OBSERVATIONS ON THE FINE STRUCTURE OF LUTEIN CELLS : II. The Effects of Hypophysectomy and Mammotrophic Hormone in the Rat

Corpus luteum formation was induced in 26-day-old rats which were subsequently hypophysectomized and injected with mammotrophic hormone (MH, LTH). Sections of corpora lutea from these animals were examined with the electron microscope and compared with similarly prepared (Caulfield's fixed, Araldite embedded) corpora from normal pregnancy and from controls, the latter consisting of corpora prior to hypophysectomy and corpora from uninjected rats 7 to 14 days after hypophysectomy. Lutein cells from corpora lutea of injected animals and of normal pregnancy are characterized by abundant, tortuous, tubular agranular endoplasmic reticulum and by mitochondria, many of which are disc-shaped with dense matrices and both villiform and lamelliform cristae. The endoplasmic reticulum is most abundant in lutein cells from pregnant animals, in which cells it is in the form of thin, highly tortuous tubules. The form of the lipid droplets seen in cells of stimulated animals varies greatly. Marginal foldings of the lutein cells on the perivascular space were found in all instances. Lutein cells from hypophysectomized animals have a less highly developed agranular endoplasmic reticulum. The mitochondria have irregular outlines and a relatively lucid matrix. The lipid droplets in these cells show less tendency to be extracted, but are not so large or abundant as in the cells of onset controls. Granules believed to contain lipid pigments are common in the lutein cells of these control animals. It is suggested that lutein cells from corpora lutea which are actively secreting progesterone may be readily distinguished from lutein cells from non-active corpora by means of the multiple characteristics enumerated. It is further suggested that mammotrophic hormone has a general effect on the metabolism of lutein cells rather than solely affecting a specific organelle, the abundance or composition of which may be the limiting factor in the production of progesterone.     

OBSERVATIONS ON MITOCHONDRIAL STRUCTURE : Angular Configurations of the Cristae

This paper reports the common occurrence of creases or sharp ridges on the membranes of the mitochondrial cristae. In section these appear as sharp angulations recurring at more or less regular intervals along the profile of the crista. In instances where such angulations occur alternately on one membrane and then on the other, the crista has a zig-zag course. Where they occur at the end of a crista its profile has a square tip. An exaggerated expression of this tendency for angulation of the internal mitochondrial membranes is found in certain bat muscles where some of the cristae take the form of parallel bundles of prismatic tubules which are triangular in cross-section. Angular configurations of the cristae have been observed after various methods of specimen preparation, in a variety of cell types, and in a wide range of animal species. They are believed to be a normal variation of the basic structural organization of the mitochondrion and to be the morphological expression of a property which the internal mitochondrial membranes do not share with other membranes in the cell.     

THE FINE STRUCTURE OF CHONDROCOCCUS COLUMNARIS : I. Structure and Formation of Mesosomes

Cells of Chondrococcus columnaris were sectioned and examined in the electron microscope after fixation by two different methods. After fixation with osmium tetroxide alone, the surface layers of the cells consisted of a plasma membrane, a dense layer (mucopeptide layer), and an outer unit membrane. The outer membrane appeared distorted and was widely separated from the rest of the cell. The intracytoplasmic membranes (mesosomes) appeared as convoluted tubules packaged up within the cytoplasm by a unit membrane. The unit membrane surrounding the tubules was continuous with the plasma membrane. When the cells were fixed with glutaraldehyde prior to fixation with osmium tetroxide, the outer membrane was not distorted and separated from the rest of the cell, structural elements (peripheral fibrils) were seen situated between the outer membrane and dense layer, and the mesosomes appeared as highly organized structures produced by the invagination and proliferation of the plasma membrane. The mesosomes were made up of a series of compound membranes bounded by unit membranes. The compound membranes were formed by the union of two unit membranes along their cytoplasmic surfaces.     

THE FINE STRUCTURE OF CHONDROCOCCUS COLUMNARIS : II. Structure and Formation of Rhapidosomes

When cells of C. columnaris were broken open, treated with PTA, and examined in the electron microscope, tubular structures (rhapidosomes) were present in the preparations. The rhapidosomes are approximately 300 A in diameter. Their length varies from about 500 to about 15,000 A. An axial hole which runs the length of the rhapidosomes appears to widen and narrow with a regular periodicity. End-on views of short segments of rhapidosomes revealed the presence of subunits around their outside peripheries. The results of studies of lysed cells and of sectioned cells indicate that the rhapidosomes are produced during the disintegration of cells. It seems likely that the compound membranes of the mesosomes break down to give rise to the tubular structures. The mesosomal origin of rhapidosomes is postulated only for the rhapidosomes of C. columnaris, since the origin of rhapidosomes from other organisms was not investigated during this study. The rhapidosomes of C. columnaris may be unrelated to those of S. grandis, S. myxococcoides, A. violaceum, and Sorangium 495, since there was a difference in the details of fine structure between rhapidosomes from C. columnaris and those found in the other four organisms.     

