Substructure of cisternal organelles of neuronal perikarya in immature rat brains revealed by quick-freeze and deep-etch techniques

Summary Membrane-bounded organelles possessing cisternae, i.e., rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, in immature rat central neurons were examined by quick-freeze and deep-etch techniques to see how their intracisternal structures are organized and how ribosomes are associated with the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. Cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum, 60–100 nm wide, were bridged with randomly-distributed strands (trabecular strands, 12.5 nm in mean diameter). Luminal surfaces of cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum were decorated with various-sized globular particles, some as small as intramembrane particles, and others as large as granules formed by soluble proteins seen in the cytoplasm. A closer examination revealed much thinner strands (3.3. nm in mean diameter). Such thin strands were short, usually winding toward the luminal surface, and sometimes touching the luminal surface with one end. Ribosomes appeared to be embedded into the entire thickness of cross-fractured membranes of endoplasmic reticulum, that is, their internal portions appeared to be situated at almost the same level as the cisternal luminal surface. From the internal portion of ribosomes, single thin strands occasionally protruded into the lumen, suggesting that these thin strands were newly synthesized polypeptides. A horizontal separation within ribosomes appeared to occur at the same level as the hydrophobic middle of the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. Interiors of the Golgi apparatus cisternae, which were much narrower than cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum, were similarly bridged with trabecular strands, but the Golgi trabecular strands were thinner and more frequent. Their cisternal lumina were also dotted with globular particles. No identifiable profiles corresponding to the thin strands in the endoplasmic reticulum were observed. Golgi cisternae showed a heterogeneous distribution of membrane granularity; the membrane in narrow cisternal space was granule-rich, while that in expanded space was granule-poor, suggesting a functional compartmentalization of the Golgi cisternae.     

Plant nuclei can contain extensive grooves and invaginations

Plant cells can exhibit highly complex nuclear organization. Through dye-labeling experiments in untransformed onion epidermal and tobacco culture cells and through the expression of green fluorescent protein targeted to either the nucleus or the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum/nuclear envelope in these cells, we have visualized deep grooves and invaginations into the large nuclei of these cells. In onion, these structures, which are similar to invaginations seen in some animal cells, form tubular or planelike infoldings of the nuclear envelope. Both grooves and invaginations are stable structures, and both have cytoplasmic cores containing actin bundles that can support cytoplasmic streaming. In dividing tobacco cells, invaginations seem to form during cell division, possibly from strands of the endoplasmic reticulum trapped in the reforming nucleus. The substantial increase in nuclear surface area resulting from these grooves and invaginations, their apparent preference for association with nucleoli, and the presence in them of actin bundles that support vesicle motility suggest that the structures might function both in mRNA export from the nucleus and in protein import from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.     

Organization of the endoplasmic reticulum in renal cell lines MDCK and LLC-PK1

The spatial organization of the endoplasmic reticulum has been studied in two renal cell lines, MDCK and LLC-PK1, which originate from the distal and proximal portions of the mammalian nephron, respectively, and which form a polarized epithelium when they reach confluence in tissue culture. The two renal cell lines, grown to confluence on either solid or permeable supports, were investigated by fluorescence microscopy, confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Fluorescence labeling of the endoplasmic reticulum was achieved using the cationic fluorescent dye DIOC₆ (3). In order to differentiate fluorescent labeling of the endoplasmic reticulum from that of the mitochondria, cells were also labeled with rhodamine 123. For electron microscopy, the spatial organization of the endoplasmic reticulum was examined in thick sections using the long-duration osmium impregnation technique or the ferrocyanide/osmium technique. In both cell lines, the endoplasmic reticulum formed an abundant tubular network of canaliculi that frequently abutted the basolateral domain of the plasma membrane and occasionally the apical membrane. Elements of the endoplasmic reticulum were also found in close proximity to mitochondria that, as in the nephron, formed branched structures. Canaliculi appeared circular or flattened and had an inner diameter of 10–70 nm for MDCK cells and 20–90 nm for LLC-PK1 cells. Such a three-dimensional organization might facilitate the translocation of defined lipid species between the endoplasmic reticulum and the plasma membrane, and between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria.     

