Actin expression in smooth muscle cells of rat aortic intimal thickening, human atheromatous plaque, and cultured rat aortic media.

Actin of smooth muscle cells of rat and human aortic media shows a predominance of the alpha-isoform. In experimental rat aortic intimal thickening, in human atheromatous plaque, and in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells, there is a typical switch in actin expression with a predominance of the beta-form and a noticeable amount of gamma-form. This pattern of actin expression represents a new reliable protein-chemical marker of experimental and human atheromatous smooth muscle cells.

Brain clathrin. Viscometric and turbidimetric properties of its ultrastructural assemblies.

Clathrin was isolated in highly purified form from bovine brain preparations rich in coated vesicles and by some improvements of our previous procedures. At pH 7.5, clathrin's solution was viscous, but clear. At pH 6.5, clathrin's solution was less viscous, but turbid. By electron microscopy, clathrin's turbidity at pH 6.5 correlated with the presence of numerous basket-like lattices or cages; the higher viscosity observed at pH 7.5 correlated with a mixture of various polymeric forms of clathrin having linearly assembled filaments or filamentous bundles of cross-linked clathrin molecules. In vivo, clathrin's capacity for assembling or disassembling itself into baskets or cage-like structures is compatible with a mechanism that retrieves areas of the plasma membrane containing protein molecules, smaller stimulatory or inhibitory compounds bound on the external cell membrane surface.

Brain clathrin: immunofluorescent localization in rat retina.

By indirect immunofluorescence, the major protein of coated vesicles and coated pits was localized in rat retina. Specific fluorescence was circumscribed to regions containing synaptic endings in high density such as the cell internal plexiform layer (IPL) and external plexiform layer (EPL). Fine dots or patches of fluorescence were seen in the EPL. Weaker fluorescence was observed in the narrow cytoplasmic strips surrounding the large nucleus of the ganglion cell, internal nuclear and external nuclear cell layers. There was no fluorescent staining in the retinal pigment epithelium, a layer where active endocytosis of the outer segment of the rods and cones take place. The high concentration of clathrin found in the IPL and EPL is indicative of active recycling of synaptic membrane concomitant to neurotransmitter release and receptor molecule turnover.

Brain clathrin complex: II. Immunofluorescent correlation and biochemical affinity for actin.

The interaction of clathrin with cytoskeletal proteins was studied cytochemically by immunofluorescent staining and biochemically by the binding of actin to clathrin on the surfaces of polystyrene particles. Using a cytoskeletal-disrupting agent, the linear arrangement of clathrin lattices along actin fibers was altered. As a result of cell retraction, the fluorescent dots of clathrin redistributed, conforming to the new cellular shape. Cytoplasmic areas, largely devoid of fluorescent dots, were observed at the cell's periphery. In vitro, the native clathrin complex (clathrin plus clathrin-associated proteins (CAPs)) bound up to 1 mol of actin, but when the clathrin polypeptide was separated from accompanying proteins it bound up to 2 mol of actin from solution. It appears that clathrin's molecular lattices have an affinity for arrays of actin microfilaments, following them closely, and that clathrin lattices display lateral mobility during cytoplasmic reorganization.

Cytoskeleton of rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Normal conditions and experimental intimal thickening.

The organization of actin, vimentin, and desmin in smooth muscle cells of rat aortic media and intima under normal conditions and 15 or 75 days after endothelial injury has been studied by means of electron microscopy, indirect immunofluorescence, densitometric analysis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, isoelectric focusing, and bidimensional gels. In the normal aortic media, practically all smooth muscle cells contain vimentin, and about 50% of them contain, in addition, desmin; upon analysis of actin isotypes by bidimensional gels, smooth muscle cells show a predominance of alpha-actin, some beta-actin, and very little gamma-actin. Fifteen days after endothelial injury, cells that have migrated into the intima contain decreased amounts of actin and desmin and increased amounts of vimentin compared with normal medial smooth muscle cells. Moreover, beta-actin becomes the predominant actin isotype and significant amounts of gamma-actin appear, whereas alpha-actin decreases. Seventy-five days after endothelial injury, regenerated endothelial cells have repaired the injury. Intimal smooth muscle cells are less numerous than 15 days after injury, and the organization of their cytoskeletal elements has reverted almost to normal conditions. At both 15 and 75 days after endothelial injury, no significant changes of cytoskeletal elements are seen in the aortic media underlying intimal thickenings.