STUDIES ON THE BIOCHEMISTRY AND FINE STRUCTURE OF SILICA SHELL FORMATION IN DIATOMS : I. The Structure of the Cell Wall of Cylindrotheca fusiformis Reimann and Lewin

An electron microscope study on the cell wall of the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis was carried out using stereoscopic and sectioning techniques. Material prepared by an enzyme treatment or by a mechanical method showed that the wall consists of two major components: a silica shell and organic material. Vapor of hydrofluoric acid was employed to remove the silica and thereby reveal the arrangement of the organic material. An attempt was made to increase the contrast of the organic component by "staining." Uranylacetate not only increased the electron opacity of the organic material but also apparently decreased the electron opacity of the silica shell. In ultrathin sections of complete cells, the structure as revealed by stereoscopy could be confirmed and extended. Every part of the silica shell is tightly enclosed by organic material. In the valve region the silica enclosed in this way is located between other layers of organic material. The whole cell wall is surrounded by a mucilaginous substance which stains with ruthenium red.     

The Relationship Between Structure and Activity Among Opioid Peptides

Summary Since the discovery and isolation of the endogenous opioid peptides Leu- and Met-enkephalin, structural studies have been focused on deducing the bioactive conformation of the peptide ligands. Theoretically, linear peptides can have many different backbone conformations, yet early, X-ray studies on enkephalin and its analogues showed only two different backbone conformations: extended and single β-bend. More recent reports include a third conformation for Leu-enkephalin and constrained opioid peptides from two ‘new’ classes (i.e. cyclic and ‘allaromatic’ peptides). In this report the relationship between solid-state X-ray structure and opioid peptide activity is examined. The N-terminal amine nitrogen and the two aromatic rings have previously been identified as structural features important to the biological activity of opioid peptides. From X-ray studies we find that the distances between the centroids of the aromatic rings, and between the N-terminal amine nitrogen and the centroid of the phenylalanine ring, vary over a large range. There is a discernible relationship, however, between the separation of the two rings and their orientation that correlates with activity.     

The Relationship Between Structure and Activity Among Opioid Peptides

Since the discovery and isolation of the endogenous opioid peptides Leu- and Met-enkephalin, structural studies have been focused on deducing the bioactive conformation of the peptide ligands. Theoretically, linear peptides can have many different backbone conformations, yet early X-ray studies on enkephalin and its analogues showed only two different backbone conformations: extended and single -bend. More recent reports include a third conformation for Leu-enkephalin and constrained opioid peptides from two new classes (i.e. cyclic and all-aromatic peptides). In this report the relationship between solid-state X-ray structure and opioid peptide activity is examined. The N-terminal amine nitrogen and the two aromatic rings have previously been identified as structural features important to the biological activity of opioid peptides. From X-ray studies we find that the distances between the centroids of the aromatic rings, and between the N-terminal amine nitrogen and the centroid of the phenylalanine ring, vary over a large range. There is a discernible relationship, however, between the separation of the two rings and their orientation that correlates with activity.     

纳米抗体的稳定性及其结构基础研究进展

驼类纳米抗体结构简单、易于改造,且具有低免疫原性、高稳定性、高特异性、高亲和力等特点,因而具有广泛的应用前景。纳米抗体的优势之一在于其具有较高的稳定性,比常规抗体更易于储藏和运输,甚至在高温、化学和压力等极端条件下变性后仍可有效地重折叠并恢复其抗原亲和力。本文综述了纳米抗体稳定性与其结构基础方面的研究进展,阐述了纳米抗体氨基酸序列、二硫键、结构域等与其稳定性的关系,揭示了高度稳定性的纳米抗体普遍具有的结构特征。基于这些结构特征,讨论了几种纳米抗体的稳定性优化策略,包括共有序列驱动的序列修复、替换易于修饰的氨基酸、净蛋白质电荷的改变、非天然二硫键的引入以及CDR超变区的移植。预期对纳米抗体的稳定性调控提供理论指导,以拓展其作为治疗药物、诊断试剂和生物传感器等方面的应用。     

微管微丝交联因子1的结构与功能

微管微丝交联因子1(microtubule actin cross-linking factor 1,MACF1)是一种新的细胞骨架交联蛋白,属于血影斑蛋白(spectraplakin)家族成员之一,包含3个基本结构域即N末端结构域、杆状结构域及C末端结构域.其主要功能是交联微丝微管细胞骨架,参与细胞信号转导、蛋白质运输、胚胎发育以及疾病发生等过程.近年来,MACF1在细胞骨架动力学过程中的作用备受关注.现就该分子的结构与功能的最新研究进展进行综述.     

