Vacuolar ATPase in Phagosome-Lysosome Fusion

The vacuolar H⁺-ATPase (v-ATPase) complex is instrumental in establishing and maintaining acidification of some cellular compartments, thereby ensuring their functionality. Recently it has been proposed that the transmembrane V₀ sector of v-ATPase and its a-subunits promote membrane fusion in the endocytic and exocytic pathways independent of their acidification functions. Here, we tested if such a proton-pumping independent role of v-ATPase also applies to phagosome-lysosome fusion. Surprisingly, endo(lyso)somes in mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking the V₀ a3 subunit of the v-ATPase acidified normally, and endosome and lysosome marker proteins were recruited to phagosomes with similar kinetics in the presence or absence of the a3 subunit. Further experiments used macrophages with a knockdown of v-ATPase accessory protein 2 (ATP6AP2) expression, resulting in a strongly reduced level of the V₀ sector of the v-ATPase. However, acidification appeared undisturbed, and fusion between latex bead-containing phagosomes and lysosomes, as analyzed by electron microscopy, was even slightly enhanced, as was killing of non-pathogenic bacteria by V₀ mutant macrophages. Pharmacologically neutralized lysosome pH did not affect maturation of phagosomes in mouse embryonic cells or macrophages. Finally, locking the two large parts of the v-ATPase complex together by the drug saliphenylhalamide A did not inhibit in vitro and in cellulo fusion of phagosomes with lysosomes. Hence, our data do not suggest a fusion-promoting role of the v-ATPase in the formation of phagolysosomes.     

原生质体融合子代的筛选和鉴定

介绍了绿色木霉N6和黑曲霉856原生质体融合子代的研究。经传代、发酵、筛选,从11株初筛的融合子中得到了3株纤维素酶活高且稳定的菌株AT23、AT16、AT34,其CMC酶活分别为亲本绿色木霉N6的2．2倍、1．4倍、1．2倍。并对其进行制霉菌素抗性试验和可溶性蛋白质凝胶电泳分析鉴定。试验结果证明了AT23、AT16、AT34是基因发生了重组的融合子且具有杂种优势。     

烟草花粉原生质体与叶肉原生质体的融合及培养早期变化

用ＰＥＧ—高Ｃａ高ＰＨ法诱导抗卡那霉素的烟草（Ｎｉｃｏｔｉａｎａｔａｂａｃｕｍ）品系Ｎ３６４＋Ｋｍ＋花粉原生质体和黄花烟草（Ｎｉｃｏｔｉａｒｕｓｔｉｃａ）叶肉原生质体融合。幼嫩花粉原生质体和叶肉原生质体之间的融合体培养启动胚胎发生分裂,经卡那霉素筛选后,少数多细胞团存活并形成小愈伤组织。成熟花粉原生质体与叶肉原生质体之间的融合体则仅产生管状结构。这一结果表明,作为融合一方的花粉原生质体的发育时期对融合产物的发育途径有重要影响。     

Electrorotation of Oat Protoplasts before and after Fusion

This paper describes an experimental chamber suitable for inducingcell fusion by an electric field and for measuring the rotationalbehaviour of single protoplasts and fusion products in high-frequencyrotating fields. Intact protoplasts from Avena sativa L. leavesrotate before, during and after fusion, as demonstrated by therotation spectra of cells. The electrorotation technique allowselectrical properties of fused cells to be examined within asecond after applying the fusion pulse. (Received June 23, 1986; Accepted June 19, 1987)     

Regeneration and Fusion of Mycelial Protoplasts of Tricholoma matsutake

The Hill-reaction inhibitory activity of 30 derivatives of 2-difluoromethylthio-1,3,5-triazine was determined using chlorella. The structure-activity relationships were analyzed using the hydrophobic parameter (log P), the electronic substituent constant (c) and the steric substituent constant (Es). The Hill-reaction inhibitory activity showed a parabolic relationship to log P and the steric substituent parameters at 4,6-dialkylamino- positions in the triazine ring. The equation revealed that optimum hydrophobicity and size of the substituents were necessary for high activity.     

