Endothelial Cells Filopodia in the Anastomosis of Central Nervous System Capillaries.

In this article we explore filopodia of endothelial cells (ECs) in the developing central nervous system (CNS) using the Golgi method and transmission electron microscopy. Filopodia of ECs play a crucial role in the anastomosis of growing capillaries of the CNS. The leading ECs filopodia from approaching capillaries interconnect forming complex conglomerates that precede the anastomotic event. The contacting filopodia form narrow spaces between them filled with proteinaceous basal lamina material. The original narrow spaces coalesce into larger ones leading to the formation of a single one that will interconnect (anastomose) the two approaching capillaries. The four leading ECs (two for each approaching capillary) become the wall of the newly formed post-anastomotic CNS capillaries. These new CNS capillaries are very small with narrow and irregular lumina that might permit the passage of fluid but not yet of blood cells. Eventually, their lumen enlarges and permits the passage of blood cells.

Pre-Analytical Handling Conditions and Small RNA Recovery from Urine for miRNA Profiling.

There are currently no standardized protocols for pre-analytical handling of urine to best preserve small RNA for miRNA profiling studies. miRNA is an attractive candidate as a potential biomarker because of the high level of stability in body fluids and its ability to be quantified on multiple high-throughput platforms. We present a comparison of small RNA recovery and stability in urine under alternate pre-analytical handling conditions and extend recommendations on what conditions optimize yield of miRNA from cell-free urine and urine extracellular vesicles (EVs). Using an affinity slurry for isolation of small RNA from urine, we found that urine samples held at room temperature (20°C) for up to 8 hours before processing yield the highest amounts of intact small RNAs from EVs. Some miRNA is lost from urine samples when held 2°C to 4°C and/or frozen before EV isolation, likely because of EV entrapment in uromodulin precipitates. However, we found that a simple 5-minute incubation of urine containing cold-induced precipitate at 37°C resolubilizes much of this precipitate and results in an increased recovery of EVs and miRNAs. Finally, small RNA integrity can be compromised when whole urine is held at 37°C for as little as 4 hours and is not conducive to efficient miRNA profiling.

Pulmonary microRNA profiling: implications in upper lobe predominant lung disease.

BACKGROUND: Numerous pulmonary diseases manifest with upper lobe predominance including cystic fibrosis, smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and tuberculosis. Zonal hypoxia, characteristic of these pulmonary maladies, and oxygen stress in general is known to exert profound effects on various important aspects of cell biology. Lung macrophages are major participants in the pulmonary innate immune response and regional differences in macrophage responsiveness to hypoxia may contribute in the development of lung disease. MicroRNAs are ubiquitous regulators of human biology and emerging evidence indicates altered microRNA expression modulates respiratory disease processes. The objective of this study is to gain insight into the epigenetic and cellular mechanisms influencing regional differences in lung disease by investigating effect of hypoxia on regional microRNA expression in the lung. All studies were performed using primary alveolar macrophages (n = 10) or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (n = 16) isolated from human subjects. MicroRNA was assayed via the NanoString nCounter microRNA assay. RESULTS: Divergent molecular patterns of microRNA expression were observed in alternate lung lobes, specifically noted was disparate expression of miR-93 and miR-4454 in alveolar macrophages along with altered expression of miR-451a and miR-663a in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Gene ontology was used to identify potential downstream targets of divergent microRNAs. Targets include cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases, molecules that could have a significant impact on pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show variant regional microRNA expression associated with hypoxia in alveolar macrophages and BAL fluid in the lung-upper vs lower lobe. Future studies should address whether these specific microRNAs may act intracellularly, in a paracrine/endocrine manner to direct the innate immune response or may ultimately be involved in pulmonary host-to-pathogen trans-kingdom cross-talk.

Progesterone has rapid positive feedback actions on LH release but fails to reduce LH pulse frequency within 12 h in estradiol-pretreated women.