The Extrafloral Nectaries of Cotton: I. FINE STRUCTURE OF THE SECRETORY PAPILLAE

The fine structure of the secretory papillae of the extrafloralnectaries of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is described. The cellscontain a dense cytoplasm with the rough endoplasmic reticulumbeing particularly prominent. The cuticle covering the papillaehas a typical two-layered appearance and is detached from thewall in secretory cells. With maturity, the lateral walls ofthe stalk cell at the base of each papilla become impregnatedwith cuticle-like electron-opaque material. The frequency anddistribution of plasmodesmata have been estimated in all wallsof the papillae. The periclinal walls are traversed by numerousplasmodesmata (about 16 per µ m² in the distal wall ofthe stalk cell) which, in general, change from a simple to amore complicated structure during nectary development. The resultsare discussed in relation to the role of the ER in nectar secretionand are considered to support the view that pre-nectar followsa symplastic pathway from the phloem to the secretory cells. Key words: Gossypium hirsutum, Secretory papillae, Nectary     

Structure of kinetochore fibers: Microtubule continuity and inter-microtubule bridges

To understand how microtubules interact in forming the mitotic apparatus and orienting and moving chromosomes, the precise arrangement of microtubules in kinetochore fibers in Chinese hamster ovary cells was examined. Individual microtubules were traced, using high voltage electron microscopy of serial 0.25 m sections, from the kinetochore toward the pole. Microtubule arrangement in kinetochore fibers in untreated mitotic cells and in cells recovering from Colcemid arrest were similar in two respects: the number of microtubules per kinetochore (mean 14 and 12, respectively) and the nearest neighbor intermicrotubule distance (mean90 nm). In Colcemid recovered cells, over 90% of the microtubules in kinetochore fibers were attached to the kinetochore (i.e. kinetochore microtubules) and extended most or all of the distance to the pole. Few free microtubules were present in the kinetochore fibers; most non-kinetochore microtubles terminated in the pole. Since kinetochores in this Colcemid-recovered system have been demonstrated to nucleate microtubules (Witt et al., 1980), it seems likely that most if not all of these kinetochore microtubules originated at the kinetochore. Some of the reconstructed kinetochore fibers were attached to chromosomes with bipolar orientation, suggesting that kinetochore microtubules need not interact with many polar microtubules for orientation to occur. In Colcemid recovered cells lysed to reduce cytoplasmic background, microtubules in kinetochore fibers were preferentially preserved. The parallel and near-hexagonal order typical of microtubules in kinetochore fibers was maintained, as was the number of kinetochore microtubules (mean, 13). The intermicrotubule distance was slightly reduced in lysed cells (mean, 60 nm). Crossbridges about 5 nm wide and 30–40 nm long were visible in kinetochore fibers of lysed cells. Such crossbridges probably contribute to the stabilization and parallel order of microtubules in kinetochore fibers, and may have a functional role as well.     

THE FINE STRUCTURE OF CHONDROCOCCUS COLUMNARIS : III. The Surface Layers of Chondrococcus columnaris

An electron microscope study of the myxobacterium Chondrococcus columnaris has revealed the following structures in the peripheral layers of the cells: (1) a plasma membrane, (2) a single dense layer (probably the mucopeptide component of the cell wall), (3) peripheral fibrils, (4) an outer membrane, and (5) a material coating the surfaces of the cells which could be stained with the dye ruthenium red.The ruthenium red-positive material is probably an acid mucopolysaccharide and may be involved in the adhesive properties of the cells. The outer membrane and plasma membrane both have the appearance of unit membranes: an electron-translucent layer sandwiched between two electron-opaque layers. The peripheral fibrils span the gap between the outer membrane and the mucopeptide layer, a distance of about 100 A, and run parallel to each other along the length of the cell. The fibrils appear to be continuous across the ends of the cells. The location of these fibrillar structures suggests that they may play a role in the gliding motility of these bacteria.     

