Myoblast-mediated fusion-injection: a new technique for introduction of macromolecules specifically into living skeletal muscle cells

A new technique for the introduction of macromolecules specifically into living skeletal muscle cells has been developed by a modification of the red blood cell ghost-mediated fusion-injection technique [M. Furusawa (1980) Int. Rev. Cytol. 62, 29-67]. Fluorescein-labeled bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) was introduced into chicken skeletal muscle myoblasts by the human red blood cell-mediated fusion-injection method in the presence of polyethylene glycol. Myoblasts loaded with FITC-BSA were then purified by a fluorescence cell sorter and cocultured with myotubes. Specific cell fusion between myoblasts and myotubes occurred under normal culture conditions and BSA was successfully introduced into living myotubes. This technique may provide a new method not only for the study of a given macromolecule's function in living muscle cells but also for therapeutic purposes such as muscle-specific drug delivery.     

A sensitive method to introduce membrane-bound proteins into recipient cells based on affinity enrichment of lipid vesicles to the recipient cell prior to fusion

A sensitive analytical procedure for studying membrane-bound structures has been developed. Membrane glycoproteins inserted into liposomes were transferred to recipient cells by use of a lectin, concanavalin A, bound to the cells as a bridge to generate proximity between the recipient cell and the glycoprotein-containing liposome, prior to exposure to the fusing agent, poly(ethylene glycol). Partially purified histocompatibility antigen from rats was introduced into the membrane of human lymphocytes. After treating the cells with poly(ethylene glycol) under fusion conditions, some of the antigen present in the preparation could not be eluted with alpha-methyl mannoside and EDTA, indicating that incorporation in the cell membrane had taken place. This antigen remained exposed on the lymphocyte surface for approximately 1 h as demonstrated by sensitivity of the lymphocytes to the lytic effect of an antiserum to the histocompatibility antigen in the presence of complement. Some of the lectin molecules seemed to be internalized in the cells but no induction of cell mitosis was observed. The described method gives an opportunity to work with small amounts of membrane proteins inserted into liposomes, introducing them into recipient cells for analysis of their biological activities.     

Quantitative introduction of a given macromolecule into cells by fusion with erythrocyte ghosts using a fluorescence activated cell sorter.

FITC-conjugated bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) molecules were quantitatively introduced into human erythrocyte ghosts by gradual hemolysis. When the ghosts and L cells were fused with UV-inactivated HVJ (Sendai virus), FITC-BSA was introduced into the cytoplasm of the L cells and fluorescence could be observed inthe cells with a fluorescence microscope. A mixture of L cells and ghosts was introduced into a fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS), which could separate the mononuclear cells on the basis of their light-scattering profile. Four distinct populations of mononuclear cells were found by fluorescence analysis. These populations were separated from the cell mixture and found to correspond to cells fused with one, two and three ghosts and unfused cells. After separation, the cells from each population could form colonies in culture. As a given macromolecule can be quantitatively introduced into erythrocyte ghosts with the FITC-BSA, after fusion of these ghosts with cells, this sorting method is useful for separating cells containing a definite number of macromolecules.     

Plasmids containing mouse rDNA do not recombine with cellular ribosomal genes when introduced into cultured mouse cells.

We have examined the fate of plasmids containing a segment of a mouse rDNA repeat after they were introduced by transfection into cultured mouse cells. In addition to the rDNA segment, the plasmids contained the thymidine kinase gene from herpes simplex virus 1 to allow for selection of the plasmid after transfection into thymidine kinase-deficient mouse cells. Thus far, no cases of homologous recombination between transfected plasmid DNAs and host cell sequences have been documented. We reasoned that the high repetition frequency of the rRNA genes in the mouse genome (200 copies per diploid cell) might create a favorable situation for obtaining homologous recombination events between the plasmids containing rDNA and host cell rDNA sequences. The plasmids were introduced into cells in both the presence and the absence of carrier DNA and both as covalently closed circles and linear molecules. The sites of plasmid integration in the genomes of various cell lines were examined by DNA restriction digests and hybridization, molecular cloning, and nuclear fractionation. In the seven cell lines examined, there was no evidence that the plasmids had integrated into the rRNA gene clusters of the cell. Thus, the apparent absence of site-specific integration of cloned DNAs introduced into mammalian cells does not appear to be due simply to the small target presented by most host cell sequences.     