In women, progesterone suppresses luteinizing hormone (LH) (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) pulse frequency, but how rapidly this occurs is unknown. In estradiol-pretreated women in the late follicular phase, progesterone administration at 1800 did not slow sleep-associated LH pulse frequency. However, mechanisms controlling LH pulse frequency may differ according to sleep status; and we thus hypothesized that progesterone acutely suppresses waking LH pulse frequency. This was a randomized, double-blind, crossover study of LH secretory responses to progesterone versus placebo administered at 0600. We studied 12 normal women in the late follicular phase (cycle days 7-11), pretreated with 3 days of transdermal estradiol (0.2 mg/day). Subjects underwent a 24-h blood sampling protocol (starting at 2000) and received either 100 mg oral micronized progesterone or placebo at 0600. In a subsequent menstrual cycle, subjects underwent an identical protocol except that oral progesterone was exchanged for placebo or vice versa. Changes in 10-h LH pulse frequency were similar between progesterone and placebo. However, mean LH, LH pulse amplitude, and mean follicle-stimulating hormone exhibited significantly greater increases with progesterone. Compared to our previous study (progesterone administered at 1800), progesterone administration at 0600 was associated with a similar increase in mean LH, but a less pronounced increase in LH pulse amplitude. We conclude that, in estradiol-pretreated women in the late follicular phase, a single dose of progesterone does not suppress waking LH pulse frequency within 12 h, but it acutely amplifies mean LH and LH pulse amplitude - an effect that may be influenced by sleep status and/or time of day.

Lipolytic Rate Associated With Intramyocardial Lipid in an HIV Cohort Without Increased Lipolysis.

CONTEXT: Individuals with HIV have an elevated risk for developing cardiovascular disease compared to controls, particularly in relationship to abnormal deposition of lipid within various body compartments. Dysregulation of lipolysis may contribute to abnormal deposition of lipid in non-adipose tissues such as the heart, leading to untoward health consequences. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate potential relationships between rates of whole-body lipolysis and intramyocardial lipid content in HIV-infected subjects compared to healthy controls. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-six HIV-infected adults and 12 controls without known cardiovascular disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Intramyocardial lipid content quantified by MRI and rates of lipolysis determined using stable isotope tracer techniques. RESULTS: We observed a significant positive correlation between the rate of appearance of glycerol and intramyocardial lipid overall (r = 0.323; P = .014) and among the HIV group separately (r = 0.361; P = .014). Multivariate regression analyses including HIV, lipid-lowering therapy, and diabetes identified both rate of appearance of glycerol and age as independent significant predictors of intramyocardial lipid (P = .01 and P = .03, respectively), but these were not significant with inclusion of visceral adipose in the analyses. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this study is among the first in humans to characterize the relationship between lipid deposition in the myocardium and direct measurement of whole-body fatty acid metabolism. Our current findings contribute to the growing understanding of factors that promote myocardial steatosis, such as visceral adiposity, and implicate lipolysis as a potential target for interventions to optimize myocardial health.

Pil1 cytoplasmic rods contain bundles of crosslinked tubules.

Cytoskeletal polymers are organized into a wide variety of higher-order structures in cells. The yeast BAR domain protein Pil1 self-assembles into tubules in vitro, and forms linear polymers at cortical eisosomes in cells. In the fission yeast S. pombe, over-expressed Pil1 forms thick rods that detach from the plasma membrane. In this study, we used thin-section electron microscopy to determine the ultrastructure of these cytoplasmic Pil1 rods. We found that cytoplasmic rods contained crosslinked Pil1 tubules that displayed regular, hexagonal spacing. These bundles were stained by filipin, a sterol-binding fluorescent dye, suggesting that they contained lipids. Cytoplasmic Pil1 rods were present but less abundant in sle1Δ and fhn1Δ mutant cells. We also found that endogenous Pil1 formed thick rods under saturated growth conditions. Taken together, our findings suggest the presence of cellular mechanisms that assemble Pil1 tubules into higher-order structures.

A potential trigger for pine mouth: a case of a homozygous phenylthiocarbamide taster.

