Approximation of the cell cycle in synchronized populations of Streptococcus faecium.

Slowly growing populations (TD = 70 to 80 min) of Streptococcus faecium (S. faecalis ATCC 9790) were synchronized by selection after sucrose gradient fractionation. The cell cycle was approximated by correlating the patterns of DNA accumulation and cell division. More specifically, the beginning of cell cycle was equated with the beginning of a rapid linear increase in DNA accumulation. The DNA content of the culture approximately doubled during the period of accumulation, which lasted about 51 min. The period of rapid DNA accumulation, was followed by a period of reduced accumulation that lasted about 24 min. During synchronized growth, cell numbers increased rapidly in coordination with the period of rapid DNA accumulation and exhibited a plateau during the period of reduced DNA accumulation. In contrast, RNA and protein appeared to accumulate exponentially throughout the cell cycle at the same rate as culture mass.     

Relationship between cellular autolytic activity, peptidoglycan synthesis, septation, and the cell cycle in synchronized populations of Streptococcus faecium.

Synchronized, slowly growing (TD = 70 to 80 min) cultures were used to study several wall-associated parameters during the cell cycle: rate of peptidoglycan synthesis, septation, and cellular autolytic activity. The rate of peptidoglycan synthesis per cell declined during most of the period of chromosome replication (C), but increased during the latter part of C and into the period between chromosome termination and cell division (D). An increase in cellular septation was correlated with the increased rate of peptidoglycan synthesis. Cellular autolytic capacity increased during the early portion of C, reached a maximum late in C or early in D, and declined during D. Inhibition of DNA synthesis during C prevented the decline in autolytic capacity at the end of the cell cycle, caused a slight reduction in the rate of peptidoglycan synthesis, delayed but did not prevent septation, and prevented the impending cell division by inhibiting cell separation. Inhibition of DNA synthesis during D did not prevent the increase in autolytic capacity during the next C phase, but, once again, prevented the decline at the end of the subsequent cycle. Thus, increased autolytic capacity at the beginning of the cell cycle did not seem to be related to chromosome initiation, whereas decreased autolytic capacity at the end of the cell cycle seemed to be related to chromosome termination. The data presented are consistent with the role of autolytic enzyme activity in the previously proposed model for cell division of S. faecium (G.D. Shockman et al., Ann. N.Y Acad. Sci. 235:161-197, 1974).     

Roles of cell volume in molecular and cellular biology

Extracellular tonicity and volume regulation control a great number of molecular and cellular functions including: cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, hormone and neuromediator release, gene expression, ion channel and transporter activity and metabolism. The aim of this review is to describe these effects and to determine if they are direct or are secondarily the result of the activity of second messengers.     

Generality of the growth kinetics of the average individual cell in different bacterial populations.

The kinetics of growth of all the cells in a population is reflected in the shape of the size distribution of the population. To ascertain whether the kinetics of growth of the average individual cell is similar for different strains or growth conditions, we compared the shape of normalized size distributions obtained from steady-state populations. Significant differences in the size distributions were found, but these could be ascribed either to the precision achieved at division or to a constriction period which is long relative to the total cell cycle time. The remaining difference is quite small. Thus, without establishing the pattern itself, it is concluded that the basic course of growth is very similar for the various Escherichia coli strains examined and probably also for other rod-shaped bacteria. The effects of differences in culture technique (batch or chemostat culture), growth rate, and differences among strains were not found to influence the shape of the size distributions and hence the growth kinetics in a direct manner; small differences were found, but only when the precision at division or the fraction of constricted cells (long constriction period) were different as well.     

Surface charge and cell volume of synchronized mouse lymphoblasts (L5178-Y)

Cellular electrophoretic mobility, and therefore, surface charge/ unit area, was found to be constant throughout the cell cycle of synchronized L5178-Y mouse lymphoblasts, remaining at – 1.21 μ sec^?1 V^?1 cm. Measured cell volumes of these synchronized cells increased linearly over the cell cycle and at mitosis each cell divided into two cells, each cell having half of the parent volume. An hypothesis is presented which explains the presence of a mobility peak at mitosis in cells which normally are grown attaching to a glass surface on the basis of differential morphological changes during mitosis; cells such as the L5178-Ys, which do not attach to glass normally, do not undergo such morphological changes at mitosis and, therefore, would not demonstrate a mobility peak at that time.     

Cellular autolytic activity in synchronized populations of Streptococcus faecium.

The autolytic capacity of Streptococcus faecium (S. faecalis ATCC 9790) varied during synchronous cell division. This phenomenon was initially observed in rapidly dividing populations (TD=30 to 33 min) synchronized by a combination of induction and size selection techniques. To minimize the problems inherent in studies of cells containing overlapping chromosome cycles and possible artifacts generated by induction techniques, the autolytic capacities of slowly dividing populations (TD=60 to 110 min) synchronized by selection only were examined. Although the overall level of cellular autolytic capacity was observed to decline with decreasing growth rate, sharp, periodic fluctuations in cellular autolytic capacity were seen during synchronous growth at all growth rates examined. On the basis of similar patterns of cyclic fluctuations in autolytic capacity of cultures synchronized by (i) selection, (ii) amino acid starvation followed by size selection, and (iii) amino acid starvation followed by inhibition of DNA synthesis, a link of such fluctuations with the cell division cycle has been postulated.     

