Changes in cholesterol levels in the plasma membrane modulate cell signaling and regulate cell adhesion and migration on fibronectin

The number and distribution of lipid molecules, including cholesterol in particular, in the plasma membrane, may play a key role in regulating several physiological processes in cells. We investigated the role of membrane cholesterol in regulating cell shape, adhesion and motility. The acute depletion of cholesterol from the plasma membrane of cells that were well spread and motile on fibronectin caused the rounding of these cells and decreased their adhesion to and motility on fibronectin. These modifications were less pronounced in cells plated on laminin, vitronectin or plastic, indicating that cholesterol-mediated changes in adhesion and motility are more specific for adhesion mediated by fibronectin-specific integrins, such as alpha5beta1. These changes were accompanied by remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, the spatial reorganization of paxillin in the membrane, and changes to the dynamics of alpha5 integrin and paxillin-rich focal adhesions. Levels of tyrosine phosphorylation at position 576/577 of FAK and Erk1/Erk2 MAP-kinase activity levels were both lower in cholesterol-depleted than in control cells. These levels normalized only on fibronectin when cholesterol was reincorporated into the cell membrane. Thus, membrane cholesterol content has a specific effect on certain signaling pathways specifically involved in regulating cell motility on fibronectin and organization of the actin cytoskeleton.     

Tissue polarity genes of Drosophila regulate the subcellular location for prehair initiation in pupal wing cells

The purpose of this study was to explore the functional role of the cytoplasmic domain of the alpha subunit of the alpha 5/beta 1 integrin, a fibronectin receptor. Mutant CHO cells that express very low levels of endogenous hamster alpha 5 subunit (CHO clone B2) were transfected with an expression vector containing full-length or truncated human alpha 5 cDNAs to form chimeric human alpha 5/hamster beta 1 integrins. Three transfectants were examined: B2a27 expresses a full-length human alpha 5 subunit with 27 amino acids in the cytoplasmic domain; B2a10 expresses an alpha 5 with a 17-amino acid cytoplasmic truncation; B2a1 expresses an alpha 5 with a 26-amino acid truncation. Levels of alpha 5/beta 1 surface expression in B2a27 and B2a10 cells were similar to that in wild type CHO cells. The expression of alpha 5/beta 1 in B2a1 cells was less, amounting to 15-20% of WT levels, despite message levels that were three to five times greater than those of B2a27. The transfectants were used to examine the role of the alpha 5 cytoplasmic domain in cell adhesion, cell motility, cytoskeletal organization, and integrin-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation. The adhesion characteristics of B2a27 and B2a10 cells on fibronectin substrata were similar to each other and to wild type CHO cells. B2a1 cells displayed slight reductions in the strength and rate of adhesion to fibronectin. Cell motility in the presence of fibronectin was similar for B2a27, B2a10, and wild type CHO cells, while the B2a1 cells were substantially less motile. Comparable degrees of cell spreading and extensive organization of actin filaments were observed for B2a27, B2a10, and wild type CHO cells on fibronectin substrata. The B2a1 cells spread to a lesser degree, and some organization of actin was observed; the untransfected B2 cells remained round on fibronectin substrata and showed no actin reorganization. Since the reduced motility and cell spreading observed in the B2a1 cells might be due either to reduced surface expression of alpha 5/beta 1 or to the truncation in the alpha 5 cytoplasmic domain, we used flow cytometric cell sorting to select populations of B2a1 and B2a27 cells expressing similar levels of cell surface alpha 5. The deficits in spreading and motility were present in B2a1 cells expressing high levels of alpha 5. Thus the region of the alpha 5 cytoplasmic domain adjacent to the membrane seems to play an important role in cytoskeletal organization and cell motility. We also examined whether alpha subunit truncation would affect integrin- mediated tyrosine phosphorylation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Interaction of PC-3 cells with fibronectin adsorbed on sulfonated polystyrene surfaces

The ability of cancer cells to invade neighboring tissues is crucial for cell dissemination and tumor metastasis. It is generally assumed that cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins is an important stage of cancer progression. Hence, adhesion of cancer cells under in vitro conditions to proteins adsorbed on a substratum surface has been studied to provide a better understanding of cell-protein interaction mechanisms. A protein, adsorbed in an appropriate conformation on a substratum surface, creates a biologically active layer that regulates such cell functions as adhesion, spreading, proliferation and migration. In our study, we examined the interaction of PC-3 cells under in vitro conditions with fibronectin adsorbed on sulfonated polystyrene surfaces of a defined chemical composition and topography. We investigated cell adhesion to fibronectin and cell spreading. Using automatic, sequential microscopic image registration, we are the first to present observations of the dynamics of PC-3 cell spreading and the cell shape during this process. Our results show that cell adhesion and the shape of spreading cells strongly depend on the time interaction with fibronectin. The analysis of images of cytoskeletal protein distribution in the cell region near the cell-substratum interface revealed that induction of a signal cascade took place, which led to the reorganization of the cytoskeletal proteins and the activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK).     