Pine mouth, also known as pine nut syndrome, is an uncommon dysgeusia that generally begins 12 to 48 hours after consuming pine nuts. It is characterized by a bitter metallic taste, usually amplified by the consumption of other foods, which lasts 2 to 4 weeks. Recent findings have correlated this disorder with the consumption of nuts of the species Pinus armandii, but no potential triggers or common underlying medical causes have been identified in individuals affected by this syndrome. We report a 23-year-old patient affected by pine mouth who also underwent a phenylthiocarbamide taste test and was found to be a taster for this compound. TAS2R38 genotyping demonstrated that this subject was a homozygous carrier of the proline-alanine-valine taster haplotype. We, therefore, hypothesize that homozygous phenylthiocarbamide taster status may be a potential contributor for pine mouth events. Although based on a single observation, this research suggests a connection between genetically determined bitter taste perception and the occurrence of pine nut dysgeusia events.

Eisosomes provide membrane reservoirs for rapid expansion of the yeast plasma membrane.

Cell surface area rapidly increases during mechanical and hypoosmotic stresses. Such expansion of the plasma membrane requires 'membrane reservoirs' that provide surface area and buffer membrane tension, but the sources of this membrane remain poorly understood. In principle, the flattening of invaginations and buds within the plasma membrane could provide this additional surface area, as recently shown for caveolae in animal cells. Here, we used microfluidics to study the rapid expansion of the yeast plasma membrane in protoplasts, which lack the rigid cell wall. To survive hypoosmotic stress, yeast cell protoplasts required eisosomes, protein-based structures that generate long invaginations at the plasma membrane. Both budding yeast and fission yeast protoplasts lacking eisosomes were unable to expand like wild-type protoplasts during hypoosmotic stress, and subsequently lysed. By performing quantitative fluorescence microscopy on single protoplasts, we also found that eisosomes disassembled as surface area increased. During this process, invaginations generated by eisosomes at the plasma membrane became flattened, as visualized by scanning electron microscopy. We propose that eisosomes serve as tension-dependent membrane reservoirs for expansion of yeast cells in an analogous manner to caveolae in animal cells.

High-resolution elemental mapping of human placental chorionic villi using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

The placenta is the organ that mediates transport of nutrients and waste materials between mother and fetus. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microanalysis is a tool for imaging the distribution and quantity of elements in biological tissue, which can be used to study metal transport across biological membranes. Our aims were to pilot placental biopsy specimen preparation techniques that could be integrated into an ongoing epidemiology birth cohort study without harming rates of sample acquisition. We studied the effects of fixative (formalin or glutaraldehyde) and storage duration (30 days or immediate processing) on metal distribution and abundance and investigated a thaw-fixation protocol for archived specimens stored at -80 °C. We measured fixative elemental composition with and without a placental biopsy via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to quantify fixative-induced elemental changes. Formalin-fixed specimens showed hemolysis of erythrocytes. The glutaraldehyde-paraformaldehyde solution in HEPES buffer (GTA-HEPES) had superior anatomical preservation, avoided hemolysis, and minimized elemental loss, although some cross-linking of exogenous Zn was evident. Elemental loss from tissue stored in fixative for 1 month showed variable losses (≈40 % with GTA-HEPES), suggesting storage duration be controlled for. Thawing of tissue held at -80 °C in a GTA-HEPES solution provided high-quality visual images and elemental images.

Functional characterization of the GATA transcription factors GNC and CGA1 reveals their key role in chloroplast development, growth, and division in Arabidopsis.