Cytoskeletal remodeling of rat aortic smooth muscle cells in vitro: relationships to culture conditions and analogies to in vivo situations.

Cytoskeletal features of arterial smooth muscle cells (SMC) vary characteristically during development and during atheromatous plaque formation (Gabbiani et al., 1984; Kocher et al., 1985). We have analyzed the cytoskeletal features of rat aortic SMC placed in culture in the presence of 10% foetal calf serum (thus containing growth factors probably playing a role in SMC development and atheroma formation), as compared to SMC freshly isolated from the rat aortic media. Under these conditions, SMC show a typical cytoskeletal remodeling characterized by: 1) increased content of vimentin per cell, increased number of cells containing only vimentin, and decreased number of vimentin plus desmin containing cells; 2) decreased contents of actin, tropomyosin and myosin; 3) a switch in the pattern of actin isoforms with the appearance of a beta-type predominance. Some of these changes (e.g. increase of vimentin and decrease of alpha-type actin) are seen already in cells entering for the first time in S-phase after plating. Pulse-chase experiments with 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR) indicate that vimentin containing SMC possess a higher replicative activity than vimentin plus desmin containing SMC, thus explaining the selection of vimentin containing cells during culture. Our results indicate that during culture SMC develop features similar to those observed in normal foetal SMC or in SMC present in atheromatous plaques; this model may be useful for the understanding of mechanisms leading to SMC differentiation and to atheroma formation.

Brain clathrin: immunofluorescent patterns in cultured cells and tissues.

High-purity bovine brain clathrin elicited antibodies, which were separated by affinity chromatography on clathrin conjugated with CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. Indirect immunofluorescent labeling on cultured rat fibroblasts showed the characteristic dotted fluorescence throughout the entire cytoplasm and concentrated patches of fluorescence in areas where the Golgi apparatus and GERL (Golgi apparatus-endoplasmic reticulum-lysosome complex) exist next to the nucleus. Cerebellar tissue sections exhibited profuse immunofluorescence in the granular layer; dissociated cultures of neonatal rat cerebellar cells showed intense fluorescence in the cytoplasm and processes of granule cell neurons. The data suggest that clathrin is an abundant protein distinctly localized in the cytoplasm of cells and clearly correlated in its distribution and arrangement with actin stress fibers.

Brain clathrin: studies of its ultrastructural assemblies.

Clathrin purified to a high degree of homogeneity showed the presence of accompanying polypeptides of lower molecular weights and assembled into baskets or cages when the pH of its solution was adjusted from pH 7.5 to 6.5. Brief chymotrypsin treatment of this clathrin preparation at pH 6.5 cleaved clathrin-associated proteins rendering clathrin unable to reform baskets. Hydrolysis of clathrin-associated proteins did not affect clathrin's capacity to polymerize into open lattices or to bind actin and alpha-actinin from solution. When open lattices formed, the turbidity of the solution rose to levels that were higher than those produced when cages or baskets were formed by native clathrin. In both native or enzyme-treated clathrin, turbidity increase was inhibited by salts. The addition of certain cytoskeletal-disrupting agents, such as chlorpromazine and imipramine, increased clathrin's turbidity but did not result in formation of the baskets. Colchicine and cytochalasin B did not affect turbidity or the assembly of cages. The addition of increasing amounts of vinblastine resulted in the precipitation of larger amounts of clathrin which, after solubilization, retained its ability to polymerize into baskets. It seems that clathrin exists as a complex with other protein molecules, clathrin-associated proteins, that modulate the extent of polymerization and assembly the clathrin into characteristic structures.