Regulation of cellular proliferation, differentiation and cell death by activated Raf

ERK signaling regulates focal adhesion disassembly during cell movement, and increased ERK signaling frequently contributes to enhanced motility of human tumor cells. We previously found that the ERK scaffold MEK Partner 1 (MP1) is required for focal adhesion disassembly in fibroblasts. Here we test the hypothesis that MP1-dependent ERK signaling regulates motility of DU145 prostate cancer cells. We find that MP1 is required for motility on fibronectin, but not for motility stimulated by serum or EGF. Surprisingly, MP1 appears not to function through its known binding partners MEK1 or PAK1, suggesting the existence of a novel pathway by which MP1 can regulate motility on fibronectin. MP1 may function by regulating the stability or expression of paxillin, a key regulator of motility.     

Staphylococcus aureus-Fibronectin Interactions with and without Fibronectin-Binding Proteins and Their Role in Adhesion and Desorption

Adhesion and residence-time-dependent desorption of two Staphylococcus aureus strains with and without fibronectin (Fn) binding proteins (FnBPs) on Fn-coated glass were compared under flow conditions. To obtain a better understanding of the role of Fn-FnBP binding, the adsorption enthalpies of Fn with staphylococcal cell surfaces were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Interaction forces between staphylococci and Fn coatings were measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The strain with FnBPs adhered faster and initially stronger to an Fn coating than the strain without FnBPs, and its Fn adsorption enthalpies were higher. The initial desorption was high for both strains but decreased substantially within 2 s. These time scales of staphylococcal bond ageing were confirmed by AFM adhesion force measurement. After exposure of either Fn coating or staphylococcal cell surfaces to bovine serum albumin (BSA), the adhesion of both strains to Fn coatings was reduced, suggesting that BSA suppresses not only nonspecific but also specific Fn-FnBP interactions. Adhesion forces and adsorption enthalpies were only slightly affected by BSA adsorption. This implies that under the mild contact conditions of convective diffusion in a flow chamber, adsorbed BSA prevents specific interactions but does allow forced Fn-FnBP binding during AFM or stirring in ITC. The bond strength energies calculated from retraction force-distance curves from AFM were orders of magnitude higher than those calculated from desorption data, confirming that a penetrating Fn-coated AFM tip probes multiple adhesins in the outermost cell surface that remain hidden during mild landing of an organism on an Fn-coated substratum, like that during convective diffusional flow.     

Adhesion, alignment, and migration of cultured Schwann cells on ultrathin fibronectin fibres

Individual fibres of fibronectin (Fn-fibres), an extracellular matrix cell adhesion glycoprotein, were produced from a purified solution of fibronectin. These fibres range from 0.5-7 microm in width and have been engineered to produce mats (Fn-mats) by using a unidirectional shear force to orientate the fibres. Fn-fibres have been shown to promote alignment by contact guidance of human dermal fibroblasts, neurites, macrophages, and epitenon fibroblasts. Fn-mats have been used to orientate and enhance the regeneration of peripheral nerve components. We investigated cell spreading, orientation, formation of focal contacts, and the speed of cell movement on individual Fn-fibres, glass-covered with poly-L-lysine and poly-L-lysine/laminin/Fn. Fibronectin fibres significantly promoted cell spreading and the speed of cell migration with alignment of focal contacts and F-actin filaments to the axis of the fibres. The study reveals the potential of Fn-fibres to guide and direct cellular behaviour by contact guidance. The increase in migration and other behaviour exhibited by Schwann cells on Fn-fibres justifies the use of Fn-mats for peripheral nerve repair and is clinically important in that atrophy of the target organ, which is the most common failure of nerve repair, may be minimised.     