Chloroplasts develop from proplastids in a process that requires the interplay of nuclear and chloroplast genomes, but key steps in this developmental process have yet to be elucidated. Here, we show that the nucleus-localized transcription factors GATA NITRATE-INDUCIBLE CARBON-METABOLISM-INVOLVED (GNC) and CYTOKININ-RESPONSIVE GATA1 (CGA1) regulate chloroplast development, growth, and division in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). GNC and CGA1 are highly expressed in green tissues, and the phytohormone cytokinin regulates their expression. A gnc cga1 mutant exhibits a reduction in overall chlorophyll levels as well as in chloroplast size in the hypocotyl. Ectopic overexpression of either GNC or CGA1 promotes chloroplast biogenesis in hypocotyl cortex and root pericycle cells, based on increases in the number and size of the chloroplasts, and also results in expanded zones of chloroplast production into the epidermis of hypocotyls and cotyledons and into the cortex of roots. Ectopic overexpression also promotes the development of etioplasts from proplastids in dark-grown seedlings, subsequently enhancing the deetiolation process. Inducible expression of GNC demonstrates that GNC-mediated chloroplast biogenesis can be regulated postembryonically, notably so for chloroplast production in cotyledon epidermal cells. Analysis of the gnc cga1 loss-of-function and overexpression lines supports a role for these transcription factors in regulating the effects of cytokinin on chloroplast division. These data support a model in which GNC and CGA1 serve as two of the master transcriptional regulators of chloroplast biogenesis, acting downstream of cytokinin and mediating the development of chloroplasts from proplastids and enhancing chloroplast growth and division in specific tissues.

Septin ring size scaling and dynamics require the coiled-coil region of Shs1p.

Septins are conserved GTP-binding proteins that assemble into heteromeric complexes that form filaments and higher-order structures in cells. What directs filament assembly, determines the size of higher-order septin structures, and governs septin dynamics is still not well understood. We previously identified two kinases essential for septin ring assembly in the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii and demonstrate here that the septin Shs1p is multiphosphorylated at the C-terminus of the protein near the predicted coiled-coil domain. Expression of the nonphosphorylatable allele shs1-9A does not mimic the loss of the kinase nor does complete truncation of the Shs1p C-terminus. Surprisingly, however, loss of the C-terminus or the predicted coiled-coil domain of Shs1p generates expanded zones of septin assemblies and ectopic septin fibers, as well as aberrant cell morphology. The expanded structures form coincident with ring assembly and are heteromeric. Interestingly, while septin recruitment to convex membranes is increased, septin localization is diminished at concave membranes in these mutants. Additionally, the loss of the coiled-coil leads to increased mobility of Shs1p. These data indicate the coiled-coil of Shs1p is an important negative regulator of septin ring size and mobility, and its absence may make septin assembly sensitive to local membrane curvature.

The filament-forming protein Pil1 assembles linear eisosomes in fission yeast.

The cortical cytoskeleton mediates a range of cellular activities such as endocytosis, cell motility, and the maintenance of cell rigidity. Traditional polymers, including actin, microtubules, and septins, contribute to the cortical cytoskeleton, but additional filament systems may also exist. In yeast cells, cortical structures called eisosomes generate specialized domains termed MCCs to cluster specific proteins at sites of membrane invaginations. Here we show that the core eisosome protein Pil1 forms linear cortical filaments in fission yeast cells and that purified Pil1 assembles into filaments in vitro. In cells, Pil1 cortical filaments are excluded from regions of cell growth and are independent of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. Pil1 filaments assemble slowly at the cell cortex and appear stable by time-lapse microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. This stability does not require the cell wall, but Pil1 and the transmembrane protein Fhn1 colocalize and are interdependent for localization to cortical filaments. Increased Pil1 expression leads to cytoplasmic Pil1 rods that are stable and span the length of cylindrical fission yeast cells. We propose that Pil1 is a novel component of the yeast cytoskeleton, with implications for the role of filament assembly in the spatial organization of cells.

Septin filaments exhibit a dynamic, paired organization that is conserved from yeast to mammals.

The septins are conserved, GTP-binding proteins important for cytokinesis, membrane compartmentalization, and exocytosis. However, it is unknown how septins are arranged within higher-order structures in cells. To determine the organization of septins in live cells, we developed a polarized fluorescence microscopy system to monitor the orientation of GFP dipole moments with high spatial and temporal resolution. When GFP was fused to septins, the arrangement of GFP dipoles reflected the underlying septin organization. We demonstrated in a filamentous fungus, a budding yeast, and a mammalian epithelial cell line that septin proteins were organized in an identical highly ordered fashion. Fluorescence anisotropy measurements indicated that septin filaments organized into pairs within live cells, just as has been observed in vitro. Additional support for the formation of pairs came from the observation of paired filaments at the cortex of cells using electron microscopy. Furthermore, we found that highly ordered septin structures exchanged subunits and rapidly rearranged. We conclude that septins assemble into dynamic, paired filaments in vivo and that this organization is conserved from yeast to mammals.