Polyethylene Glycol Induced Fusion of Selected Pairs of Single Protoplasts

A new method for polyethylene glycol (PEG) -induced fusion between single pairs of selected protoplasts was developed. The protoplasts were prepared from tobacco leaves. Under an inverted microscope two defined protoplasts were selected with a hand-made micropipette and transferred into a droplet of fusion solution containing 25 % PEG (M. W. 6000), 0. 1 mol/L mannitol and 0. 01 mol/L CaCl2 · 2H2O (pH 5.6). Slightly moving the pipette caused the protoplasts to contact and adhere to each other, the fusion pairs were then transferred to a solution containing 10% PEG, 0.35 mol/L sucrose and 0. 01 mol/L CaCl2 · 2H2O (pH 5.6) for approximately 10 min, followed by subsequent washing with a solution containing 0.45 mol/L sucrose and 0.04 mol/L CaC12 · 2H20 (pH 7—9). Compared with conventional fusion methods adopted to protoplast population, the present method can avoid either blind fusion of protoplasts belonging to one partner and fusion among multiple protoplasts, or the presence of unfused protoplasts, thus ensure the fusion to be precisely at the level of a selected pair of single protoplasts. Moreover, it is simple and convenient enough to show its potentiality for wide application in somatic hybridization and particularly in the case of small quantity of parental protoplasts such as in vitro intergametic fusion studies.     

林肯链霉菌双亲灭活原生质体融合的研究

分别以紫外线、热灭活林肯链霉菌 94 7和 95 0 2原生质体 ,然后进行灭活双亲的原生质体融合 ,从 1 6株融合子筛选到林肯霉素高产株。用双亲的互补营养缺陷型对林肯链霉菌原生质体的制备、融合、再生的部分条件进行了研究。发现含 0 .4 %Gly和 34 %蔗糖的SM培养基最适于实验菌株原生质体的制备、再生。聚乙二醇 (PEG)分子量对原生质体融合影响不大 ,其在P缓冲液中的浓度却很重要。含 5 0 %PEG的P缓冲液最有利于原生质体融合     

豌豆根瘤菌与新疆中华银瘤菌原生质体的属间隔合研究

以青霉素和氯霉素分别作为Rhizobium leguminosoum USDA2370和Sinorhizobium xinjiangnesis CCBAU110)的抗药性标记。利用原生质体融合技术,成功地获得了USDA2370和CCBAU110的属间隔合菌株。该融合菌株可分别在双亲寄主植物上结瘤。融合菌株在细菌形态、大小、菌落特征及蛋白质电泳图谱上与亲本菌株均有所不同。融合菌株与USDA23703的DNA同源性为56．6％,而与CCBAU110的DNA同源性为10．2％。     

豌豆根瘤菌与新疆中华根瘤菌原生质体的属间融合研究

以青霉素和氯霉素分别作为RhizobiumleguminosorumUSDA2 370和SinorhizobiumxinjiangnesisCCBAU110的抗药性标记。利用原生质体融合技术 ,成功地获得了USDA2-370和CCBAU110的属间融合菌株。该融合菌株可分别在双亲寄主植物上结瘤。融合菌株在细胞形态、大小、菌落特征及蛋白质电泳图谱上与亲本菌株均有所不同。融合菌株与USDA2-370的DNA同源性为 5.66 % ,而与CCBAU110的DNA同源性为10.2 %。     

Osmocytosis and Vacuolar Fragmentation in Guard Cell Protoplasts: Their Relevance to Osmotically-lnduced Volume Changes in Guard Cells