Interrelationships of endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, intermediate filaments, and microtubules--a quadruple fluorescence labeling study.

To study the interrelationships of endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, intermediate filaments, and microtubules, we have developed a quadruple fluorescence labeling procedure to visualize all four structures in the same cell. We applied this approach to study cellular organization in control cells and in cells treated with the microtubule drugs vinblastine or taxol. Endoplasmic reticulum was visualized by staining glutaraldehyde-fixed cells with the dye 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide. After detergent permeabilization, triple immunofluorescence was carried out to specifically visualize mitochondria, vimentin intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Mitochondria in human fibroblasts were found to be highly elongated tubular structures (lengths up to greater than 50 microns), which in many cases were apparently fused to each other. Mitochondria were always observed to be associated with endoplasmic reticulum, although endoplasmic reticulum also existed independently. Intermediate filament distribution could not completely account for endoplasmic reticulum or mitochondrial distributions. Microtubules, however, always codistributed with these organelles. Microtubule depolymerization in vinblastine treated cells resulted in coaggregation of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and in the collapse of intermediate filaments. The spatial distributions of organelles compared with intermediate filaments were not identical, indicating that attachment of organelles to intermediate filaments was not responsible for organelle aggregation. Mitochondrial associations with endoplasmic reticulum, on the other hand, were retained, indicating this association was stable regardless of endoplasmic reticulum form or microtubules. In taxol-treated cells, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and intermediate filaments were all associated with taxol-stabilized microtubule bundles.     

Aluminum toxicity studies in Vaucheria longicaulis var. macounii (Xanthophyta, Tribophyceae). I. Effects on cytoplasmic organization

Using differential interference contrast (DIC) and epifluorescence microscopy, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to environmentally significant levels of aluminum (Al) would cause rapid changes in cytoplasmic organization in vegetative filaments of the coenocytic alga, Vaucheria longicaulis Hoppaugh var. macounii Blum resulting in the loss of cytoplasmic streaming. In untreated cells, DIC microscopy revealed the presence of cortical cytoplasmic strands that were oriented longitudinally to the cell axis as well as sub-cortical cytoplasmic strands that exhibited a reticulate morphology. Organelles such as chloroplasts and mitochondria translocated throughout the cell in close association with the cortical longitudinal cytoplasmic strands. Staining with the lipophilic dye, 3,3-dihexyloloxacarbocyanine, revealed structures that appeared to be endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This organelle closely resembled, in location and appearance, the cytoplasmic strands visualized using DIC microscopy. The addition of Al (80 μM) resulted in the inhibition of cytoplasmic streaming as well as the dissipation of the putative cortical longitudinal ER within one minute. Subsequently, the DIC-visible cortical cytoplasmic strands exhibited progressive degrees of disorganization. Throughout these changes, chloroplasts and mitochondria remained visibly associated with the cortical cytoplasmic strands.     

Organization of transport from endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi in higher plants

In plant cells, the organization of the Golgi apparatus and its interrelationships with the endoplasmic reticulum differ from those in mammalian and yeast cells. Endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus can now be visualized in plant cells in vivo with green fluorescent protein (GFP) specifically directed to these compartments. This makes it possible to study the dynamics of the membrane transport between these two organelles in the living cells. The GFP approach, in conjunction with a considerable volume of data about proteins participating in the transport between endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi in yeast and mammalian cells and the identification of their putative plant homologues, should allow the establishment of an experimental model in which to test the involvement of the candidate proteins in plants. As a first step towards the development of such a system, we are using Sar1, a small G-protein necessary for vesicle budding from the endoplasmic reticulum. This work has demonstrated that the introduction of Sar1 mutants blocks the transport from endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi in vivo in tobacco leaf epidermal cells and has therefore confirmed the feasibility of this approach to test the function of other proteins that are presumably involved in this step of endomembrane trafficking in plant cells.     