Structural models of the supramolecular organization of AQP0 and connexons in junctional microdomains

Membrane proteins perform many essential cellular functions. Over the last years, substantial advances have been made in our understanding of the structure and function of isolated membrane proteins. However, like soluble proteins, many membrane proteins assemble into supramolecular complexes that perform specific functions in specialized membrane domains. Since supramolecular complexes of membrane proteins are difficult to study by conventional approaches, little is known about their composition, organization and assembly. The high signal-to-noise ratio of the images that can be obtained with an atomic force microscope (AFM) makes this instrument a powerful tool to image membrane protein complexes within native membranes. Recently, we have reported high-resolution topographs of junctional microdomains in native eye lens membranes containing two-dimensional (2D) arrays of aquaporin-0 (AQP0) surrounded by connexons. While both proteins are involved in cell adhesion, AQP0 is a specific water channel whereas connexons form cell–cell communication channels with broad substrate specificity. Here, we have performed a detailed analysis of the supramolecular organization of AQP0 tetramers and connexon hexamers in junctional microdomains in the native lens membrane. We present first structural models of these junctional microdomains, which we generated by docking atomic models of AQP0 and connexons into the AFM topographs. The AQP0 2D arrays in the native membrane show the same molecular packing of tetramers seen in highly ordered double-layered 2D crystals obtained through reconstitution of purified AQP0. In contrast, the connexons that surround the AQP0 arrays are only loosely packed. Based on our AFM observations, we propose a mechanism that may explain the supramolecular organization of AQP0 and connexons in junctional domains in native lens membranes.     

The measurement of Bacillus mycoides spore adhesion using atomic force microscopy,simple counting methods,and a spinning disk technique

An atomic force microscope has been used to study the adhesion of Bacillus mycoides spores to a hydrophilic glass surface and a hydrophobic-coated glass surface. AFM images of spores attached to the hydrophobic-coated mica surface allowed the measurement of spore dimensions in an aqueous environment without desiccation. The spore exosporium was observed to be flexible and to promote the adhesion of the spore by increasing the area of spore contact with the surface. Results from counting procedures using light microscopy matched the density of spores observed on the hydrophobic-coated glass surface with AFM. However, no spores were observed on the hydrophilic glass surface with AFM, a consequence of the weaker adhesion of the spores at this surface. AFM was also used to quantify directly the interactions of B. mycoides spores at the two surfaces in an aqueous environment. The measurements used "spore probes" constructed by immobilizing a single spore at the apex of a tipless AFM cantilever. The data showed that stretching and sequential bond breaking occurred as the spores were retracted from the hydrophilic glass surface. The greatest spore adhesion was measured at the hydrophobic-coated glass surface. An attractive force on the spores was measured as the spores approached the hydrophobic-coated surface. At the hydrophilic glass surface, only repulsive forces were measured during the approach of the spores. The AFM force measurements were in qualitative agreement with the results of a hydrodynamic shear adhesion assay that used a spinning disk technique. Quantitatively, AFM measurements of adhesive force were up to 4 x 10(3) times larger than the estimates made using the spinning disk data. This is a consequence of the different types of forces applied to the spore in the different adhesion assays. AFM has provided some unique insights into the interactions of spores with surfaces. No other instrument can make such direct measurements for single microbiological cells.     

Ultrastructural and physico-chemical heterogeneities of yeast surfaces revealed by mapping lateral-friction and normal-adhesion forces using an atomic force microscope

Scanning force microscopy has been used to probe the surface of the emerging pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis, in order to get insight into its surface structure and properties at submicrometer scales. AFM friction images eventually show patches with a very strong contrast, showing high lateral interaction with the tip. Adhesion force measurement also reveals a high normal interaction with the tip, and patches show extraordinarily high pull off values. The tip eventually sticks completely at the center of the patches. While an extraordinarily high interaction is measured by the tip at those zones, topographic images show extraordinarily flat topography over those zones, both of which characteristics are consistent with a liquid-like area. High resolution friction images show those zones to be surrounded by microfibrillar structures, concentrically oriented, of a mean width of about 25 nm, structures that become progressively less defined as we move away from the center of the patches. No structure can be appreciated inside the zones of maximum contrast. Also some helical or ribbon-like structure can be resolved from friction images. There is not only an ordered disposition of the microfibrillar structures, but also the adhesion force increases radially in the direction towards the center of the patches. These structures responsible for the high adhesion are thought to be incipient-emerging budding zones. Microfibrillar structures are thought to represent the first steps of chitin biosynthesis and cell wall digestion, with chitin polymers being biosynthesized, associated with other macromolecules of the yeast cell wall. They can be also beta glucan helical structures, made visible in the zone of yeast division due to the action of autolysins. The observed gradient in surface adhesion and elastic properties correlates well with that expected from a biochemical point of view. The higher adhesion force measured could be either due to the different macromolecular nature of the patches, or to a mechanical adhesion effect due to the different plasticity of that zone. This work reveals the importance of taking into account the dynamic nature of the cell wall physico-chemical properties. Processes related to the normal cell-cycle, as division, can strongly alter the surface morphology and physico-chemical properties and cause important heterogeneities that might have a profound impact on the adhesion behavior of a single cell, which could not be detected by more macroscopic methods.     