Guard cell protoplasts were prepared from young leaves of peaplants. Under hypertonic conditions they shrink and large numbersof endocytotic (‘osmocytotic’) vacuoles are formedby invagination of the plasma membrane. In thin section theseare indistinguishable from other small vacuoles (‘mini-vacuoles’)which are formed by fragmentation of the large central vacuole.However, the two types of vacuole can be individually recognizedby labelling the central vacuole with neutral red and by performingthe osmotic shrinkage with fluorochromes such as Lucifer Yellow-CHor Cascade Blue present in the extracellular medium. Osmocytoticvacuoles do not fuse with the plasma membrane nor with the mini-vacuolesduring a subsequent swelling phase. After several hours, osmocytosedLucifer Yellow gradually leaks out of the endocytotic vacuoleswhen protoplasts are returned to hypotonic conditions. Thisleakage is not prevented by probenecid at concentrations (20–50mmol m^–3) which do not give rise to pathological changesin protoplast ultrastructure. In order to determine the relevanceof these observations to the situation in planta, intact guardcells in epidermal strips were first allowed to accumulate neutralred in their vacuoles and then subjected to osmotic shrinkagein the presence of external Lucifer Yellow. Osmocytotic vacuoleswere not formed, although the production of mini-vacuoles wasfrequently observed. Key words: Guard cell protoplasts, fluid phase markers, Pisum sativum, probenecid, osmocytosis, shrinkage-swelling cycles     

Promotion by Calcium Ions and Cytochalasin D of the Rounding Up Process (Spherulation) of Electrofused Barley Protoplasts and its Relation to the Cytoskeleton

Various agents were tested for the effects on both the electrofusionand the subsequent rounding up (spherulation) of fused protoplastsfrom barley (Hordeum vulgare var. Moor). The microfilament (MF)inhibitor, cytochalasin D (CD), had no effect on the frequencyof fusion, but greatly increased the frequency of spherulation.The effects of CD were rapid, long-lived and maximal at 2 to10 mmol m^–3. Ca²⁺ also promoted spherulation of fusionproducts, whereas phalloidin and the calcium inonophore A₂₃₁₈₇completely abolished the effect of both CD and Ca²⁺. An internalCa²⁺ antagonist, 8-(diethylamino)octyl 3, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzoate(TMB8) at 50 mmol m^–3 also inhibited spherulation withoutaffecting the frequency of fusion and CD could almost completelyreverse its effects. The effects of CD persisted for up to 1h after its removal, whereas the effects of Ca²⁺ and TMB8 wereexerted at the beginning of incubation and were immediatelyabolished by washing. These results indicate that the effectof Ca²⁺ on the formation of spherical fusion products is closelycorrelated with the status of the microfilaments and that theinternal Ca²⁺ concentration and, perhaps, its transient changewhich affects the MF, are intimately involved in the process. Key words: Cytoskeleton, electrofusion, calcium effect     

A Dual Microscopy-Based Assay To Assess Listeria monocytogenes Cellular Entry and Vacuolar Escape

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacterium and a facultative intracellular pathogen that invades mammalian cells, disrupts its internalization vacuole, and proliferates in the host cell cytoplasm. Here, we describe a novel image-based microscopy assay that allows discrimination between cellular entry and vacuolar escape, enabling high-content screening to identify factors specifically involved in these two steps. We first generated L. monocytogenes and Listeria innocua strains expressing a β-lactamase covalently attached to the bacterial cell wall. These strains were then incubated with HeLa cells containing the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) probe CCF4 in their cytoplasm. The CCF4 probe was cleaved by the bacterial surface β-lactamase only in cells inoculated with L. monocytogenes but not those inoculated with L. innocua, thereby demonstrating bacterial access to the host cytoplasm. Subsequently, we performed differential immunofluorescence staining to distinguish extracellular versus total bacterial populations in samples that were also analyzed by the FRET-based assay. With this two-step analysis, bacterial entry can be distinguished from vacuolar rupture in a single experiment. Our novel approach represents a powerful tool for identifying factors that determine the intracellular niche of L. monocytogenes.     

