Fibrils connect microtubule tips with kinetochores: a mechanism to couple tubulin dynamics to chromosome motion.

Kinetochores of mitotic chromosomes are coupled to spindle microtubules in ways that allow the energy from tubulin dynamics to drive chromosome motion. Most kinetochore-associated microtubule ends display curving "protofilaments," strands of tubulin dimers that bend away from the microtubule axis. Both a kinetochore "plate" and an encircling, ring-shaped protein complex have been proposed to link protofilament bending to poleward chromosome motion. Here we show by electron tomography that slender fibrils connect curved protofilaments directly to the inner kinetochore. Fibril-protofilament associations correlate with a local straightening of the flared protofilaments. Theoretical analysis reveals that protofilament-fibril connections would be efficient couplers for chromosome motion, and experimental work on two very different kinetochore components suggests that filamentous proteins can couple shortening microtubules to cargo movements. These analyses define a ring-independent mechanism for harnessing microtubule dynamics directly to chromosome movement.

Self-assembled lipid and membrane protein polyhedral nanoparticles.

We demonstrate that membrane proteins and phospholipids can self-assemble into polyhedral arrangements suitable for structural analysis. Using the Escherichia coli mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) as a model protein, we prepared membrane protein polyhedral nanoparticles (MPPNs) with uniform radii of ∼ 20 nm. Electron cryotomographic analysis established that these MPPNs contain 24 MscS heptamers related by octahedral symmetry. Subsequent single-particle electron cryomicroscopy yielded a reconstruction at ∼ 1-nm resolution, revealing a conformation closely resembling the nonconducting state. The generality of this approach has been addressed by the successful preparation of MPPNs for two unrelated proteins, the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance and the connexon Cx26, using a recently devised microfluidics-based free interface diffusion system. MPPNs provide not only a starting point for the structural analysis of membrane proteins in a phospholipid environment, but their closed surfaces should facilitate studies in the presence of physiological transmembrane gradients, in addition to potential applications as drug delivery carriers or as templates for inorganic nanoparticle formation.

CD4+ T-cell synapses involve multiple distinct stages.

One very striking feature of T-cell recognition is the formation of an immunological synapse between a T cell and a cell that it is recognizing. Formation of this complex structure correlates with cytotoxicity in the case of killer (largely CD8(+)) T-cell activity, or robust cytokine release and proliferation in the case of the much longer lived synapses formed by helper (CD4(+)) T cells. Here we have used electron microscopy and 3D tomography to characterize the synapses of antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells recognizing B cells and dendritic cells at different time points. We show that there are at least four distinct stages in synapse formation, proceeding over several hours, including an initial stage involving invasive T-cell pseudopodia that penetrate deeply into the antigen-presenting cell, almost to the nuclear envelope. This must involve considerable force and may serve to widen the search for potential ligands on the surface of the cell being recognized. We also show that centrioles and the Golgi complex are always located immediately beneath the synapse and that centrioles are significantly shifted toward the late contact zone with either B lymphocytes or bone marrow-derived dendritic cells such as antigen-presenting cells, and that there are dynamic, stage-dependent changes in the organization of microtubules beneath the synapse. These data reinforce and extend previous data on cytotoxic T cells that one of the principal functions of the immunological synapse is to facilitate cytokine secretion into the synaptic cleft, as well as provide important insights into the overall dynamics of this phenomenon.

Endocytic membrane fusion and buckling-induced microtubule severing mediate cell abscission.

Cytokinesis and abscission are complicated events that involve changes in membrane transport and cytoskeleton organization. We have used the combination of time-lapse microscopy and correlative high-resolution 3D tomography to analyze the regulation and spatio-temporal remodeling of endosomes and microtubules during abscission. We show that abscission is driven by the formation of a secondary ingression within the intracellular bridge connecting two daughter cells. The initiation and expansion of this secondary ingression requires recycling endosome fusion with the furrow plasma membrane and nested central spindle microtubule severing. These changes in endosome fusion and microtubule reorganization result in increased intracellular bridge plasma membrane dynamics and abscission. Finally, we show that central spindle microtubule reorganization is driven by localized microtubule buckling and breaking, rather than by spastin-dependent severing. Our results provide a new mechanism for mediation and regulation of the abscission step of cytokinesis.

Basal body movements orchestrate membrane organelle division and cell morphogenesis in Trypanosoma brucei.

The defined shape and single-copy organelles of Trypanosoma brucei mean that it provides an excellent model in which to study how duplication and segregation of organelles is interfaced with morphogenesis of overall cell shape and form. The centriole or basal body of eukaryotic cells is often seen to be at the centre of such processes. We have used a combination of electron microscopy and electron tomography techniques to provide a detailed three-dimensional view of duplication of the basal body in trypanosomes. We show that the basal body duplication and maturation cycle exerts an influence on the intimately associated flagellar pocket membrane system that is the portal for secretion and uptake from this cell. At the start of the cell cycle, a probasal body is positioned anterior to the basal body of the existing flagellum. At the G1-S transition, the probasal body matures, elongates and invades the pre-existing flagellar pocket to form the new flagellar axoneme. The new basal body undergoes a spectacular anti-clockwise rotation around the old flagellum, while its short new axoneme is associated with the pre-existing flagellar pocket. This rotation and subsequent posterior movements results in division of the flagellar pocket and ultimately sets parameters for subsequent daughter cell morphogenesis.

