多头绒泡菌微原质团瞬时表达系统的构建

真核生物多头绒泡菌的原质团是研究细胞周期的好材料。但尚无合适的表达体系可供选择。本研究用多头绒泡菌ardC actin基因启动子和终止子分别替换哺乳动物细胞表达质粒pDsRed1-N1的CMVIE和SV40 polyA片段,构建了多头绒泡菌红色荧光蛋白(RFP)表达质粒pXM1;用PardC-MCS-DsRed1-TardC替换pTB38表达盒PardC-hph-TardC,构建了多头绒泡菌RFP表达质粒pXM2。将多头绒泡菌转录延伸因子类似蛋白(PELF1)基因与质粒pXM2重组,构建了PELF1红色荧光融合蛋白(PELF1-RFP)表达质粒pXM2-pelf1。通过荧光显微镜和激光扫描共聚焦显微镜观察RFP表达发现,电转参数为4kV/cm(电场)、1A(电流)、70μs(电击时间)时,质粒pXM1和pXM2电转多头绒泡菌微原质团(≤500μm)后24～48h内,RFP荧光最显著;而PELF1-RFP则主要聚集在多头绒泡菌细胞核,说明本试验建立的表达系统可以用于研究特定蛋白在多头绒泡菌内的瞬时表达。     

Responses of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum to changing accelerations

Every cell is probably able to respond to gravity (g) via an unknown gravireceptor mechanism (supposed general gravisensitivity of cells). To investigate this mechanism a free-living ameboid cell, which uses gravity for its spatial orientation (geotaxis), was selected as a model system: the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum (Myxomycetes). In this paper results of 0 g-simulation experiments will be compared to results obtained in the Spacelab IML-1 Physarum experiment to stress the reliability of experiments performed on the fast-rotating clinostat.     

多头绒泡菌中动蛋白的免疫化学鉴定

动蛋白(kinesin)是一种微管系统的运动蛋白(motor protein),它能通过水解ATP将化学能转化为机械能,推动微管产生运动.微管系统作为一种主要的细胞骨架存在于所有真核细胞中,它们对于维持细胞形态,细胞的分裂,染色体的运动及细胞内的物质运输起着重要作用.细胞质力蛋白(dynein)和动蛋白是公认的推动这类运动的运动蛋白.自从1985年Vole首次在鱿鱼大轴突(squidgiant axon)中发现动蛋白以来,人们先后在许多种动物细胞中发现有动蛋白存在,甚至在低等真核生物棘状变形虫,盘基网柄茵和高等植物烟草花粉管中发现有动蛋白的存在.研究结果表明,动蛋白参与了真核细胞中的许多重要生命活动,如细胞中的细胞器及囊泡的运动,染色体排裂和分离等运动.动蛋白很可能是普通存在于所有真核细胞中的一种运动蛋白.多头绒泡菌(Physarum poly-cephalum)属于粘菌纲(Myxomycetes)的一种低等真核生物,它表现出许多显著的细胞运动特征如原生质团迁移,细胞质的穿梭运动(shuttle streaming)等,是研究非肌细胞运动和收缩蛋白的经典材料.在多头绒泡菌胞质中也具有微管系统,它们构成其纺锤丝等,参与染色体的运动及其它胞质运动,但至今国内外尚无人证明其中有与微管作用的运动蛋白——动蛋白的存在,作者利用抗牛脑动蛋白的单克隆抗体,     

Polypeptides from the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum interacting in vitro with microtubules

Microtubule-interacting proteins have been studied in the lower eukaryote Physarum polycephalum. We show for the first time 1) the presence in Physarum amoebal crude extracts of at least six polypeptides that bind specifically to amoebal microtubules, 2) the binding between these proteins and mammalian microtubules, 3) the heat stability of two of these polypeptides (125 and 235 kDa), 4) the functional properties of a fraction containing a heat-soluble 125 kDa polypeptide, and 5) the phosphorylation of the 125 kDa polypeptide during two distinct periods of the cell cycle in Physarum synchronous plasmodia, first at late S/early G2 phase and second at late G2/prophase.     