Relationship Between Structure and Mechanical Function of the Tissues of the Intervertebral Joint

This paper reviews our current understanding of the relationshipbetween the structures and properties of the tissues of thespine and their mechanical functions. Emphasis is on the humanlumbar spine. Vertebrae consist of a core of cancellous bone(low density) surrounded by a shell of cortical bone (high stiffness);as a result they have high stiffness but low mass. The intervertebraldisc is able to withstand compression because of the swellingpressure exerted by the nucleus pulposus which is constrained,radially, by the annulus fibrosus. Thus the disc acts as a thick-walledpressure vessel. Collagen fibers within the annulus providereinforcement during compression, bending and torsion of thedisc. Collagen fibers also provide tensile reinforcement andprevent tears spreading across ligaments. The ligamenta flavacontain elastic fibers (low stiffness and low strength) withcollagen fibers (high stiffness and high strength). In the unstretchedligamenta flava, the collagen fibers have almost random orientationsbut they become aligned as the ligament is stretched. This structureenables the high extensibility of elastic fibers to be exploitedbut protects them from damage at high strains. The structureof the interspinous ligament suggests that its main functionis to attach the thoracolumbar fascia to the posterior spine.Thus the fascia is maintained in tension when stretched by theabdominal muscles. This and other observations indicate theimportance of muscles for maintaining the stability of the spinalcolumn.     

Relationship Between Chemical Structure and Antileishmanial Effect of Sinefungine Analogues

Abstract

The synthesis of various analogues of sinefungin (l), having structures 2-5, has been developed by means of an original approach which uses radical chemistry. The study of their biological activities revealed that for the antileishmanial effect of sinefungin, the presence of the amino group at C-6′ in the (S)-configuration and the presence of the carboxyl group at C-9′ are necessary.     

REGULATION OF MICROTUBULES IN TETRAHYMENA : II. Relation Between Turnover of Microtubule Proteins and Microtubule Dissociation and Assembly during Oral Replacement

Experiments are reported which were designed to test for induced synthesis of microtubule proteins associated with the rapid proliferation of basal bodies and associated intracytoplasmic microtubules which occurs during oral replacement in Tetrahymena. None was found. Instead, it is shown that these structures can be formed with de novo synthesis of as little as 6% of their microtubule proteins. It is suggested that basal body proliferation may be controlled by synthesis of morphogenetic regulator proteins.     

THE FINE STRUCTURE OF STREPTOMYCES VIOLACEORUBER (S. COELICOLOR) : III. The Walls of the Mycelium and Spores

A study of thin sections of hyphae of Streptomyces violaceoruber in the electron microscope showed that the structure of the walls and the mode of formation of cross-walls are similar to those of Gram-positive bacteria. A beaded structure was seen in some regions of the wall, and the significance of this observation is discussed in relation to previous studies of the fine structure of bacterial cell walls. Elements of the intracytoplasmic membrane system appear to be involved in the process of cross-wall formation. The walls of the hyphae of the aerial mycelium divide into two layers before the spores are formed, and only the inner component of the wall grows inwards to form the cross-walls and so delimit the spores. The outer component remains intact for a time and acts as a sheath around the developing spores. Finally the sheath breaks and the spores are liberated. This process is contrasted with the formation of endospores in eubacteria. When the spores germinate, the walls of the germ tubes are continuous with those of the spores.     

The Balance Between τ Protein's Microtubule Growth and Nucleation Activities: Implications for the Formation of Axonal Microtubules

Abstract: The microtubule-associated protein τ is found primarily in neuronal tissues and is highly enriched in the axon. It promotes microtubule assembly in vitro and stabilizes microtubules in cells. To study how τ protein might be involved in the unique features of axonal microtubules, we have analyzed the effect of E. coli -synthesized τ protein using an in vitro centrosome-mediated microtubule regrowth assay over a wide range of τ/tubulin ratios. We report that microtubule assembly promoted by τ protein exhibits characteristic changes dependent on the τ/tubulin ratio. Above a threshold level, nucleation of new microtubules is favored over growth of existing ones, τ isoform variation does not change this phase transition in microtubule assembly. We discuss how τ might participate in the elaboration of axonal morphology based on our results and present evidence that the phase transition from microtubule growth to nucleation is critical for axonal development.     

The Vocal Repertoire of Golden-Faced Sakis,Pithecia chrysocephala,and the Relationship Between Context and Call Structure

International Journal of Primatology - Vocalizations are a vital form of communication. Call structure and use may change depending on emotional arousal, behavioral context, sex, or social...