Fusion of mononucleated myoblasts into parallel arrays of mutinucleated myotubes is an essential step in skeletal myogenesis.
The formation of such a highly ordered structure requires myoblasts to come together, orient and align in the correct location
prior to fusion. We report here that fetal and neonatal myoblasts can use topographical features as strong guidance cues in
vitro. Myoblasts were cultured on multiple grooved substrata of varying dimensions, and the axial orientations of individual
cells were recorded. Both fetal and neonatal myoblasts aligned parallel with the direction of deep grooves (2.3–6.0 μm), which
is correlated well with the location of myoblasts in similar sized grooves during secondary myogenesis. Fetal myoblasts also
responded to shallower grooves (0.04–0.14 μm) by aligning parallel or perpendicular to the direction of the grooves, indicating
the ability of these cells to respond to fine elements normally encountered within the developing muscle architecture. In
contrast, neonatal myoblasts failed to respond to shallow grooves, adding to the suggestion that fetal and neonatal myoblasts
may represent separate populations of myoblasts. Overall, the results demonstrate that myoblasts respond to large and small
features of the physical topography in vitro and indicate that structural elements in the microenvironment of the muscle may
play a critical role in myoblast spatial organization during myogenesis.
Received: 29 May 1998 / Accepted: 17 February 1999 相似文献
The taxonomic attribution of isolated hominin distal humeri has been a matter of uncertainty and disagreement notwithstanding their relative abundance in the fossil record. Four taxonomically-based morphotypes, respectively representing P. boisei, P. robustus, non-erectus early Homo and H. erectus, have been identified based on the cross-sectional outer shape variation of an assemblage of Plio-Pleistocene eastern and southern African specimens (Lague, 2015). However, the existence of possible differences between Paranthropus and Homo in the inner structural organisation at this skeletal site remains unexplored. We used noninvasive imaging techniques to tentatively characterize the endostructural organization of five early Pleistocene distal humeri from South Africa (TM 1517g, SK 24600, SKX 10924, SKX 34805) and Ethiopia (Gombore IB), which have been variably attributed to Paranthropus or Homo. While the investigated specimens reveal diverse degrees of inner preservation related to their taphonomic and diagenetic history, in all but SK 24600 from Swartkrans we could comparatively assess some geometric properties at the most distal cross-sectional level (%CA, Ix/Iy, Imax/Imin) and quantify cortical bone thickness topographic variation across the preserved shaft portions by means of a 2-3D Relative Cortical Thickness index. Whenever possible, we also provided details about the site-specific organization of the cancellous network and measured the same parameters in a comparative sample of twelve adult extant humans. For most features, our results indicate two main patterns: the first includes the specimens TM 1517g, SKX 10924 and SKX 34805, while the second endostructural morphotype sets apart the robust Homo aff. erectus Gombore IB specimen from Melka Kunture, which more closely resembles the condition displayed by our comparative human sample. Notably, marked differences in the amount and pattern of proximodistal cortical bone distribution have been detected between Gombore IB and SKX 34805 from Swartkrans. Given its discordant outer and inner signatures, we conclude that the taxonomic status of SKX 34805 deserves further investigations. 相似文献
Using a combination of atomic force, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, we found that avian erythrocytes infected with the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum develop 60 nm wide and 430 nm long furrow-like structures on the surface. Furrows begin to appear during the early trophozoite stage of the parasite’s development. They remain constant in size and density during the course of parasite maturation and are uniformly distributed in random orientations over the erythrocyte surface. In addition, the density of furrows is directly proportional to the number of parasites contained within the erythrocyte. These findings suggest that parasite-induced intraerythrocytic processes are involved in modifying the surface of host erythrocytes. These processes may be analogous to those of the human malaria parasite P. falciparum, which induces knob-like protrusions that mediate the pathogenic adherence of parasitized erythrocytes to microvessels. Although P. gallinaceum-infected erythrocytes do not seem to adhere to microvessels in the host chicken, the furrows might be involved in the pathogenesis of P. gallinaceum infections by some other mechanism involving host-pathogen interactions. 相似文献
