Herbicides and the microtubular apparatus of Nicotiana tabacum pollen tube: immunofluorescence and immunogold labelling studies.

Herbicides are chemical compounds widely used in agriculture. As their intensive application is becoming a cause of environmental pollution, detailed and more sophisticated investigations are needed to understand better their consequences at the biological level. After herbicides are dispersed in the fields, they establish chemical interactions with both target and non-target plants. In both cases, herbicides can interact with the plant reproductive apparatus; consequently they could play a role during the fertilisation process in higher plants. Using an antibody to the alpha-tubulin subunit in immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy techniques, we investigated the distribution of microtubules in Nicotiana tabacum pollen tubes grown under in vitro conditions in the presence of five different herbicides selected among those used frequently in central Italy. Herbicides have a specific effect on the microtubular apparatus of both pollen tube and generative cell. In addition to other tests and assays, these results suggest that the microtubule cytoskeleton of pollen tubes can be used as a bioindicator for studying the toxicity effects induced by herbicides.

Recurrence of hepatitis C virus infection after orthotopic liver transplantation: role of genotypes.

In this study, we evaluated the correlation between alanine aminotrasferase levels and hepatitis C virus genotypes in liver transplant patients. We studied 18 patients who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation because of end-stage cirrhosis (n = 9) or hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 9) hepatitis C virus related. Serum HCV-RNA testing was performed monthly on all the 18 series of serum samples from the first week after liver transplant until the end of the follow up, this period ranging from 1 to 39 months. After liver transplantation, serum HCV-RNA was detected in 14 patients (78%). Of the 8 patients infected with subtype 1b. 1 remained asymptomatic, 2 developed acute liver failure and 5 developed chronic hepatitis. In patients infected with types 1a (Choo et al., 1989), 2a (Choo et al., 1989), with a mixed infection 1b/3 (Kuo et al., 1989) or with an undetermined genotype, significant laboratory abnormalities were not observed. Recurrence of hepatitis C virus infection after liver transplantation is common, and recurrent hepatitis occurs in 50% of cases. Genotype 1b appears to be associated with a higher rate of recurrent hepatitis, compared to other genotypes.

Variation of hepatitis C virus following serial transmission: multiple mechanisms of diversification of the hypervariable region and evidence for convergent genome evolution.

We have studied the evolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from a common source following serial transmission from contaminated batches of anti-D immunoglobulin. Six secondary recipients were each infected with virus from identifiable primary recipients of HCV-contaminated anti-D immunoglobulin. Phylogenetic analysis of virus E1/E2 gene sequences [including the hypervariable region (HVR)] and part of NS5B confirmed their common origin, but failed to reproduce the known epidemiological relationships between pairs of viruses, probably because of the frequent occurrence of convergent substitutions at both synonymous and nonsynonymous sites. There was no evidence that the rate at which the HCV genome evolves is affected by transmission events. Three different mechanisms appear to have been involved in generating variation of the hypervariable region; nucleotide substitution, insertion/deletion of nucleotide triplets at the E1/E2 boundary and insertion of a duplicated segment replacing almost the entire HVR. These observations have important implications for the phylogenetic analysis of HCV sequences from epidemiologically linked isolates.

Long-term evolution of the hypervariable region of hepatitis C virus in a common-source-infected cohort.

The long-term evolution of the hepatitis C virus hypervariable region (HVR) and flanking regions of the E1 and E2 envelope proteins have been studied in a cohort of women infected from a common source of anti-D immunoglobulin. Whereas virus sequences in the infectious source were relatively homogeneous, distinct HVR variants were observed in each anti-D recipient, indicating that this region can evolve in multiple directions from the same point. Where HVR variants with dissimilar sequences were present in a single individual, the frequency of synonymous substitution in the flanking regions suggested that the lineages diverged more than a decade previously. Even where a single major HVR variant was present in an infected individual, this lineage was usually several years old. Multiple lineages can therefore coexist during long periods of chronic infection without replacement. The characteristics of amino acid substitution in the HVR were not consistent with the random accumulation of mutations and imply that amino acid replacement in the HVR was strongly constrained. Another variable region of E2 centered on codon 60 shows similar constraints, while HVR2 was relatively unconstrained. Several of these features are difficult to explain if a neutralizing immune response against the HVR is the only selective force operating on E2. The impact of PCR artifacts such as nucleotide misincorporation and the shuffling of dissimilar templates is discussed.

Confocal imaging and immunogold electron microscopy of changes in distribution of myosin during pollen hydration, germination and pollen tube growth in Nicotiana tabacum L.