Protein methylation in full length Chlamydomonas flagella.

Post-translational protein modification occurs extensively in eukaryotic flagella. Here we examine protein methylation, a protein modification that has only recently been reported to occur in flagella [Schneider MJ, Ulland M, Sloboda RD.2008. Mol Biol Cell 19(10):4319-4327.]. The cobalamin (vitamin B12) independent form of the enzyme methionine synthase (MetE), which catalyzes the final step in methionine production, is localized to flagella. Here we demonstrate, using immunogold scanning electron microscopy, that MetE is bound to the outer doublets of the flagellum. Methionine can be converted to S-adenosyl methionine, which then serves as the methyl donor for protein methylation reactions. Using antibodies that recognize symmetrically or asymmetrically methylated arginine residues, we identify three highly methylated proteins in intact flagella: two symmetrically methylated proteins of about 30 and 40 kDa, and one asymmetrically methylated protein of about 75 kDa. Several other relatively less methylated proteins could also be detected. Fractionation and immunoblot analysis shows that these proteins are components of the flagellar axoneme. Immunogold thin section electron microscopy indicates that the symmetrically methylated proteins are located in the central region of the axoneme, perhaps as components of the central pair complex and the radial spokes, while the asymmetrically methylated proteins are associated with the outer doublets. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Localization of EB1, IFT polypeptides, and kinesin-2 in Chlamydomonas flagellar axonemes via immunogold scanning electron microscopy.

Intraflagellar transport (IFT) refers to the bi-directional movement of particles and associated cargo along the axonemes of eukaryotic flagella and cilia. To provide a new perspective on the morphology of IFT particles, their association with the axoneme, and their composition, we have used immunogold localization coupled to detection via scanning electron microscopy. Here we co-localize in the Chlamydomonas flagellar axoneme polypeptides labeled with specific antibodies. Chlamydomonas EB1 localizes to the distal tip of the axoneme, as expected from previous immunofluorescent data (Pedersen et al. Curr Biol2003;13(22):1969-1974), thus demonstrating the utility of this approach. Using antibodies to IFT-related polypeptides, particles can be identified associated with the axoneme that fall into one of two classes: The first class is composed of IFT particles labeled with polyclonal antibodies to kinesin-2 and monoclonal antibodies to either IFT139 (an IFT complex A polypeptide) or IFT172 (a complex B polypeptide). The second class is comprised of particles that label with antibodies to IFT139 alone; thus, discrete particles are present associated with the axoneme that are composed only of complex A polypeptides. When IFT particles were purified by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation, they appeared as more or less spherical aggregates of varying dimensions labeled with antibodies to IFT139 and to the motor protein kinesin-2. By contrast, isolated IFT particles that were labeled with IFT172 antibodies were not labeled with kinesin-2 antibodies. The data are discussed in terms of the total polypeptide composition of an IFT particle and the interaction of the particles with the motors that power IFT.

The cohesion protein ORD is required for homologue bias during meiotic recombination.

During meiosis, sister chromatid cohesion is required for normal levels of homologous recombination, although how cohesion regulates exchange is not understood. Null mutations in orientation disruptor (ord) ablate arm and centromeric cohesion during Drosophila meiosis and severely reduce homologous crossovers in mutant oocytes. We show that ORD protein localizes along oocyte chromosomes during the stages in which recombination occurs. Although synaptonemal complex (SC) components initially associate with synapsed homologues in ord mutants, their localization is severely disrupted during pachytene progression, and normal tripartite SC is not visible by electron microscopy. In ord germaria, meiotic double strand breaks appear and disappear with frequency and timing indistinguishable from wild type. However, Ring chromosome recovery is dramatically reduced in ord oocytes compared with wild type, which is consistent with the model that defects in meiotic cohesion remove the constraints that normally limit recombination between sisters. We conclude that ORD activity suppresses sister chromatid exchange and stimulates inter-homologue crossovers, thereby promoting homologue bias during meiotic recombination in Drosophila.