Immunoelectron microscopic localization of the nucleolar protein B-36 (fibrillarin) during the cell cycle of Physarum polycephalum

Monoclonal antibodies raised against the 34-kD nucleolar protein, B-36, from the slime mold Physarum polycephalum have been used to examine the electron microscopic localization of B-36 during the cell cycle in Physarum. During interphase, B-36 is found primarily in regions corresponding to the dense fibrillar component. This is similar to what has been observed for the putative mammalian homologue of B-36, fibrillarin. During mitosis, B-36 remains associated with perichromosomal nucleolar remnants. With the Gautier DNA-specific staining procedure, the same nucleolar remnants are shown to contain short DNA segments, presumably rDNA molecules. These findings suggest that in Physarum, where the nucleolus is composed of several hundred extrachromosomal rDNA molecules, the dense fibrillar component and the "NOR" equivalents do not separate during mitosis as in mammalian cells. In addition, the B-36-enriched nucleolar remnants appear to be recycled from one cell cycle to the next.     

Immunocytochemistry of the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum

Abstract. The polygonal arrangement of actomyosin fibrils in different stages of the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum is correlated with morphogenetic processes at the cell surface. Light and electron microscopic investigations on both endoplasmic drops and thin-spread small plasmodia demonstrate that the differentiation of a polygonal pattern depends on a transient deficiency of plasma membrane invaginations.
Glycerol-extracted specimens show condensation and drastic spatial changes in the organization of the polygonal net after addition of ATP, thus indicating contractile properties of this system. Observations with the polarizing microscope reveal rhythmic changes in fibrillar birefringence intensity corresponding to the protoplasmic streaming activity, i.e., birefringence increases during contraction and decreases during relaxation. Cell fusion experiments, local irradiation with blue light (450 nm), and chemical treatment by impeding the mitochondria1 function with DNP (2,4-di-nitrophenol) demonstrate morphological as well as physiological interdependences of the actomyosin system, the motive force generation, and the expression of a locomotor polarity in plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum.     

圈绒泡菌的生活史

利用基物培养、燕麦-琼脂培养技术及扫描电镜技术研究了圈绒泡菌的个体发育过程, 在燕麦琼脂培养基上完成了从孢子到孢子的生活史。结果表明,生活史包括单核的黏变形体或游动胞、多核的营养体原质团以及孢子形成阶段。琼脂培养基上获得的圈绒泡菌孢子与野生型相似,并具有可育性。     

类Cyclin A蛋白在多头绒泡菌细胞周期中的定位研究

采用免疫电镜技术对多头绒泡菌(Physarum polycephalum)是否含有类CyclinA蛋白以及该蛋白在有丝分裂周期各时相的定位进行了研究;并以抗CyclinA抗体封闭细胞内源类CyclinA蛋白的方法,探讨类CyclinA蛋白在多头绒泡菌细胞周期中的作用。免疫电镜结果表明,经抗CyclinA抗体标记的实验组细胞中的金颗粒密度明显高于对照组,说明多头绒泡菌细胞中含有类CyclinA蛋白。实验组样品中,细胞核的金颗粒密度很高,而细胞质的金颗粒密度与对照组的相仿,说明多头绒泡菌细胞中的类CyclinA蛋白是核蛋白。细胞核的金颗粒密度在S期最高,G2期的次之,早中期时明显降低,中期和中期以后与对照组的相近。这种金颗粒密度的变化反映了类CyclinA蛋白在细胞周期中的含量变化。以抗CyclinA抗体分别处理S期和G2期的多头绒泡菌细胞,处理后的细胞分别停滞在原来的时相,细胞核形态变得不规则,核内有空洞现象。处于有丝分裂前期的多头绒泡菌细胞经抗CyclinA抗体处理后,细胞核出现畸变。抗体处理结果说明类CyclinA蛋白是参与多头绒泡菌细胞周期多个转换过程调控的种重要蛋白,主要在S期／G2期和G2期／M期的转换以及走出有丝分裂期的进程中发挥作用。     