Effect of gibberellic Acid and actinomycin d on the formation and distribution of rough endoplasmic reticulum in barley aleurone cells

Analysis of structural changes in barley aleurone cells during germination or following incubation of isolated layers in gibberellic acid with or without actinomycin D revealed extensive development of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Following the assembly of stacked rough endoplasmic reticulum, vesiculation occurred mainly in basal regions of the cell, resulting in a polar distribution of rough endoplasmic reticulum vesicles. It is postulated that these vesicles are involved in protein secretion, because smooth vesicles, derived from the rough endoplasmic reticulum, apparently become appressed to the plasma membrane. The increased α-amylase in the ambient medium and in cell homogenates correlated directly with formation and subsequent vesiculation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, when cells were treated with actinomycin D and gibberellic acid, α-amylase synthesis was inhibited by 45% and secretion by 63%. These cells were characterized cytologically by large areas of disarrayed segments of fragmented rough endoplasmic reticulum, corresponding to a high intracellular level of α-amylase. In addition, small lipid bodies common to the segmented regions of rough endoplasmic reticulum were surrounded by fine fibrous material, short segments of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and free ribosomes, suggesting that actinomycin D had interfered with development and organization of rough endoplasmic reticulum.     

Tubulin conformation in microtubule-free cells ofVigna sinensis

Summary The primary leaf, epicotyl, and root cells ofVigna sinensis seedlings grown continuously in a 0.08% colchicine solution, become microtubule-free and polyploid. In meristematic root cells a tubulin transformation is detected 1–3 h after the treatment had begun. Tubulin strands are organized at the positions of the pre-existing microtubules. Frequently, the strands converge on or are organized in the cortical cytoplasmic zone where in normal cells the preprophase microtubule band (PMB) is assembled. In meristematic root cells subjected to a 6–12 h colchicine treatment, the tubulin strands become perinuclear, entering the cortical cytoplasm at regions close to the nucleus. One day after the onset of the treatment, tubulin generally forms a continuous reticulum of interconnected strands in all the organs examined. In most cells this reticulum surrounds the nucleus partly or totally or lies close to it, exhibiting variable configurations in different cells. After prolonged treatments, the organization of the tubulin reticulum changes further. Now this consists of crystal-like structures interconnected by thin strands.On thin sections of fixed tissue the tubulin strands consist of paracrystalline material. The distribution of this material in the affected cells coincides with that of tubulin reticulum visualized by immunofluorescence. In transverse planes each strand exhibits circular subunits arranged close to one another in a hexagonal pattern but in longitudinal ones variable images were observed. The paracrystalline material persists in root cells subjected to an 8-day continuous colchicine treatment. The immunolabeled strands seem to be composed of tubulin-colchicine complexes and not pure tubulin.     

Ultrastructural changes in the endoplasmic reticulum during dormancy release of apple embryos (Pyrus malus L.)

Apple embryos were treated by cold (0°C) within the fruits, to break their dormancy; the controls were treated at 12°C or at 20°C. Ultrastructural features of meristematic cells in the embryonic axis were compared for each treatment. The organization of the cells of dormant embryos was described: Endoplasmic reticulum consisted in some short rough cisternae; lipid droplets regularly arranged near the plasmalemma constituted a kind of shell; mitochondria had a few cristae; and dictyosomes were rarely observed. All these features are typical of dry seeds. After cold treatments, the only evolution observed was in the endoplasmic reticulum, where highly organized stacks appeared progressively as a function of time at 0°C. An intermediate temperature (12°C) induced similar formations in the reticulum but they were rarely observed and their degree of organization was lower than that obtained at 0°C. At 20°C, endoplasmic reticulum resembled that of the dormant embryo cells. The relation between the appearance of these structures in the reticulum and the disappearance of dormancy induced by cold is discussed.Abbreviations ER endoplasmic reticulum - RER rough endoplasmic reticulum     

