Digestion of prey in foraminifera is not anomalous: A correlation of light microscopic, cytochemical, and hvem technics to study phagotrophy in two allogromiids

Correlative light, high-voltage electron and conventional electron microscopic methods were used to investigate digestion in two allogromiid foraminiferans, Allogromia sp., strain NF, and A. laticollaris Arnold. Microscopic observations showed that bacterial prey are phagocytosed by reticulopodia and are transported to the allogromiid cell body within blister-like phagosomes. Larger prey (algae, diatoms) are transported along the reticulopodial surface and are either stored extrathalamously or phagocytosed at the oral opening (peduncle). Studies of allogromiids optimally fixed and labeled with an extracellular-space label (colloidal thorium) showed that phagocytosed prey are completely enclosed by a plasma membrane envelope; this finding was corroborated by a serial-section three-dimensional reconstruction of the oral zone of one allogromiid. Cytochemical staining for acid phosphatase showed that lysosomes are absent from reticulopods but abundant in the cell body, particularly in the oral zone cytoplasm. We conclude that digestion in allogromiid foraminiferans is accomplished by a vacuole-based digestive apparatus and not by extracellular digestion within a lacunary system, as has been suggested in earlier studies.     

Lectin cytochemical evaluation of somatosensory neurons and their peripheral and central processes in rat and man

Summary Paraffin sections of the trigeminal nerve root of the rat, and human spinal nerve root and trigeminal ganglion were stained with a battery of lectin-horseradish peroxidase conjugates to localize and characterize glycoconjugate (GC) in situ. In the rat the myelin sheath of the peripheral segment contained GC with sialic acid most probably linked to the penultinate disaccharide galactose(1 4)-N-acetylglucosamine (Gal(1 )-GlcNAc), and complex type N-glycosidic side chains. The myelin sheath in the central segment differed in containing little if any of the GC named above and in containing GC with terminal -Gal linked to N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc), terminal GalNAc and fucose. Schwann cells stained for GC with GlcNAc or mannose whereas oligodendroglia stained for GC with the terminal disaccharide Gal-(1 3)-GalNAc and N-glycosidic side chains, especially in presumed Golgi zones, but also in processes continued as the outer myelin sheath. The human myelin sheath in the central segment differed from that of the rat in not staining with lectins specific for fucose and terminal GalNAc. Sialic acid and terminal -Gal were seen in the human central segment but these sugars appeared to bind to astroglial structures rather than to the myelin sheath as in the rat. Astrocytes in both rat and man were stained by two fucose-binding lectins. Several lectins revealed affinity for GC in the neurilemmal sheath, and staining of this structure was stronger in the human specimens. Neurons in the human trigeminal ganglion ranged from unstained to strongly positive for fucoconjugate in cytoplasmic bodies and plasmalemma. Positive ganglion cells gave rise to unmyelinated fibers which also stained for fucoconjugate. Remak fibers and their extensions into the substantia gelatinosa of the human spinal cord stained strongly for content of fucose.The stronger lectin affinity for N-glycosidic core sugars in the peripheral as compared with the central segment suggests that lectins localize P_o protein in peripheral myelin. The reactivity for several sugars in the central segment can possibly be attributed to myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) of central myelin, but lectin staining for GalNAc shows in addition a biochemically unrecognized GC with O-glycosidic linked oligosaccharides in myelin. The lectin cytochemistry indicates that the 170 K Dalton glycoprotein with PNA affinity obtained from rat sciatic nerves occurs in nodes of Ranvier.This research was supported by NIH Grants AM-10956, HL-29775 and United Health and Medical Research Foundation of South Carolina, Inc. Grant No. 79     

Chromosomal evolution withinPiperaceae

Chromosome numbers for 26 different species of the generaPiper, Peperomia andPothomorphe (Piperaceae) are reported. The basic chromosome numbers are 2n = 26, x = 13 (Piper, Pothomorphe) and 2n = 22, x = 11 (Peperomia), polyploid series are characteristic forPiper andPeperomia. Piper has the smallest chromosomes and prochromosomal interphase nuclei,Peperomia the largest ones and mostly reticulate to euchromatic nuclei.Pothomorphe is intermediate in both characters. The karyomorphological differences betweenPothomorphe andPiper underline their generic separation. Interspecific size variation of chromosomes occurs inPiper andPeperomia. Infraspecific polyploidy was observed inPiper betle. C-banding reveals different patterns of heterochromatin (hc) distribution between the genera investigated. The genome evolution is discussed.     