Robust and emergent Physarum logical-computing

There have been many attempts for realization of emergent computing, but the notion of emergent computing is still ambiguous. In an open system, emergence and an error cannot be specified distinctly, because they are dependent on the dis-equilibration process between local and global behaviors. To manifest such an aspect, we implement a Boolean gate as a biological device made of slime mold Physarum polycephalum. A Physarum (slime mold) Boolean gate could be an internally instable machine, while it has the potential for emergent computing. First, we examined whether Physarum Boolean gate works properly, and then examined its behaviors when the gate is collapsed in terms of hardware. The behavior of Physarum changes and self-repairing computing is achieved as a result. The self-repairing against internal failure is one of attributes of emergent and robust computing.     

Amphibian oocyte maturation induced by extracts of Physarum polycephalum in mitosis

The orderly progression of eukaryotic cells from interphase to mitosis requires the close coordination of various nuclear and cytoplasmic events. Studies from our laboratory and others on animal cells indicate that two activities, one present mainly in mitotic cells and the other exclusively in G1-phase cells, play a pivotal role in the regulation of initiation and completion of mitosis, respectively. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether these activities are expressed in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum in which all the nuclei traverse the cell cycle in natural synchrony. Extracts were prepared from plasmodia in various phases of the cell cycle and tested for their ability to induce germinal vesicle breakdown and chromosome condensation after microinjection into Xenopus laevis oocytes. We found that extract of cells at 10-20 min before metaphase consistently induced germinal vesicle breakdown in oocytes. Preliminary characterization, including purification on a DNA-cellulose affinity column, indicated that the mitotic factors from Physarum were functionally very similar to HeLa mitotic factors. We also identified a number of mitosis-specific antigens in extracts from Physarum plasmodia, similar to those of HeLa cells, using the mitosis-specific monoclonal antibodies MPM-2 and MPM-7. Interestingly, we also observed an activity in Physarum at 45 min after metaphase (i.e., in early S phase since it has no G1) that is usually present in HeLa cells only during the G1 phase of the cell cycle. These are the first studies to show that maturation-promoting factor activity is present in Physarum during mitosis and is replaced by the G1 factor (or anti-maturation-promoting factor) activity in a postmitotic stage. A comparative study of these factors in this slime mold and in mammalian cells would be extremely valuable in further understanding their function in the regulation of eukaryotic cell cycle and their evolutionary relationship to one another.     

Evidence for a homolog of the yeast cell cycle regulatory gene product of cdc2+ in Physarum polycephalum

Evidence for the presence of a Cdc2-like protein in Physarum polycephalum has been obtained using a peptide antibody directed against a highly conserved amino acid sequence near the N-terminal end of Cdc2, Cdc28 and Cdc2HS. The antibody detected a 34 kDa cytoplasmic protein, similar in apparent size to Cdc2 in yeast and Cdc2Hs in HeLa cells. A 60 kDa nuclear band was also detected in Physarum but not in yeast or HeLa. Evidence is presented that this is not related to the 34 kDa protein nor is it found in HeLa nuclei or yeast cells. The Cdc2-like protein level did not fluctuate over more than 10 h of the naturally synchronous cell cycle of Physarum. Several heat-shock experiments using regimens that either: delayed mitosis and S-phase; prevented mitosis or uncoupled S-phase from mitosis were performed. None had any effect on the level of the Cdc2-like protein. The induction of spherulation by starvation was shown to have no effect on the levels of the 34 kDa Cdc2 analog. The invariant level of the 34 kDa protein during the cell cycle and starvation is consistent with previous results obtained with yeast. Three heat-shock regimens which either delay mitosis, eliminate S-phase or uncouple mitosis from S-phase in Physarum also had no effect on the level of the 34 kDa protein. This result emphasizes the stable nature of this protein.     

Oscillating contractions in protoplasmic strands of Physarum: infared reflexion as a non-invasive registration technique

An inexpensive electronic device employing a miniaturised infrared reflection detector is described which enables the automatic registration of intrinsic radial contraction activities of protoplasmic strands of Physarum growing on their original substrate. Advantages and shortcoming of the new registration technique are discussed in relation to recent tensiometric techniques applied to protoplasmic strands for analysing the contraction physiology of cytoplasmic actomyosins, the force generating substrate of the contraction automaticity in the Physarum system.     