Dynamics of the endoplasmic reticulum in living non-muscle and muscle cells

The dynamic changes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in interphase and mitotic cells was detected by the vital fluorescent dye 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide. Two types of arrays characterize the continuous ER system in the non-muscle PtK2 cell: 1) a lacy network of irregular polygons and 2) long strands of ER that are found aligned along stress fibers. In cross-striated myotubes there was a periodic localization of fluorescence over each I-band corresponding to the positions of the terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In contrast to the arrangement in muscle cells, the alignment of the long strands of ER alon stress fibers showed no strict periodicity that could be correlated with the sarcomeric units of the stress fibers. The ER and SR arrays seen in living cells were also detected in fixed cells stained with antibodies directed against proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum and sarcoplasmic reticulum, respectively. Observations of vitally stained PtK2 cells at 1 to 2 minute intervals using low light level video cameras and image processing techniques enabled us to see the polygonal ER units form and undergo changes in their shapes. During cell division, the ER, rhodamine 123-stained mitochondria, and phagocytosed fluorescent beads were excluded from the mitotic spindle while soluble proteins were not. No obvious concentration or alignment of membranes could be found associated with the contractile proteins in the cleavage furrow. After completion of cell division there was a redeployment of the ER network in each daughter cell.     

Low and high voltage electron microscopy of mitosis and cytokinesis in maize roots

The structure and distribution of cytoplasmic membranes during mitosis and cytokinesis in maize root tip meristematic cells was investigated by low and high voltage electron microscopy. The electron opacity of the nuclear envelope and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was enhanced by staining the tissue in a mixture of zinc iodide and osmium tetroxide. Thin sections show the nuclear envelope to disassemble at prophase and become indistinguishable from the surrounding ER and polar aggregations of ER. In thick sections under the high voltage electron microscope the spindle is seen to be surrounded by a mass of tubular (TER) and cisternal (CER) endoplasmic reticulum derived from both the nuclear envelope and ER, which persists through metaphase and anaphase. At anaphase strands of TER traverse the spindle between the arms of the chromosomes. The octagonal nuclear pore complexes disappear by metaphase, but irregular-shaped pores persist in the membranes during mitosis. It is suggested that these form a template for pore-complex reformation during telophase. Phragmoplast formation is preceded by an aggregation of TER across the spindle at anaphase. Evidence is presented to suggest that the formation of the desmotubule of a plasmodesma is by the squeezing of a strand of endoplasmic reticulum between the vesicles of the cell plate.Abbreviations CER cisternal endoplasmic reticulum - ER endoplasmic reticulum - HVEM high voltage electron microscope - TER tubular endoplasmic reticulum - ZIO zinc iodide/osmium tetroxide     

Penetration of Toxoplasma gondii into host cells induces changes in the distribution of the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum.

Fluorescence microscopy, using dyes which specifically label mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex, and transmission electron microscopy, were used to analyze the changes which occur in the organization of these structures during interaction of Toxoplasma gondii with host cells. In uninfected cells the mitochondria are long filamentous structures which radiate from the nuclear region toward the cell periphery. After parasite penetration they become shorter and tend to concentrate around the parasite-containing vacuole (parasitophorous vacuole) located in the cytoplasm of the host cell. The mitochondria of extracellular parasites, but not of those located within the parasitophorous vacuole, were also stained by rhodamine 123. Labeling with DiOC6, which binds to elements of the endoplasmic reticulum, in association with transmission electron microscopy, revealed a concentration of this structure around the parasitophorous vacuole. The membrane lining this vacuole was also stained, suggesting that components of the endoplasmic reticulum are also incorporated into this membrane. The Golgi complex, as revealed by staining with NBD-ceramide and electron microscopy, maintains its perinuclear position throughout the evolution of the intracellular parasitism.     

Location matters: the endoplasmic reticulum and protein trafficking in dendrites

Neurons are highly polarized, but the trafficking mechanisms that operate in these cells and the topological organization of their secretory organelles are still poorly understood. Particularly incipient is our knowledge of the role of the neuronal endoplasmic reticulum. Here we review the current understanding of the endoplasmic reticulum in neurons, its structure, composition, dendritic distribution and dynamics. We also focus on the trafficking of proteins through the dendritic endoplasmic reticulum, emphasizing the relevance of transport, retention, assembly of multi-subunit protein complexes and export. We additionally discuss the roles of the dendritic endoplasmic reticulum in synaptic plasticity.     