Cell-substrate adhesion and metastatic potential of cultured mesothelioma cells induced by asbestos

Cell-substrate adhesion was quantified for two cultured mesothelioma cell lines (epitheliomatus and sarcomatous) on glass, fibronectin and laminin substrates. Interference reflection microscopy (IRM) was used to image the adhesion patterns of cells and a grey level analysis was employed to quantify adhesion. Sarcomatous cells demonstrated marked adhesion to glass and fibronectin-coated substrates but not to laminin-coated substrate, with the greatest adhesion occurring on the fibronectin-coated surface. This adhesion was accompanied by cytoplasmic spreading. By contrast, epitheliomatous cells showed little tendency to adhere to any of the substrates and only showed significant spreading when in contact with the laminin substrate (P < 0.01). A bioassay was used to determine the metastatic potential of each of the cell lines. Via the intravenous route, the sarcomatous cells killed the host rats in 24.7 ± 1.5 (S.D.) days compared to 27.3 ± 0.9 (S.D.) days for the epitheliomatous cells (P < 0.01). After subcutaneous inoculation of tumour cells, the sarcomatous cells killed the host rats in 54.7 ± 0.7 (S.D.) days compared to 48.5 ± 0.5 (S.D.) days for the epitheliomatous cells (P < 0.01). We conclude that the results of the metastasis bioassays were consistent with the predicted behavior of these cell lines based on their ability to adhere to substrates in the in vitro adhesion assays.     

Morphological and proliferative responses of endothelial cells to hydrostatic pressure: Role of fibroblast growth factor

Subconfluent bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells on rigid substrates were exposed to 1.5–15 cm H₂O sustained hydrostatic pressure for up to 7 days and exhibited elongation, cytoskeletal rearrangement, increased cell proliferation, and bilayering. The role of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the mechanism(s) of these endothelial cell responses to sustained hydrostatic pressure was investigated. Evidence that bFGF was released from endothelial cells exposed to sustained hydrostatic pressure or compression was provided by the following experimental results: (1) Cells exposed to control (3 mm H₂O) pressure displayed intense nuclear and cytoplasmic bFGF staining by immunocytochemical techniques; this staining was absent in cells exposed to 10 cm H₂O for 7 days. (2) Conditioned medium from endothelial cells exposed to 10 cm H₂O for 7 days contained at ansferable, growth-promoting activity exhibiting heparin-Sepharose affinity, lability to both heat and freeze/thawing, and neutralization by anti-bovine bFGF. (3) Suramin (0.1 mM), a growth-factor receptor inhibitor, abrogated the proliferative and morphological responses of endothelial cells exposed to sustained hydrostatic pressure. Endothelial cells exposed to elevated hydrostatic pressure demonstrated no detectable decrement in cell viability as assessed by Trypan blue exclusion. The results of the present study indicate that hydrostatic pressure or compression can induce bFGF release from endothelial cells independent of cell injury or death; bFGF is subsequently responsible for the morphological, proliferative, and bilayering responses of endothelial cells to hydrostatic pressure. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effects of intraventricular injection of gastrin on release of LH,prolactin, TSH and GH in conscious ovariectomized rats

Conscious ovariectomized (OVX) rats bearing a cannula implanted in the 3rd ventricle were injected with 2 μl of 0.9% NaCl containing varying doses of synthetic gastrin and plasma gonadotropin, GH and TSH levels were measured by RIA in jugular blood samples drawn through an indwelling silastic catheter. Control injections of saline iv or into the 3rd ventricle did not modify plasma hormone levels. Intraventricular injection of 1 or 5 μg gastrin produced significant suppression of plasma LH and prolactin (Prl) levels within 5 min of injection. Injection of 1 μg gastrin had no effect on plasma GH, but increasing the dose to 5 μg induced a progressive elevation, which reached peak levels at 60 min. By contrast, TSH levels were lowered by both doses of gastrin within 5 min of injection and the lowering persisted for 60 min. Intravenous injection of gastrin had no effect on plasma gonadotropin, GH and TSH, but induced an elevation in Prl levels. $\text{In}$$\text{vitro}$ incubation of hemipituitaries with gastrin failed to modify gonadotropin, GH or Prl but slightly inhibited TSH release at the highest dose of 5 μg gastrin. The results indicate that synthetic gastrin can alter pituitary hormone release in unrestrained OVX rats and implicate a hypothalamic site of action for the peptide to alter release of a gonadotropin, Prl and GH. Its effect on TSH release may be mediated both via hypothalamic neurons and by a direct action on pituitary thyrotrophs.