Nanostructure and force spectroscopy analysis of human peripheral blood CD4+ T cells using atomic force microscopy

To date, nanoscale imaging of the morphological changes and adhesion force of CD4⁺ T cells during in vitro activation remains largely unreported. In this study, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the morphological changes and specific binding forces in resting and activated human peripheral blood CD4⁺ T cells. The AFM images revealed that the volume of activated CD4⁺ T cells increased and the ultrastructure of these cells also became complex. Using a functionalized AFM tip, the strength of the specific binding force of the CD4 antigen-antibody interaction was found to be approximately three times that of the unspecific force. The adhesion forces were not randomly distributed over the surface of a single activated CD4⁺ T cell, indicated that the CD4 molecules concentrated into nanodomains. The magnitude of the adhesion force of the CD4 antigen-antibody interaction did not change markedly with the activation time. Multiple bonds involved in the CD4 antigen-antibody interaction were measured at different activation times. These results suggest that the adhesion force involved in the CD4 antigen-antibody interaction is highly selective and of high affinity.     

The supramolecular architecture of junctional microdomains in native lens membranes

Gap junctions formed by connexons and thin junctions formed by lens-specific aquaporin 0 (AQP0) mediate the tight packing of fibre cells necessary for lens transparency. Gap junctions conduct water, ions and metabolites between cells, whereas junctional AQP0 seems to be involved in cell adhesion. High-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed the supramolecular organization of these proteins in native lens core membranes, in which AQP0 forms two-dimensional arrays that are surrounded by densely packed gap junction channels. These junctional microdomains simultaneously provide adhesion and communication between fibre cells. The AFM topographs also showed that the extracellular loops of AQP0 in junctional microdomains adopt a conformation that closely resembles the structure of junctional AQP0, in which the water pore is thought to be closed. Finally, time-lapse AFM imaging provided insights into AQP0 array formation. This first high-resolution view of a multicomponent eukaryotic membrane shows how membrane proteins self-assemble into functional microdomains.     

Essential role of SRC suppressed C kinase substrates in Schwann cells adhesion, spreading and migration

Integrin-mediated substrate adhesion of endothelial cells leads to dynamic rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. Protein kinase C (PKC) stimulates reorganization of microfilaments and adhesion, while the responses of Schwann cells during adhesion and migration are unknown, so we examined the expression changes of SSeCKS and F-actin in Schwann cells after exposure to fibronectin. Src (sarcoma) suppressed C kinase substrate (SSeCKS) is a PKC substrate that may play an important role in regulating actin cytoskeleton. We found that SSeCKS was localized to focal adhesion sites soon after Schwann cells adhesion and that SSeCKS increased during the process of cell spreading. Using small interfering RNAs specific to SSeCKS, we showed that Schwann cells in which SSeCKS expression was inhibited reduced cellular adhesion, spreading and promoted cellular migration on fibronectin through reorganization of actin stress fibers and blocking formation of focal adhesions. These results demonstrated SSeCKS modulate Schwann cells adhesion, spreading and migration by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton.     

Fibronectin fibrillogenesis, a cell-mediated matrix assembly process.

The extracellular matrix provides a framework for cell adhesion, supports cell movement, and serves to compartmentalize tissues into functional units. Fibronectin is a core component of many extracellular matrices where it regulates a variety of cell activities through direct interactions with cell surface integrin receptors. Fibronectin is synthesized by many adherent cells which then assemble it into a fibrillar network. The assembly process is integrin-dependent and fibronectin-integrin interactions initiate a step-wise process involving conformational activation of fibronectin outside and organization of the actin cytoskeleton inside. During assembly, fibronectin undergoes conformational changes that expose fibronectin-binding sites and promote intermolecular interactions needed for fibril formation. In this review, the main steps of fibronectin assembly are described and recent studies on fibronectin conformational changes are discussed.     