Genetic transformation of Bacillus brevis 47, a protein-secreting bacterium, by plasmid DNA.

A method has been developed for introducing plasmid DNA into Bacillus brevis 47, a protein-secreting bacterium. Treatment of B. brevis 47 cells with 50 mM Tris-hydrochloride buffer of alkaline pH was effective for inducing DNA uptake competence. In the presence of polyethylene glycol, the Tris-treated cells incorporated plasmid DNA with a frequency of 10(-4) (transformants per viable cell) when 1 microgram of plasmid DNA was added to 10(9) Tris-treated cells. The pH of Tris-hydrochloride buffer as well as the concentration and molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol affected the transformation frequency. The growth phase of B. brevis 47 cells strongly influenced the frequency. Two plasmids, pHW1 and pUB110, have been introduced into B. brevis 47 by this method. The mechanism of induction of competence for DNA uptake in connection with removal of the outer two protein layers of the cell wall by treatment of B. brevis 47 cells with Tris-hydrochloride buffer is discussed.     

Reduced cell surface expression of processed human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein in the presence of Nef.

nef genes from two laboratory grown human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) strains and from two proviruses that had not been propagated in vitro were introduced into CD4+ lymphoblastoid CEM cells. The stable expression of all four Nef proteins was associated with an almost complete abrogation of CD4 cell surface localization. The consequences of the presence of Nef on gp160 cleavage, gp120 surface localization, and envelope-induced cytopathic effect were examined in CEM cells in which the HIV-1 env gene was expressed from a vaccinia virus vector. The presence of Nef did not modify the processing of gp160 into its subunits but resulted in a significant decrease of cell surface levels of gp120, associated with a dramatic reduction of the fusion-mediated cell death. Surface levels of mutant envelope glycoproteins unable to bind CD4 were not altered in Nef-expressing cells, suggesting that the phenomenon was CD4 dependent. The intracellular accumulation of fully processed envelope glycoproteins could significantly delay the cytopathic effect associated with envelope surface expression in HIV-infected cells and may be relevant to the selective advantage associated with Nef during the in vivo infectious process.     

Expansion of transgenic tobacco protoplasts expressing pumpkin ascorbate oxidase is more rapid than that of wild-type protoplasts

 When pumpkin (Cucurbita spp., cv. Ebisu Nankin) ascorbate oxidase cDNA was introduced into cultured cells of tobacco BY-2 (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Bright Yellow No. 2) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, the transgenic cells expressed and secreted the recombinant pumpkin ascorbate oxidase into the culture medium. These transgenic cells showed no morphological difference from wild-type cells. However, in the presence of applied hormones protoplasts prepared from the transgenic cells elongated more rapidly than those of wild-type cells. We propose that ascorbate oxidase may play a key role in the regulation of cell expansion perhaps by controlling transport processes through the plasma membrane, but not by affecting the cell wall. Received: 28 October 1999 / Accepted: 18 January 2000     

The reaction of the neuroblastoma cells in the culture on the influence of tretionine and neurotoxine

Effect of the tretionine (retinoid) and aluminum chloride (neurotoxin) on the growth and differentiation of neuroblastoma cells in culture after their introduction into the medium separately and in combination was studied. The introduction of these substances creates a new information field in the medium, which becomes apparent by the reactions of neuroblastoma found on the populational and cellular levels of its organization. The presence of tretionine stimulates proliferation and induces differentiation of the cells into astrocytes. Aluminum chloride inhibits cell proliferation and enhances the process of their destruction in the monolayer. The variety of the reactions of neuroblastoma cells to the presence of these substances in the medium indicates the existence and functioning of a mechanism that selects from the information introduced only the portion which may contribute to adaptation of neuroblastoma cells to the changed culture conditions.     

