Mapping the dynamical organization of the cell nucleus through fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

The hierarchical organization of the cell nucleus into specialized open reservoirs and the nucleoplasm overcrowding impose restrictions to the mobility of biomolecules and their interactions with nuclear targets. These properties determine that many nuclear functions such as transcription, replication, splicing or DNA repair are regulated by complex, dynamical processes that do not follow simple rules. Advanced fluorescence microscopy tools and, in particular, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) provide complementary and exquisite information on the dynamics of fluorescent labeled molecules moving through the nuclear space and are helping us to comprehend the complexity of the nuclear structure. Here, we describe how FCS methods can be applied to reveal the dynamical organization of the nucleus in live cells. Specifically, we provide instructions for the preparation of cellular samples with fluorescent tagged proteins and detail how FCS can be easily instrumented in commercial confocal microscopes. In addition, we describe general rules to set the parameters for one and two-color experiments and the required controls for these experiments. Finally, we review the statistical analysis of the FCS data and summarize the use of numerical simulations as a complementary approach that helps us to understand the complex matrix of molecular interactions network within the nucleus.

Effect of JJYMD-C, a novel synthetic derivative of gallic acid, on proliferation and phenotype maintenance in rabbit articular chondrocytes in vitro

Tissue engineering encapsulated cells such as chondrocytes in the carrier matrix have been widely used to repair cartilage defects. However, chondrocyte phenotype is easily lost when chondrocytes are expanded in vitro by a process defined as “dedifferentiation”. To ensure successful therapy, an effective pro-chondrogenic agent is necessary to overcome the obstacle of limited cell numbers in the restoration process, and dedifferentiation is a prerequisite. Gallic acid (GA) has been used in the treatment of arthritis, but its biocompatibility is inferior to that of other compounds. In this study, we modified GA by incorporating sulfamonomethoxine sodium and synthesized a sulfonamido-based gallate, JJYMD-C, and evaluated its effect on chondrocyte metabolism. Our results showed that JJYMD-C could effectively increase the levels of the collagen II, Sox9, and aggrecan genes, promote chondrocyte growth, and enhance secretion and synthesis of cartilage extracellular matrix. On the other hand, expression of the collagen I gene was effectively down-regulated, demonstrating inhibition of chondrocyte dedifferentiation by JJYMD-C. Hypertrophy, as a characteristic of chondrocyte ossification, was undetectable in the JJYMD-C groups. We used JJYMD-C at doses of 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 µg/mL, and the strongest response was observed with 0.25 µg/mL. This study provides a basis for further studies on a novel agent in the treatment of articular cartilage defects.

Effect of JJYMD-C, a novel synthetic derivative of gallic acid, on proliferation and phenotype maintenance in rabbit articular chondrocytes in vitro.

Tissue engineering encapsulated cells such as chondrocytes in the carrier matrix have been widely used to repair cartilage defects. However, chondrocyte phenotype is easily lost when chondrocytes are expanded in vitro by a process defined as "dedifferentiation". To ensure successful therapy, an effective pro-chondrogenic agent is necessary to overcome the obstacle of limited cell numbers in the restoration process, and dedifferentiation is a prerequisite. Gallic acid (GA) has been used in the treatment of arthritis, but its biocompatibility is inferior to that of other compounds. In this study, we modified GA by incorporating sulfamonomethoxine sodium and synthesized a sulfonamido-based gallate, JJYMD-C, and evaluated its effect on chondrocyte metabolism. Our results showed that JJYMD-C could effectively increase the levels of the collagen II, Sox9, and aggrecan genes, promote chondrocyte growth, and enhance secretion and synthesis of cartilage extracellular matrix. On the other hand, expression of the collagen I gene was effectively down-regulated, demonstrating inhibition of chondrocyte dedifferentiation by JJYMD-C. Hypertrophy, as a characteristic of chondrocyte ossification, was undetectable in the JJYMD-C groups. We used JJYMD-C at doses of 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 µg/mL, and the strongest response was observed with 0.25 µg/mL. This study provides a basis for further studies on a novel agent in the treatment of articular cartilage defects.

Morphometry to identify subtypes of leukocytes.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies in image cytometry evaluated the replacement of specific markers by morphological parameters. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a method to identify subtypes of leukocytes using morphometric data of the nuclei. METHOD: The analyzed images were generated with a laser scanning cytometer. Two free programs were used for image analysis and statistical evaluation: Cellprofiler and Tanagra respectively. A sample of leukocytes with 200 sets of images (DAPI, CD45 and CD14) was analyzed. Using feature selection, the 20 best parameters were chosen to conduct cross-validation. RESULTS: The morphometric data identified the subpopulations of the analyzed leukocytes with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.95 per sample. CONCLUSION: The present study is the first that identifies subpopulations of leukocytes by nuclear morphology.

Comparação dos achados histopatologicos e de ploidia em neoplasia intraepitelial cervical um tema de impacto em saúde pública / Comparison of histopathological features and ploidy in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia an issue of public health impact

Foi utilizada a citometria po imagem para determinar o conteúdo de DNA ploida em cortes histologicos de colo submetidas a reação de Feulgen tionina segundo diagnóstico histologico de cervicite crônica...

DN-R175H p53 mutation is more effective than p53 interference in inducing epithelial disorganization and activation of proliferation signals in human carcinoma cells: role of E-cadherin.

One of the hallmarks of carcinomas is epithelial disorganization, linked to overexpression of matrix metalloproteases (MMP) like MMP-9, loss of intercellular E-cadherin and activation of epidermal growth receptor (EGFR/erbB1). Since the p53 tumor suppressor pathway is inactivated in most human cancers due to gene mutations or defective wt p53 signaling, we now investigated in human wt p53 breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells, whether single treatment with the p53 transactivation pharmacological inhibitor pifithrin-alpha, transient p53 siRNA interference or stable insertion of a dominant-negative (DN) R175H p53 mutant increase: (i) EGFR/erbB1 activation, (ii) MMP-9 expression and (iii) loss of surface E-cadherin. Transient abrogation of wt p53 function increased phosphorylation of EGFR/erbB1 and MMP-9 expression. However, all these effects were much more pronounced in cells stably transduced with the dominant negative-Arg-175His mutant p53 (DN-R175H mutant p53), which also showed loss of epithelial cytoarchitecture and extensive E-cadherin downregulation. Collectively, these results support the notion that the DN-R175H mutant p53 exerts a gain of oncogenic function by promoting disruption of E-cadherin intercellular contacts and activation of proliferation signals. Our data suggests that epithelial shape and growth control are unequally affected depending on how wt p53 function is impaired and whether partial or full tumor suppressor activity is lost.