Irradiation of synchronized cell cultures

Summary When HeLa cells are synchronized by the double thymidine block method, it is shown that the mitotic delay produced by 450 R X-rays is longer when cells are irradiated in G₂ than in G₁ but longer still when they are irradiated in the early part of S. DNA synthesis, measured by³H-Thymidine incorporation, is not reduced considerably (± 25%) and only for a few hours when 600 R are given at this time. A more pronounced inhibition occurs when irradiation is given later in S. There is also no decrease in incorporation of³H-orotic acid in RNA when the cells are irradiated in S or in G₂. These results are discussed and it is concluded that the long mitotic delays cannot he due to a modification of nucleic acids metabolism.Paper read at the 6th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Radiobiology, Interlaken, 5.–8. June, 1968. Round Table: Radiation Effectsin vitro andin vivo. Correlations and Discrepancies.     

Levels of cellular DNA polymerases in synchronized bovine paravovirus-infected cells.

Infection of synchronized bovine fetal spleen cells with bovine parvovirus results in changes in the levels and patterns of DNA polymerases alpha and gamma during the cell cycle. The pattern of DNA polymerase alpha activity closely paralled viral DNA synthesis and the production of progeny virus, and levels, of this enzyme were threefold greater than in mock-infected cells during the period of maximal viral DNA synthesis. DNA polymerase gamma activity remained slightly elevated during viral DNA replication. Levels and patterns of DNA polymerase beta were similar in mock- and virus-infected cells.     

On the mass distribution model for microbial cell populations

The full implications of a statistical model for growth of a microbial cell population using cell mass as the index of physiological state have been examined by solving the partial differential integral equations resulting from the model. Calculations reveal that a lag phase is predicted during the initial stages of batch growth although no specific cellular mechanism for the phenomenon of lag had been incorporated into the model. The model predicts several situations of batch and continuous growth in which the population density and biomass concentration show opposing trends due to significant variation in the cell mass distribution with time.     

Taurine and cell volume maintenance in the shark rectal gland: cellular fluxes and kinetics

Tissue slices of shark rectal gland are studied to examine the kinetics of the cellular fluxes of taurine, a major intracellular osmolyte in this organ. Maintenance of high steady-state cell taurine (50 mM) is achieved by a ouabain-sensitive active Na+-dependent uptake process and a relatively slow efflux. Uptake kinetics are described by two saturable taurine transport components (high-affinity, Km 60 microM; and low-affinity, Km 9 mM). [14C]Taurine uptake is enhanced by external Cl-, inhibited by beta-alanine and unaffected by inhibitors of the Na+/K+/2Cl- co-transport system. Two cellular efflux components of taurine are documented. Incubation of slices in p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (1 mM) reduces taurine uptake, increases efflux of taurine and induces cell swelling. Studies of efflux in isotonic media with various cation and anion substitutions demonstrate that high-K+ markedly enhances taurine efflux irrespective of cell volume changes (i.e. membrane stretching is not involved). Moreover, iso-osmotic cell swelling induced in media containing propionate is not associated with enhanced efflux of taurine from the cells. It is suggested that external K+ exerts a specific effect on the cytoplasmic membrane to increase its permeability to taurine.     

An investigation of the factors influencing mean cell volume in populations of the ciliate Colpidium campylum

Within the temperature range 10°C-20°C, temperature had no effect on the mean cell size of C. campylum. Population density also exerted no noticeable effect on mean cell volume. The quantity of energy consumed, however, had a marked effect. In experiments where less than 8000 μJ were consumed/individual/24 h, the mean cell volume decreased. Above this level of energy consumption mean cell volume maintained a constant level.
The maximum values obtained for cell sizes were 160–190 × 10³μm³ and the minimum values 40–100 × 10³μm³. A response to decreased food concentration and hence decreased energy consumption was obtained within the 24 h experimental period, indicating a rapid response to changed environment by the ciliates.     

Bifurcation properties of the average activity of interconnected neural populations

The relevant scale for the study of the electrical activity of neural networks is a problem of mathematical and biological interest. From a continuous model of the cortex activity we derive a simple model of an interconnected pair of excitatory and inhibitory neural populations that describes the activity of a homogeneous network. Our model depends on three parameters that stand for the scale variability of the network. A bifurcation analysis reveals a great variety of patterns that arise from the interplay of excitatory and inhibitory populations provided by synaptic interactions. We emphasize the differences between the dynamical regimes when considering a moderate and a high inhibitory scale. We discuss the consequences on a propagating activity.     

On the theory of apoptotic decrease of the cell volume

The dynamic model of membrane transport, which describes the changing of ion contents in the cell, cell volume and membrane potential, for the first time, is applied to analysis of the apoptotic processes. It is shown that increasing of permeability of K+, and Cl(-)-channels, decreasing of permeability of Na+ together with degradation of Na+/K+ pump, KCC and NC cotransporters lead to decreasing of cell U937 volume and plasma membrane depolarization at apoptosis induced by staurosporine in concentration 1 microM. The experimental data using at calculations was published in paper (Yurinskaya et al., 2010).