建立绿色荧光蛋白标记的小鼠胚胎干细胞系及向心肌样细胞的分化

带有GFP基因的ESD3细胞系是一个良好的可以用于研究体内和体外细胞分化和组织产生的模型。用磷酸钙共沉淀法将质粒pEGFP-N2导入小鼠胚胎干细胞D3细胞系中 ,在荧光显微镜下以 488nm激发光检查阳性克隆 ,并进行初步扩增。经G4 18筛选后 ,机械挑取EGFP强阳性表达的克隆 ,并在丝裂霉素C处理的小鼠胚胎成纤维细胞的饲养层上 ,在无选择性压力的条件下 ,进一步扩大培养 ,获得纯化的转染细胞系。20代以后 ,转染细胞仍然表达绿色荧光蛋白。PCR检测表明 8代和 18代转染细胞均携带有GFP标志基因。对稳定表达EGFP的干细胞系进行碱性磷酸酶染色、拟胚体和畸胎瘤形成的检测 ,证明这些细胞具有干细胞的特征。经拟胚体 ,可进一步分化成具有搏动能力的心肌细胞 ,分化百分率为 30 %～ 4 0 % ,较未转染细胞 60 %～ 70 %的分化率低 ,造成低分化率机制还不清楚。这些细胞在激光共聚焦显微镜下呈绿色荧光 ,免疫组化染色显示具心肌细胞特异的cTnT分子标志。该EGFP标记的干细胞系带有可进行原位、实时检测的绿色荧光 ,可应用于细胞移植和体内分化的研究.     

Transferring chromosome DNA fragments from multiple donor cells into a host strain for yeast strain improvement

Based on a common biological phenomenon - homologous recombination - a novel method was developed by transferring chromosome DNA fragments extracted from multiple donor cells into a host strain. Through this method of transferring DNA fragments, foreign DNA fragments are introduced into one host cell and multiple positive traits from multiple strains may be integrated into the host strain. We first confirmed its feasibility in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells by selecting reverse mutants to prototrophy from auxotrophic strains through receiving chromosomal DNA fragments of wild-type parental strains. We then applied this method to Saccharomyces cerevisiae to improve its ethanol and temperature tolerance. We introduced donor chromosome DNA fragments from different S. cerevisiae strains with improvements in ethanol or temperature tolerance into a common strain S. cerevisiae and obtained a strain with much superior ethanol and temperature tolerance. The results showed that the Transferring DNA Fragments method provides a new way for strain breeding.     

Introduction of exogenous DNA into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by electroporation.

The fate of exogenous DNA introduced into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by electroporation was analyzed. With single and double electrical pulses, plasmids as large as 14 kb were introduced into cells with and without intact cell walls. Within hours after introduction, exogenous plasmid DNA was associated with nuclei isolated from cells; several weeks after introduction, exogenous DNA was stably integrated into the Chlamydomonas genome. These studies establish electroporation as a method for introducing DNA, and potentially other molecules, into C. reinhardtii.     

Germline transmission and efficient DNA recombination in mouse embryonic stem cells mediated by adenoviral-Cre transduction

Following gene targeting, a loxP-neo-loxP cassette was introduced into ES cells. The presence of a selectable marker such as neo in the targeted allele may result in gene interference in flox mice or unexpected phenotypes due to genetic ambiguity in direct knockout mice. Typically, the neo cassette is selectively removed by transient expression of the Cre recombinase in targeted ES cell. However, this method involves a tedious process of selecting, expanding, and screening ES cell clones which may compromise germline competency. Here, we describe a novel method of combining adenovirus-Cre mediated gene recombination with ES gene targeting to facilitate efficient loxP-neo-loxP removal in ES cells. We demonstrate that adenovirus-Cre infected ES cells can retain their germline competency. The procedures described here facilitate a rapid genetic manipulation of ES cells to obtain neo-free knockout animals, multiple gene targeting, homozygous mutant ES cells ideal for in vitro characterization, or Rag-deficient blastocyst complementation.     