Analysis of chromatin assembled in vivo using exogenous histones in Physarum polycephalum

Histones are involved in the regulation of almost all events within the eukaryotic cell nucleus that utilize DNA as a substrate. We have developed a novel approach for examining the function of histone proteins and specific domains of these proteins in these various nuclear processes, and in particular assembly of chromatin throughout the cell cycle. This approach exploits several unique characteristics of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, including the natural synchrony of all (approximately 10(8)) nuclei throughout the cell cycle and the ability of this organism to take up exogenous proteins. Here, culture techniques and biochemical procedures for the incorporation of exogenous core histones into Physarum chromatin in vivo are described. The procedures for subsequent verification of the assembly of exogenous proteins into bona fide nucleosomes are also described.     

Intrinsic fluctuations of phosphoinositol levels are involved in the progression of the naturally synchronous cell cycle in Physarum polycephalum.

Using [3H]myo-inositol incorporation, changes in phosphoinositol (PI) metabolism at different cell cycle stages in the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum were examined by column chromatography. Two base levels for the inositol trisphosphate (IP3) fraction were determined: a low one for S-phase and a higher one for G2 phase. Two transient increases of IP3 were also observed, one in S-phase, 70 min after mitosis (no G1 phase in the Physarum cell cycle) and another in G2 phase, 90 min before mitosis. It is concluded that the fluctuations in IP3 levels reflect endogenous events in the cell cycle of Physarum, because they occurred in the absence of any exogenous signals. Pulse treatment with Li+ (10 mM) at the points of the cell cycle, characterized by the IP3 transients, had opposite effects: in early S-phase it caused an acceleration while in late G2 phase it caused a prolongation of the cell cycle duration. The pattern of Li(+)-induced changes in PI turnover is also antagonistic: in most cases the IP3 level would decrease, however, Li+ prevents the cell cycle-dependent reduction in IP3 concentration when applied at early S-phase. The possible implications of the autogenous fluctuations in the IP3 fraction on the progression of the cell cycle through several distinct checkpoints are discussed.     

细弱绒泡菌的生活史

利用燕麦-琼脂培养、基物培养及扫描电镜技术研究了细弱绒泡菌的个体发育过程,在燕麦琼脂培养基上完成了从孢子到孢子的生活史。结果表明,细弱绒泡菌生活史包括单核的黏变形体或游动胞、多核的营养体原质团以及孢子形成阶段。孢子球形,表面具细小疣点。孢子萌发为裂式,释放1黏变形体。黏变形体行变形运动,在有水的条件下,可转变为游动胞。成熟原质团橘黄色。原质团类型为显型,具有扇形网络状菌脉。成熟原质团可形成多个孢囊。琼脂培养基上获得的细弱绒泡菌孢子与野生型相似,并具有可育性。     

Homologous Gene Replacement in Physarum

The protist Physarum polycephalum is useful for analysis of several aspects of cellular and developmental biology. To expand the opportunities for experimental analysis of this organism, we have developed a method for gene replacement. We transformed Physarum amoebae with plasmid DNA carrying a mutant allele, ardDδ1, of the ardD actin gene; ardDδ1 mutates the critical carboxy-terminal region of the gene product. Because ardD is not expressed in the amoeba, replacement of ardD(+) with ardDδ1 should not be lethal for this cell type. Transformants were obtained only when linear plasmid DNA was used. Most transformants carried one copy of ardDδ1 in addition to ardD(+), but in two (5%), ardD(+) was replaced by a single copy of ardDδ1. This is the first example of homologous gene replacement in Physarum. ardDδ1 was stably maintained in the genome through growth, development and meiosis. We found no effect of ardDδ1 on viability, growth, or development of any of the various cell types of Physarum. Thus, the carboxy-terminal region of the ardD product appears not to perform a unique essential role in growth or development. Nevertheless, this method for homologous gene replacement can be applied to analyze the function of any cloned gene.