A mechanistic model for the organization of microtubule asters by motor and non-motor proteins in a mammalian mitotic extract.

We used computer simulation to understand the functional relationships between motor (dynein, HSET, and Eg5) and non-motor (NuMA) proteins involved in microtubule aster organization. The simulation accurately predicted microtubule organization under all combinations of motor and non-motor proteins, provided that microtubule cross-links at minus-ends were dynamic, and dynein and HSET were restricted to cross-linking microtubules in parallel orientation only. A mechanistic model was derived from these data in which a combination of two aggregate properties, Net Minus-end-directed Force and microtubule Cross-linking Orientation Bias, determine microtubule organization. This model uses motor and non-motor proteins, accounts for motor antagonism, and predicts that alterations in microtubule Cross-linking Orientation Bias should compensate for imbalances in motor force during microtubule aster formation. We tested this prediction in the mammalian mitotic extract and, consistent with the model, found that increasing the contribution of microtubule cross-linking by NuMA compensated for the loss of Eg5 motor activity. Thus, this model proposes a precise mechanism of action of each noncentrosomal protein during microtubule aster organization and suggests that microtubule organization in spindles involves both motile forces from motors and static forces from non-motor cross-linking proteins.

A functional relationship between NuMA and kid is involved in both spindle organization and chromosome alignment in vertebrate cells.

We examined spindle morphology and chromosome alignment in vertebrate cells after simultaneous perturbation of the chromokinesin Kid and either NuMA, CENP-E, or HSET. Spindle morphology and chromosome alignment after simultaneous perturbation of Kid and either HSET or CENP-E were no different from when either HSET or CENP-E was perturbed alone. However, short bipolar spindles with organized poles formed after perturbation of both Kid and NuMA in stark contrast to splayed spindle poles observed after perturbation of NuMA alone. Spindles were disorganized if Kid, NuMA, and HSET were perturbed, indicating that HSET is sufficient for spindle organization in the absence of Kid and NuMA function. In addition, chromosomes failed to align efficiently at the spindle equator after simultaneous perturbation of Kid and NuMA despite appropriate kinetochore-microtubule interactions that generated chromosome movement at normal velocities. These data indicate that a functional relationship between the chromokinesin Kid and the spindle pole organizing protein NuMA influences spindle morphology, and we propose that this occurs because NuMA forms functional linkages between kinetochore and nonkinetochore microtubules at spindle poles. In addition, these data show that both Kid and NuMA contribute to chromosome alignment in mammalian cells.

The contractility of elongated microvilli in early sea urchin embryos.

Elongated microvilli attach the early sea urchin embryo to the fertilization envelope and support it in a concentric position within the perivitelline space. The contractility of the elongated microvilli was demonstrated in several ways. (1) During normal cleavage, these microvilli change their length to adapt to the change in shape and numbers of blastomeres. (2) When treated with calcium-free sea water, embryos become eccentrically located and the microvilli extend further than normal on one side; when returned to normal sea water, the embryos become centered again. (3) Several agents cause the fertilization envelope to become higher and thinner than normal and the elongated microvilli to extend correspondingly if treated within ten min after fertilization. In some cases, both elongated microvilli and fertilization envelope return to normal size when returned to normal sea water. (4) Fertilization in a papain solution causes the elongated microvilli and the fertilization envelope to contract to the surface of the embryo. (5) Refertilization after the papain-induced contraction can bring about the elongation of these microvilli and the elevation of the fertilization envelope a second time. It was also shown that elongated microvilli are extended immediately upon fertilization, at the same time as the short microvilli. The firm adherence of the tips of elongated microvilli to the fertilization envelope by means of extracellular matrix fibers is shown in a high voltage electron microscope stereoimage. This allows us to understand why it is that when the elongated microvilli extend or contract, the fertilization envelope also extends and contracts accordingly.