The construction of viable nuclear-cytoplasmic hybrid cells by nuclear transplantation.

Using the mouse L-cell line as a model system, a generalized approach is presented for nuclear transplantation in cultured cells resulting in the construction of cytoplasmic-nuclear hybrid cells. Techniques were developed for the preparation of cytoplast and karyoplasts having minimum contamination by parent whole cells. Sendai virusmediated fusion was performed in a manner which maximized the formation of the desired fusion products-cells having one cell equivalent of cytoplasm from one parent and a nucleus from a second parent. The viability of the fusion products was established by examination of photographic records of the developing cultures. Using these techniques, we found that nuclei could be introduced routinely into 10-30% of a cytoplast culture. From determinations of the increase in cell number with time, it was estimated that at least 30% of the reconstructed cells were capable of division. The approach was next applied to the formation of hybrid cells from L-cell cytoplasts and A9 cell karyoplasts. The A9 cell line is an azaguanine-resistant derivative of L cells. Thus any whole cells remaining in the culture of fused cells were readily eliminated by treatment with the purine analogue. The culture of remaining cytoplasmic-nuclear hybrid cells grew to confluence in the presence of azaguanine. The applicability of the approach to the construction of hybrid cells using parent lines from different organisms is briefly discussed.     

Novel method for continuous cell separation by density gradient centrifugation: evaluation of a miniature separation column

A compact bench-top model of the centrifuge enables continuous cell separation based on density differences. The apparatus holds a small separation disk equipped with a circular channel (8 mL capacity) separated by a septum. A set of isotonic Percoll media with different densities is continuously introduced at one terminal and collected from the other. Under a centrifugal force field, cell suspension introduced into the proximal portion of the channel results in continuous separation of cells according to their densities. The performance of the apparatus was demonstrated with the separation of human buffy coat containing nucleated cells (>10(8)) among a large population (10(10)) of RBC. The results indicated that the method is capable of separating a large number of nucleated cells, with minimum damage, for a few hours of operation wherein neutrophils are well resolved from lymphocytes. The method may be applied to other types of samples including cord blood, blood from small animals, cultured cells, pancreatic beta cell islets, malaria parasites, sperm cells, etc.     

Titan cells confer protection from phagocytosis in Cryptococcus neoformans infections

The human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans produces an enlarged "titan" cell morphology when exposed to the host pulmonary environment. Titan cells exhibit traits that promote survival in the host. Previous studies showed that titan cells are not phagocytosed and that increased titan cell production in the lungs results in reduced phagocytosis of cryptococcal cells by host immune cells. Here, the effect of titan cell production on host-pathogen interactions during early stages of pulmonary cryptococcosis was explored. The relationship between titan cell production and phagocytosis was found to be nonlinear; moderate increases in titan cell production resulted in profound decreases in phagocytosis, with significant differences occurring within the first 24 h of the infection. Not only were titan cells themselves protected from phagocytosis, but titan cell formation also conferred protection from phagocytosis to normal-size cryptococcal cells. Large particles introduced into the lungs were not phagocytosed, suggesting the large size of titan cells protects against phagocytosis. The presence of large particles was unable to protect smaller particles from phagocytosis, revealing that titan cell size alone is not sufficient to provide the observed cross-protection of normal-size cryptococcal cells. These data suggest that titan cells play a critical role in establishment of the pulmonary infection by promoting the survival of the entire population of cryptococcal cells.     

Replication of a geminivirus derived shuttle vector in maize endosperm cells.