Using anti-myosin antibodies, standard immunocytochemical techniques in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy and colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy we compare changes in the distribution patterns of myosin during the early stages of pollen hydration, germination, tube growth, and myosin associated with isolated vegetative nucleus and the generative cell in Nicotiana tabacum L. Furthermore, on the Western blots of pollen tube proteins, the antimyosin antibodies crossreact only with one polypeptide of approximately 174 kDa. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy reveals that in hydrated pollen, myosin is discretely associated with the cytoplasmic organelles and numerous punctate structures present in the center of the pollen. Within 30 min following transfer of pollen into the germination medium, that is, with the onset of germination, the centrally located punctate structures are displaced, and we find accumulation of myosin-associated organelles towards one of the germinal apertures from which the pollen tube would emerge. Subsequently, after 45 min of germination with the emergence of germination structure, few punctate structures are detected in the vegetative cytoplasm while intense immunostain is detected just below the plasma membrane of the emerging pollen tube tip. In the older parts of both short and long pollen tubes after 90 to 120 min of pollen germination, few fluorescent structures were found in the pollen tubes, however, numerous punctate fluorescent spots were concentrated in the tip region over a distance of 2 to 3 microns below the plasma membrane of the tube tip. This is further substantiated by colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy wherein clusters of gold particles are associated with vesicle-like structures in the tip region of the pollen tubes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

High molecular weight polypeptides related to dynein heavy chains in Nicotiana tabacum pollen tubes.

Nicotiana tabacum pollen tubes contain two high molecular weight polypeptides (about 400 kDa), which are specifically expressed during pollen germination and pollen tube growth in BK medium. The high molecular weight doublet resembles the dynein heavy chains in some biochemical properties. Sedimentation profiles of pollen tube extracts show that the high molecular weight bands have sedimentation coefficients of 22 S and 12 S, respectively. ATPase assay of sedimentation fractions shows an activity ten times higher when stimulated by the presence of bovine brain microtubules in fractions containing the 22 S high molecular weight polypeptide. Both these high molecular weight polypeptides can bind microtubules in an ATP-dependent fashion. A mouse antiserum to a synthetic peptide reproducing the sequence of the most conserved ATP-binding site among dynein heavy chains recognized the two high molecular weight polypeptides. Therefore these polypeptides have sequences immunologically related to the ATP binding sites of dynein heavy chains.

Calcification of ligamentum flavum causing spinal cord compression in a stroke patient.

Hypertrophy or calcification of the ligamentum flavum may be a cause of spinal cord compression. Most cases have been reported to occur in either the cervical or thoracolumbar region. We report an unusual case of a 59-year-old man admitted to the rehabilitation service with a recent diagnosis of right cerebrovascular accident with left hemiparesis. The patient had a history of gait disturbance, motor weakness, and bowel/bladder changes. Admission FIM scores were approximately 62 with complete dependence in mobility (ie, transfers) and locomotion. Fluctuating changes in his neurological status were observed; further testing led to an uncommon diagnoses of thoracic radiculomyelopathy caused by calcification of the ligamentum flavum. This diagnosis, although rare, should be considered in the diagnosis of patients suspected to have spinal cord compression.

Confocal image analysis of spatial variations in immunocytochemically identified calmodulin during pollen hydration, germination and pollen tube tip growth in Nicotiana tabacum L.

Using monoclonal anti-calmodulin antibodies in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy we have analysed the spatial variations in the distribution pattern of calmodulin (CaM) during the sequential events of pollen hydration, germination and tube growth in Nicotiana tabacum. These immunocytochemical observations have been complemented by immunochemical studies wherein the anti-calmodulin antibody raised against pea CaM recognises a polypeptide of c. 18 kDa in the pollen extracts. Digitisation of confocally acquired optical sections of immunofluorescence images reveals that in hydrated pollen a high level of CaM is consistently present in the region of the germinal apertures. Subsequently, with the onset of germination a high CaM concentration was found associated with the plasma membrane of the germination bubble and in the cytoplasm in its vicinity, while in the vegetative cytoplasm a weak diffuse and intense punctate signal was registered. CaM immunostain was also detected in association with the plasma membrane of the tube tips in both short and long pollen tubes. Furthermore, the cytosol of the tubes invariably manifested an apically focused CaM gradient. We were, however, unable to detect any vacuolar association of CaM in the older regions of the pollen tubes. Although punctate immunostain was obvious across the pollen tube numerous punctate structures were invariably present in the extreme tip. The possible implications of these findings in development of cell polarity, polarised growth, maintenance of calcium homeostasis and CaM interactions with other mechanochemical motor proteins in effecting propulsion of organelles during pollen hydration, germination and pollen tube growth are discussed.

Kinesin-related polypeptide is associated with vesicles from Corylus avellana pollen.

A 100-kDa polypeptide with microtubule-interacting properties was identified in a Golgi vesicle-enriched fraction from Corylus avellana pollen. The k71s23 antibody (directed to the kinesin heavy chain from bovine brain) [Tiezzi et al., 1992: Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 21:132-137] localized the polypeptide on the external surface of membrane-bounded organelles. Some 100-kDa-containing vesicles copelleted with microtubules (polymerized from purified bovine brain tubulin) either in presence or absence of 5 mM AMPPNP, but they could be released by 10 mM ATP or 0.5 M KCl. The pollen microtubule-interacting protein, salt-extracted from membranes and partially purified by gel filtration, exhibited an ATPase activity (16.2 nmolPi/mg/min) which could be stimulated about 2-fold (32.5 nmolPi/mg/min) by addition of bovine brain microtubules. We suppose that the 100-kDa polypeptide is part of a molecular complex showing properties of the kinesin class.