Intermediate (10 nm) filaments in human malignant mesothelioma.

Human malignant mesotheliomas were studied by electron microscopy. Three main types of cells were seen--submesothelial epithelioid cells, epithelial lining cells and fibroblast-like cells. In submesothelial epithelioid cells prominent arrays of intermediate (10 nm) filaments were often seen attached to plasma membrane, mitochondria, nuclei and concentric whorls of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The other types of cell found in the tumors, epithelial lining cells and fibroblast-like cells, lacked such distinct filaments. The intermediate filaments were especially abundant in cells with extensive whorling of endoplasmic reticulum. The association of intermediate filaments with such deranged cytoplasmic organization suggests that they play a role in the altered behavior of malignant cells.     

Ultrastructureofthe human intervertebral disc. I. Changes in notochordal cells with age

We examined nucleus pulposus notochordal cells of individuals ranging in age from the eighth week of fetal life to 32 years of age. With increasing age, notochordal cell structure changed, as did the cell-to-cell relationships and the cell-to-matrix relationships. All notochordal cells contained normal organelles, including welldeveloped endoplasmic reticulum, but, in addition, fetal notochordal cells demonstrated an unusual relationship between rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria: elements of the rough endoplasmic reticulum encircled almost every mitochondrion. Fetal notochordal cells contained large amounts of glycogen, while older cells had much smaller glycogen deposits. Cytoplasmic filaments were observed in cells of all ages. The cells formed tightly packed clusters in the fetus with little, if any, extracellular matrix between individual cells. Cells separated from each other with age and by the twenty-first week of fetal life, only slender strands of cytoplasm connected them. Previous light microscopic studies described notochordal cells as ‘physaliphorus’ cells since they appeared to contain large cytoplasmic vacuoles. However, electron microscopy showed that these apparent vacuoles consist of extracellular matrix surrounded by cells or cell processes. The structure of notochordal cells and their persistence in the nucleus pulposus after fetal life suggest that they may have a significant role in the formation and maintenance of the nucleus pulposus.     

Myosin in onion (Allium cepa) bulb scale epidermal cells: involvement in dynamics of organelles and endoplasmic reticulum

Studied with the fluorochrome 3,3-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide [(DIOC₆(3)], the dynamic system of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in epidermal cells of onion bulb scales consists of long, tubular strands moving together with organelles in the deeper cytoplasm, and of a less mobile network composed of tubular and lamellar elements at the cell periphery. Treatment with the sulfhydryl-reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) inhibited organelle and ER movement, and caused the fusion of ER-tubules into flat sheets. Fixed, long, tubular ER strands were formed by lowering the cytosolic pH of NEM-treated cells. Both these observations indicate the involvement of myosin in the dynamics of organelles and ER. Using a monoclonal antibody against murine skeletal muscle myosin (known to cross-react with plant myosin; Tang et al. 1989, J. Cell Sci. 92: 569–574), myosin was identified by immunofluorescence microscopy. Mapping the distribution of myosin, actin filaments, ER, and organelles in different phases of recovery after centrifugation of epidermal cells, co-localization of myosin with ER and organelles but not with actin filaments was observed, supporting the hypothesis that a membrane bound motor protein exists in onion epidermal cells, which translocates organelles and the endoplasmic reticulum along actin filaments.     

Ultrastructural features of the nucleus and cytoplasm of rat trophoblast cells of the connective zone of the placenta and labyrinth

Ultrastructural organization of the rat trophoblast cells in the connective zone of placenta and labyrinth was investigated on the 12-14th days of gestation. A clear distinction was revealed in the cytoplasm ultrastructure of two cell subpopulations within the connective zone of placenta, i.e. glycogen and trophospongium cells. The former display a well defined network of long thin channels of granular endoplasmic reticulum situated mainly around the glycogen clusters. On the contrary, the latter are rich in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum but lacking glycogen accumulation. Differences in the nucleolar ultrastructure in these two cell subpopulations are not very considerable. A characteristic feature of glycogen cells is the presence of numerous round or oval small-fibrillar nucleolus-like bodies with the diameter of granules 20 nm. The trophoblast cells of the labyrinth are heavily laden with polysomes, which sometimes attach to short channels of the granular endoplasmic reticulum. Not often there occur short profiles of the agranular endoplasmic reticulum. Nucleolus-like bodies are found in all the cell types examined. This means that the nucleolus-like bodies may arise not only on the lampbrush chromosomes in the oocytes or polytene chromosomes, but also in the somatic cells which are capable of dividing mitotically.     