A maize (Zea mays L.) endosperm cell culture has been shown to efficiently replicate DNA sequences derived from wheat dwarf virus (WDV), a monopartite monocot geminivirus. To analyze sequences necessary for viral replication and to verify their application for a plant gene expression vector, we have developed a 3.7 kilobase pairs Escherichia coli--plant cell shuttle vector, pWI-11. The p15A origin of replication, functional in E. coli, was introduced into the viral sequences. We have replaced the coding region of the coat protein gene by that of bacterial neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPT II) gene. The resulting NPT II gene fusion can serve as a selectable marker in both plant and E. coli systems. Into a unique cloning site in this pWI-11 vector, we introduced a gene fusion carrying the bacterial beta-glucuronidase (GUS) coding region under control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (CaMV35S) gene promoter and terminator. By transferring these viral sequences into protoplasts derived from maize endosperm cell cultures, we have demonstrated that the plasmid pWI-11 can replicate in maize endosperm cells, that the GUS reporter gene introduced into pWI-11 can be expressed at high level in the transformed cells, and that the replicating viral DNA can be rescued from endosperm cells by transforming E. coli in the presence of kanamycin. The level of GUS gene expression increased progressively in transformed endosperm cells during a prolonged culture period, coinciding with replication of the viral sequences in these cells.     

Role of Pore Size Location in Determining Bacterial Activity during Predation by Protozoa in Soil

The predation of a luminescence-marked strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens by the soil ciliate Colpoda steinii was studied in soil microcosms. Bacterial cells were introduced in either small (neck diameter, <6 (mu)m) or intermediate-sized (neck diameter, 6 to 30 (mu)m) pores in the soil by inoculation at appropriate matric potentials, and ciliates were introduced into large pores (neck diameter, 30 to 60 (mu)m). Viable cell concentrations of bacteria introduced into intermediate-sized pores decreased at a greater rate than those in small pores, with reductions in bacterial populations being accompanied by an increase in viable cell numbers of the ciliate. The data indicate that the location of bacteria in small pores provides significant protection from predation. In the absence of C. steinii, the level of metabolic activity of the bacterial population, measured by luminometry, decreased at a greater rate than cell number, and the level of luminescence cell(sup-1) consequently decreased. The decrease in levels of luminescence indicates a loss of activity due to starvation. During predation by C. steinii, the level of the activity of cells introduced into small pores fell in a similar manner. The level of cell activity was, however, significantly greater for cells introduced into intermediate-sized pores, despite their greater susceptibility to predation. The data suggest that increased activity arises from a release of nutrients by the predator and the greater accessibility of bacteria to nutrients in larger pores. Nutrient amendment of microcosms resulted in increases in bacterial populations to sustained, higher levels, while levels of luminescence increased transiently. The predation of cells introduced into intermediate-sized pores was greater, and there was also evidence that the level of activity of surviving bacteria was greater for bacteria in intermediate-sized but not small pores.     

Expression of v-src in embryonic neural retina alters cell adhesion, inhibits histogenesis, and prevents induction of glutamine synthetase.

Using Rous sarcoma virus as the vector, v-src or c-src genes were introduced into 6-day chicken embryo retina tissue in organ culture and their effects on retina development were investigated. Overexpression of c-src in many of the cells had no noticeable effect on retina development. In contrast, infection with v-src resulted in abnormal histogenesis and inhibition of differentiation. Although only a portion of the cells in infected tissue expressed the oncogene and displayed the transformation phenotype, the other cells were also hindered from becoming normally positioned and organized. Therefore, presence of oncogene-transformed cells within the tissue hindered organization and development of adjacent nontransformed cells. Failure of normal cell relationships impeded induction by cortisol of glutamine synthetase in Muller glia, which requires contact associations of the glia cells with neurons. The transformed cells tended to assemble into chaotic clusters, suggesting that their adhesiveness and contact affinities had become altered. This was confirmed by aggregation experiments with dissociated cells which showed that adhesiveness of transformed cells was greatly reduced and that they had lost the ability to cohere with nontransformed cells. In binary mixtures of transformed and nontransformed cells, the two sorted out into separate aggregates. Transformed cells formed loose clusters devoid of tissue architecture; aggregates of nontransformed cells became organized into retinotypic structures, and glutamine synthetase was inducible. Our findings suggest that the mechanisms of cell adhesion and cell affinities are a key target of v-src activity in infected cells and that modification of the cell surface may be a leading factor in other cellular changes characteristic of the v-src transformation phenotype.