi-step CPA addition protocols and confirmed that the transport property parameters measured by single-step osmotic shift could not be used for prediction of the osmotic responses of oocytes in multi-step CPA addition. This study provides a powerful tool for investigation of oocyte osmotic responses.