Small granule-containing cells of the central nervous system of the bivalve mollusk Patinopectin yessoensis (Jay)

In the CNS of the Patinopecten yessoensis (Jay) two types of cells have been revealed. The I type cells are typical unipolar neurons with a developed granular endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi compex, with a nucleus containing small amount of chromatin. They possess elementary peptidergic granules. The II type cells have in their cytoplasm and processes a large amount of electron-opague granules, specific for adrenergic systems. The nucleus is rich in clustered chromatin, the granular endoplasmic reticulum is poorly developed, cytosomes are absent. According to their ultrastructural organization the latter correspond to small granular cells of the mammalian autonomic nervous system.     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE SECONDARY PHLOEM OF TILIA AMERICANA

Summer and winter (July and January) samples of secondary phloem of Tilia americana were studied with the electron microscope. Parenchyma cells contain: nuclei, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, plastids, mitochondria and occasional dictyosomes. Well-defined tonoplasts separate vacuoles from cytoplasmic ground substance. Vacuoles often contain tannins. Lipid droplets are common in cytoplasm. Endoplasmic reticulum–connected plasmodesmata are aggregated in primary pit fields. Companion cells differ from parenchyma cells in having numerous sieve-element connections, possibly slime, and in lacking plastids. Mature, enucleate sieve elements possess 1–4 extruded nucleoli. Numerous vesicles occupy a mostly parietal position in association with plasmalemma. The mature sieve element lacks endoplasmic reticulum, organelles (except for few mitochondria) and tonoplast. In OsO_4– and glutaraldehyde-fixed elements, slime has a fine, fibrillar appearance. Normally, these fine fibrils are organized into coarser ones which form strands that traverse the cell and the plasmalemma-lined pores of sieve plates and lateral sieve areas.     

Fine structure of the corpus Luteum of the raccoon during pregnancy

Summary Ultrastructure of the granulosa lutein cells of the raccoon from throughout pregnancy has been described. The lutein cells often from epithelial cords which are separated by the connective tissues, capillaries and lymphatics. Based on the arrangements and modifications of the cytoplasmic organelles and inclusions, three types of lutein cells have been recognized. The type I lutein cells predominantly contain tubular, agranular endoplasmic reticulum, juxtanuclear Golgi complexes, a few round to rod-shaped mitochondria, some free ribosomes, and occasional lipid droplets. Occasionally the tubular cristae of mitochondria and tubular smooth endoplasmic reticulum appear contiguous. The type II cells contain abundant lace-like and/or stacked fenestrated endoplasmic reticulum cisternae that frequently form membranous whorls, some tubular, agranular endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and lipid droplets. Mitochondria are usually small, but unusual large ones also occur. The small, rod-to round-shaped mitochondria usually have tubular cristae; but the large, oval, elongate, and cup shaped mitochondria possess tubular, lamellar, plate like, and whorl-like cristae. The plasma membranes of the cells are complexly elaborated and folded, especially when apposing each other. In favorable sections, strands of fenestrated cisternae appose the folds of the plasma membranes. In general, the amount of cytoplasmic organelles and inclusions vary greatly in the cells. The type III cells predominantly contain lipid droplets and sparse cytoplasmic organelles. The type I and II cells are found throughout pregnancy, but the type III cells are observed from mid gestation to term. The cytological features of type I and II cells suggest that they probably secrete most of the steroids, whereas the type III cells primarily store lipids.This research was supported by UPSHS grant AM-11376 and NIH contract 69-2136.