平菇与香菇属间原生质体融合的研究

通过分离和出菇试验,获得了纯化的平菇(Pleurotus sapidus)和香菇(Lentinus edodes)单孢系。用溶壁酶去细胞壁制备成原生质体。以PEG为融合诱导剂,诱导两者原生质体融合。1988年获得了可以出菇的融合子。这些融合子形成的子实体,从形态、生长习性和菌伞的颜色特征上都与双亲有明显的差异。大部分氨基酸含量介于双亲之间。同功酶分析也显示出融合子呈现与双亲不同的酶带。融合子出现的上述新性状,可能是平菇与香菇的原生质体基因重组的结果。     

Single-Pair Fusion of Various Combinations Between Female Gametoplasts and Other Protoplasts in Nicotiana tabacum

This paper reports an enzymatic maceration-osmotic shock method for isolation of tobacco embryo sac and its component cell protoplasts, and also a new method for fusion between single pairs of selected mesophyll protoplasts using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as on inducing agent. An integration of these two methods has led to the successful fusion of female gametoplasts with other kinds of protoplasts. The female gametoplasts described here, in a broad sense, include the egg cell (E), central cell (C) and synergid (S). One of the female gametoplasts was selected and fused with another female, male (generative cell, G) or somatic (mesophyll, M)protoplast. Various combinations were involved: E+S, E+C, E +G, E+M, C+C, C+S, C+G, C+M, S+S, S+G, S+M, etc. Briefly, the authors were able to choose any desired combination to realize single-pair fusion by the new PEG method. For the purpose of culturing such fusion products that were limited in number, the authors had done some preliminary experimets using mesophyll protoplasts as feeder cells. Two methods were adopted: the microdrop culture, and the millicell culture with feeder cells. The mesophyll protoplasts were precultured for 2—3 days in large for population expansion before they were used as feeder cells. One or several protoplasts were cultured in a microdrop or a millicell and were induced formation of small cell clusters. This result indicated that the culture methods might also be suitable for culturing the products from fusion of female gametoplasts and other protoplasts in this plant species.     

Highly Efficient Mutagenesis of Claviceps purpurea by Using Protoplasts

Claviceps purpurea ATCC 20102, which is aconidial under laboratory conditions, was grown in submerged culture in the presence of mutagens and various nutritional additives. Protoplasts from such cultures were prepared and regenerated on solid medium to obtain colonies from single cell units. Frequencies of auxotrophs and high alkaloid producers were on the order of 1 to 2%. Some of the auxotrophic mutants derived from strain ATCC 20102 were constantly segregating prototrophs. High-alkaloid-producing derivatives showed sclerotia-like morphology and violet-brown pigmentation, in contrast to the parent strain; some of them also showed segregation sectors when grown as giant colonies. Mutagenesis of strain 1029, isolated during this study and having an increased level of alkaloid synthesis and sclerotia-like cell morphology, was done in the same fashion as with the original parent strain, ATCC 20102. Mutants obtained from this strain were all stable with respect to their genotypes. However, a large proportion of colonies derived from regenerated protoplasts, even in the mutagen-free controls, showed a lowered level of alkaloid production and were morphologically more similar to the original wild type, ATCC 20102. The influence of protoplast preparation or regeneration or both on the stability of genes involved in differentiation is discussed.     

Transient and Permanent Fusion of Vesicles in Zea mays Coleoptile Protoplasts Measured in the Cell-attached Configuration

Exocytosis in protoplasts from Zea mays L. coleoptiles was studied using patch-clamp techniques. Fusion of individual vesicles with the plasma membrane was monitored as a step increase of the membrane capacitance (C _m ). Vesicle fusion was observed as (i) An irreversible step increase in C _m . (ii) Occasionally, irreversible C _m steps were preceded by transient changes in C _m , suggesting that the electrical connection between the vesicle with the plasma membrane opens and closes reversibly before full connection is achieved. (iii) Most frequently, however, stepwise transient changes in C _m did not lead to an irreversible C _m step. Within one patch of membrane capacitance steps due to transient and irreversible fusions were of similar amplitude. This suggests that the exocytosis events do not result from the fusion of vesicles with different sizes but are due to kinetically different states in a fusion process of the same vesicle type. The dwell time histogram of the transient fusion events peaked at about 100 msec. Fusion can be described with a circular three-state model for the fusion process of two fused states and one nonfused state. It predicts that energy input is required to drive the system into a prevailing direction. Received: 27 August 1999/Revised: 28 October 1999