Since the discovery of steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP), it has been used in many fields. Numerous studies suggest that there exist three SSVEP neural networks in different frequency bands. An obvious phenomenon has been observed, that the amplitude and phase of SSVEP can be modulated by a cognitive task. Previous works have studied this modulation on separately activated SSVEP neural networks by a cognitive task. If two or more SSVEP neural networks are activated simultaneously in the process of a cognitive task, is the modulation on different SSVEP neural networks the same? In this study, two different SSVEP neural networks were activated simultaneously by two different frequency flickers, with a working memory task irrelevant to the flickers being conducted at the same time. The modulated SSVEP waves were compared with each other and to those only under one flicker in previous studies. The comparison results show that the cognitive task can modulate different SSVEP neural networks with a similar style. 相似文献
Inferred dietary preference is a major component of paleoecologies of extinct primates. Molar occlusal shape correlates with diet in living mammals, so teeth are a potentially useful structure from which to reconstruct diet in extinct taxa. We assess the efficacy of Dirichlet normal energy (DNE) calculated for molar tooth surfaces for reflecting diet. We evaluate DNE, which uses changes in normal vectors to characterize curvature, by directly comparing this metric to metrics previously used in dietary inference. We also test whether combining methods improves diet reconstructions. The study sample consisted of 146 lower (mandibular) second molars belonging to 24 euarchontan taxa. Five shape quantification metrics were calculated on each molar: DNE, shearing quotient, shearing ratio, relief index, and orientation patch count rotated (OPCR). Statistical analyses were completed for each variable to assess effects of taxon and diet. Discriminant function analysis was used to assess ability of combinations of variables to predict diet. Values differ significantly by diets for all variables, although shearing ratios and OPCR do not distinguish statistically between insectivores and folivores or omnivores and frugivores. Combined analyses were much more effective at predicting diet than any metric alone. Alone, relief index and DNE were most effective at predicting diet. OPCR was the least effective alone but is still valuable as the only quantitative measure of surface complexity. Of all methods considered, DNE was the least methodologically sensitive, and its effectiveness suggests it will be a valuable tool for dietary reconstruction. 相似文献
One important but largely unanswered question about floristic responses to climate change is how interactions such as competition, facilitation and plant–soil feedbacks will influence the ability of species to track shifting climates. In a rugged and moisture‐limited region that has recently warmed by 2° (Siskiyou Mountains, OR, USA), we planted three species into cooler aspects and elevations than those they currently inhabit, with and without removal of neighbouring plants, and tracked them over 2 years. Two species had higher success in cooler topographic locations, and this success was enhanced by neighbouring plants, which appeared to modulate minimum growing season temperatures. One species' success was also facilitated by the higher soil organic matter found in cooler sites. These results are a novel experimental demonstration of two important factors that may buffer climate change impacts on plants: rugged topography and plant–plant facilitation. 相似文献
Background: Although lianas are important in forest ecosystems, information on the environmental factors influencing their diversity, structure and habitat associations is scanty.
Aims: This study had the aim of determining variation in liana diversity, structure and habitat associations across different topographic habitats, and the environmental factors influencing them, in the Penang Hill Forest Reserve, Malaysia.
Methods: Liana diversity, structure and habitat associations were examined in 30 plots, 40 m × 40 m, randomly demarcated within three topographic habitats (flatland, slope and valley). The physico-chemical properties of the soils in the plots were determined and the altitude and slope of the plots recorded.
Results: Liana species richness, diversity and structure varied significantly among the topographic habitats. Liana species richness, diversity and abundance variations were related to soil moisture, phosphorus content, pH and altitude, whereas liana diameter and basal area were associated with soil magnesium and slope. A total of eight species had a positive association with the habitat and a further six showed a negative association. Four species had a positive association with the flatland habitat, but only three and two species, respectively, with slope and valley habitats. The slope habitat gave the highest number of species that showed a negative association.
Conclusions: Liana diversity and structure varied between habitats. Some liana species showed different associations with specific habitats. Environmental variables were identified that influence liana diversity, structure and habitat associations. The study provides important information about the factors influencing liana success, and these will be of value in liana conservation and management in tropical forests. 相似文献