Interactions between myosin and actin crosslinkers control cytokinesis contractility dynamics and mechanics.

INTRODUCTION: Contractile networks are fundamental to many cellular functions, particularly cytokinesis and cell motility. Contractile networks depend on myosin-II mechanochemistry to generate sliding force on the actin polymers. However, to be contractile, the networks must also be crosslinked by crosslinking proteins, and to change the shape of the cell, the network must be linked to the plasma membrane. Discerning how this integrated network operates is essential for understanding cytokinesis contractility and shape control. Here, we analyzed the cytoskeletal network that drives furrow ingression in Dictyostelium. RESULTS: We establish that the actin polymers are assembled into a meshwork and that myosin-II does not assemble into a discrete ring in the Dictyostelium cleavage furrow of adherent cells. We show that myosin-II generates regional mechanics by increasing cleavage furrow stiffness and slows furrow ingression during late cytokinesis as compared to myoII nulls. Actin crosslinkers dynacortin and fimbrin similarly slow furrow ingression and contribute to cell mechanics in a myosin-II-dependent manner. By using FRAP, we show that the actin crosslinkers have slower kinetics in the cleavage furrow cortex than in the pole, that their kinetics differ between wild-type and myoII null cells, and that the protein dynamics of each crosslinker correlate with its impact on cortical mechanics. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that myosin-II along with actin crosslinkers establish local cortical tension and elasticity, allowing for contractility independent of a circumferential cytoskeletal array. Furthermore, myosin-II and actin crosslinkers may influence each other as they modulate the dynamics and mechanics of cell-shape change.

Axial stretch of rat single ventricular cardiomyocytes causes an acute and transient increase in Ca2+ spark rate.

We investigate acute effects of axial stretch, applied by carbon fibers (CFs), on diastolic Ca2+ spark rate in rat isolated cardiomyocytes. CFs were attached either to both cell ends (to maximize the stretched region), or to the center and one end of the cell (to compare responses in stretched and nonstretched half-cells). Sarcomere length was increased by 8.01+/-0.94% in the stretched cell fraction, and time series of XY confocal images were recorded to monitor diastolic Ca2+ spark frequency and dynamics. Whole-cell stretch causes an acute increase of Ca2+ spark rate (to 130.7+/-6.4%) within 5 seconds, followed by a return to near background levels (to 104.4+/-5.1%) within 1 minute of sustained distension. Spark rate increased only in the stretched cell region, without significant differences in spark amplitude, time to peak, and decay time constants of sparks in stretched and nonstretched areas. Block of stretch-activated ion channels (2 micromol/L GsMTx-4), perfusion with Na+/Ca2+-free solution, and block of nitric oxide synthesis (1 mmol/L L-NAME) all had no effect on the stretch-induced acute increase in Ca2+ spark rate. Conversely, interference with cytoskeletal integrity (2 hours of 10 micromol/L colchicine) abolished the response. Subsequent electron microscopic tomography confirmed the close approximation of microtubules with the T-tubular-sarcoplasmic reticulum complex (to within approximately 10(-8)m). In conclusion, axial stretch of rat cardiomyocytes acutely and transiently increases sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ spark rate via a mechanism that is independent of sarcolemmal stretch-activated ion channels, nitric oxide synthesis, or availability of extracellular calcium but that requires cytoskeletal integrity. The potential of microtubule-mediated modulation of ryanodine receptor function warrants further investigation.

CTF determination and correction for low dose tomographic tilt series.

The resolution of cryo-electron tomography can be limited by the first zero of the microscope's contrast transfer function (CTF). To achieve higher resolution, it is critical to determine the CTF and correct its phase inversions. However, the extremely low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the defocus gradient in the projections of tilted specimens make this process challenging. Two programs, CTFPLOTTER and CTFPHASEFLIP, have been developed to address these issues. CTFPLOTTER obtains a 1D power spectrum by periodogram averaging and rotational averaging and it estimates the noise background with a novel approach, which uses images taken with no specimen. The background-subtracted 1D power spectra from image regions at different defocus values are then shifted to align their first zeros and averaged together. This averaging improves the SNR sufficiently that it becomes possible to determine the defocus for subsets of the tilt series rather than just the entire series. CTFPHASEFLIP corrects images line-by-line by inverting phases appropriately in thin strips of the image at nearly constant defocus. CTF correction by these methods is shown to improve the resolution of aligned, averaged particles extracted from tomograms. However, some restoration of Fourier amplitudes at high frequencies is important for seeing the benefits from CTF correction.

Unstable kinetochore-microtubule capture and chromosomal instability following deletion of CENP-E.