Atomic force microscope-based single cell force spectroscopy of breast cancer cell lines: An approach for evaluating cellular invasion

The adhesiveness of cancerous cells to their neighboring cells significantly contributes to tumor progression and metastasis. The single-cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) approach was implemented to survey the cell–cell adhesion force between cancerous cells in three cancerous breast cell lines (MCF-7, T47D, and MDA-MB-231). The gene expression levels of two dominant cell adhesion markers (E-cadherin and N-cadherin) were quantified by real-time PCR. Additionally, the local stiffness of the cell bodies was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the actin cytoskeletal organization was examined by confocal microscopy. Results indicated that the adhesion force between cells was conversely correlated with their invasion potential. The highest adhesion force was observed in the MCF-7 cells. A reduction in cell–cell adhesion, which is required for the detachment of cells from the main tumor during metastasis, is partly due to the loss of E-cadherin expression and the enhanced expression of N-cadherins. The reduced adhesion was accompanied by the softening of cells, as described by the rearrangement of actin filaments through confocal microscopy observations. The softening of the cell body and the reduced cellular adhesiveness are two adaptive mechanisms through which malignant cells achieve the increased deformability, motility, and strong metastasis potential necessary for passage through endothelial junctions and positioning in host tissue. This study presented application of SCFS to survey cell phenotype transformation during cancer progression. The results can be implemented as a platform for further investigations that target the manipulation of cellular adhesiveness and stiffness as a therapeutic choice.     

Chinese hamster ovary cell motility to fibronectin is modulated by the second extracellular loop of CD9. Identification of a putative fibronectin binding site

CD9, a member of the tetraspanin family of proteins, is characterized by four transmembrane domains and two extracellular loops. Surface expression of CD9 on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells dramatically enhances spreading and motility on fibronectin. To elucidate the mechanistic basis of CD9-fibronectin interaction, binding to fibronectin was investigated using purified and recombinant forms of CD9. The affinity of fibronectin for CD9 in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was 81 +/- 25 nm. The binding of fibronectin to immobilized CD9 was enhanced by Ca(2+) ions. Protein binding and peptide competition studies demonstrated that peptide 6 derived from CD9 extracellular loop 2 (amino acids 168-192) contained part of the fibronectin-binding domain. Additionally, enhanced adhesion of CD9-CHO-B2 cells to fibronectin was significantly reduced by peptide 6. CD9-CHO cells had a 5-fold increase in motility to fibronectin as compared with mock-transfected controls, an effect that correlated with CD9 cell surface density. Truncation of CD9 extracellular loop 2 and peptide 6 caused inhibition of CD9-CHO cell motility to fibronectin. Deletion of CD9 extracellular loop 1 had no significant effect on CHO cell motility. These findings demonstrate a critical role for CD9 extracellular loop 2 in cell motility to fibronectin and clarify the mechanism by which CD9-fibronectin interaction modulates cell adhesion and motility.     

Histamine effects on endothelial cell fibronectin interaction studied by atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the cellular response to histamine, one of the major inflammatory mediators that cause endothelial hyperpermeability and vascular leakage. AFM probes were labeled with fibronectin and used to measure binding strength between alpha5beta1 integrin and fibronectin by quantifying the force required to break single fibronectin-integrin bonds. The cytoskeletal changes, binding probability, and adhesion force before and after histamine treatment on endothelial cells were monitored. Cell topography measurements indicated that histamine induces cell shrinkage. Local cell stiffness and binding probability increased twofold after histamine treatment. The force necessary to rupture single alpha5beta1-fibronectin bond increased from 34.0 +/- 0.5 pN in control cells to 39 +/- 1 pN after histamine treatment. Experiments were also conducted to confirm the specificity of the alpha5beta1-fibronectin interaction. In the presence of soluble GRGDdSP the probability of adhesion events decreased >50% whereas the adhesion force between alpha5beta1 and fibronectin remained unchanged. These data indicate that extracellular matrix-integrin interactions play an important role in the endothelial cell response to changes of external chemical mediators. These changes can be recorded as direct measurements on live endothelial cells by using atomic force microscopy.     

Probing elasticity and adhesion of live cells by atomic force microscopy indentation

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation has become an important technique for quantifying the mechanical properties of live cells at nanoscale. However, determination of cell elasticity modulus from the force–displacement curves measured in the AFM indentations is not a trivial task. The present work shows that these force–displacement curves are affected by indenter-cell adhesion force, while the use of an appropriate indentation model may provide information on the cell elasticity and the work of adhesion of the cell membrane to the surface of the AFM probes. A recently proposed indentation model (Sirghi, Rossi in Appl Phys Lett 89:243118, 2006), which accounts for the effect of the adhesion force in nanoscale indentation, is applied to the AFM indentation experiments performed on live cells with pyramidal indenters. The model considers that the indentation force equilibrates the elastic force of the cell cytoskeleton and the adhesion force of the cell membrane. It is assumed that the indenter-cell contact area and the adhesion force decrease continuously during the unloading part of the indentation (peeling model). Force–displacement curves measured in indentation experiments performed with silicon nitride AFM probes with pyramidal tips on live cells (mouse fibroblast Balb/c3T3 clone A31-1-1) in physiological medium at 37°C agree well with the theoretical prediction and are used to determine the cell elasticity modulus and indenter-cell work of adhesion. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

PAR1-mediated RhoA activation facilitates CCL2-induced chemotaxis in PC-3 cells

Patients with advanced prostate cancer often exhibit increased activation of the coagulation system. The key activator of the coagulation cascade is the serine protease thrombin which is capable of eliciting numerous cellular responses. We previously reported that the thrombin receptor PAR1 is overexpressed in prostate cancer. To investigate further the role of PAR1 in prostate cancer metastasis, we examined the effects of thrombin activation on cell adhesion and motility in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. Activation of PAR1-induced dynamic cytoskeletal reorganization and reduced PC-3 binding to collagen I, collagen IV, and laminin (P < 0.01) but not fibronectin. Expression of the cell surface integrin receptors did not change as assessed by flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that PAR1 stimulation caused reorganization of the focal adhesions, suggesting that PAR1 activation in PC-3 cells may be modulating cell adhesion through integrin function but not expression. Furthermore, RhoA was activated upon stimulation with thrombin with subsequent cell contraction, decreased cell adhesion, and induced migration towards monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1; CCL2). Thus, it appears that thrombin stimulation plays a role in prostate cancer metastasis by decreasing cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix and positioning the cell in a "ready state" for migration in response to a chemotactic signal. Further exploration is needed to determine whether PAR1 activation affects other signaling pathways involved in prostate cancer.     

Direct Probing of the Surface Ultrastructure and Molecular Interactions of Dormant and Germinating Spores of Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to probe, under physiological conditions, the surface ultrastructure and molecular interactions of spores of the filamentous fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. High-resolution images revealed that the surface of dormant spores was uniformly covered with rodlets having a periodicity of 10 +/- 1 nm, which is in agreement with earlier freeze-etching measurements. In contrast, germinating spores had a very smooth surface partially covered with rough granular structures. Force-distance curve measurements demonstrated that the changes in spore surface ultrastructure during germination are correlated with profound modifications of molecular interactions: while dormant spores showed no adhesion with the AFM probe, germinating spores exhibited strong adhesion forces, of 9 +/- 2 nN magnitude. These forces are attributed to polysaccharide binding and suggested to be responsible for spore aggregation. This study represents the first direct characterization of the surface ultrastructure and molecular interactions of living fungal spores at the nanometer scale and offers new prospects for mapping microbial cell surface properties under native conditions.     

Predicting the chemical composition and structure of Aspergillus nidulans hyphal wall surface by atomic force microscopy

In fungi, cell wall plays an important role in growth and development. Major macromolecular constituents of the aspergilli cell wall are glucan, chitin, and protein. We examined the chemical composition and structure of the Aspergillus nidulans hyphal wall surface by an atomic force microscope (AFM). To determine the composition of the cell wall surface, the adhesion forces of commercially available β-glucan, chitin, and various proteins were compared to those of corresponding fractions prepared from the hyphal wall. In both setups, the adhesion forces of β-glucan, chitin, and protein were 25–50, 1000–3000, and 125–300 nN, respectively. Adhesion force analysis demonstrated that the cell surface of the apical tip region might contain primarily chitin and β-glucan and relatively a little protein. This analysis also showed the chemical composition of the hyphal surface of the mid-region would be different from that of the apical region. Morphological images obtained by the tapping mode of AFM revealed that the hyphal tip surface has moderate roughness.