A selective disruption of the mouse CENP-E gene was generated to test how this kinetochore-associated, kinesin-like protein contributes to chromosome segregation. The removal of CENP-E in primary cells produced spindles in which some metaphase chromosomes lay juxtaposed to a spindle pole, despite the absence of microtubules stably bound to their kinetochores. Most CENP-E-free chromosomes moved to the spindle equator, but their kinetochores bound only half the normal number of microtubules. Deletion of CENP-E in embryos led to early developmental arrest. Selective deletion of CENP-E in liver revealed that tissue regeneration after chemical damage was accompanied by aberrant mitoses marked by chromosome missegregation. CENP-E is thus essential for the maintenance of chromosomal stability through efficient stabilization of microtubule capture at kinetochores.

Preparing Fission Yeast for Electron Microscopy.

Freezing samples while simultaneously subjecting them to a rapid increase in pressure, which inhibits ice crystal formation, is a reliable method for cryofixing fission yeast. The procedure consists simply of harvesting cells and loading them into a high-pressure freezer (HPF), and then operating the device. If equipment for high-pressure freezing is not available, fission yeast can be frozen by plunging a monolayer of cells into a liquid cryogen, usually ethane or propane. Unlike the HPF, where relatively large volumes of cells can be frozen in a single run, plunge freezing requires cells to be dispersed in a layer <20 µm thick. Unless frozen cells are to be imaged in the vitreous state, they must be fixed, dehydrated, and embedded for subsequent study by transmission electron microscopy; warming frozen cells without fixation badly damages cell structure. Fixation is best accomplished by freeze-substitution, a process in which frozen water is removed from samples by a water-miscible solvent that is liquid at a temperature low enough to prevent the cellular water from recrystallizing. Low concentrations of chemical fixatives and stains are generally added to this solvent such that they permeate the cells as the water is replaced. The activity of these additives is quite limited at the low temperatures required for minimizing ice crystal formation, but they are in the right place to react effectively as the cells warm up. Step-by-step protocols for HPF, plunge freezing, and freeze-substitution are provided here.

Immunolocalization of Proteins in Fission Yeast by Electron Microscopy.

Electron microscopy (EM) immunolocalization of antigens in fission yeast can be accomplished with cells processed by rapid freezing and freeze-substitution followed by embedding in acrylic or methacrylate resins. Microtome sections of embedded cells are collected onto EM grids. Primary antibodies to the antigen of interest, followed by secondary antibodies conjugated to colloidal gold, are allowed to bind to antigens at the surface of these plastic sections. This type of postembed labeling provides information on antigen localization to a resolution of 10-20 nm, depending on the size of the metal particle used, the form of the antibody (Fab vs. complete IgG or IgM), and whether direct or indirect labeling is used. The method has the potential to map macromolecules in three dimensions in a relatively large volume when thin (30-60-nm) serial sections are labeled, imaged, aligned, and modeled to create a representative volume. The biggest challenge of this technique is the necessary compromise between the preservation of cellular ultrastructure and the preservation of antigen reactivity. The protocols described here show how to immunolabel samples for EM and include suggestions for overcoming challenges related to antigen preservation.

Cryoelectron Microscopy of Fission Yeast.

Fission yeast cells can be prepared for electron microscopy (EM) in the frozen-hydrated state. This eliminates the requirement for dehydration and heavy metal staining when preparing samples for EM. As with room temperature imaging, however, the yeast must be sectioned to make them thin enough for transmission of the electron beam. Cutting sections of vitreous ice with a microtome is challenging. An alternative method that uses a focused ion beam to make a thin sample by milling away much of the sample at liquid nitrogen temperatures is under development but is not yet available for routine use. Imaging frozen-hydrated samples by EM is also a challenge. The technique involves battling low image contrast, high sensitivity to the electron beam, and mechanical distortions produced during the sectioning process. When used successfully, however, the method holds promise of providing excellent molecular detail without the disruption characteristic of dehydration or isolating a structure from its cellular environment. Cryo-EM of tilted views can be used to examine small structures and macromolecular complexes in their native cellular environment. If a structure exists in multiple copies, or has a repeating unit, it can be investigated at higher resolution using subvolume averaging. This protocol focuses on the preparation of cells for cryo-EM.

Electron Microscopy of Fission Yeast.

Electron microscopy (EM) can provide images of cells with a spatial resolution that significantly surpasses that available from light microscopy (LM), even with modern methods that give LM "super resolution." However, EM resolution comes with costs in time spent with sample preparation, expense of instrumentation, and concerns regarding sample preparation artifacts. It is therefore important to know the limitations of EM as well as its strengths. Here we describe the most reliable methods for the preservation of fission yeast cells currently available. We describe the properties of images obtained by transmission EM (TEM) and contrast them with images from scanning EM (SEM). We also show how one can make three-dimensional TEM images and discuss several approaches to address the problem of localizing specific proteins within cells. We give references to work by others who have pursued similar goals with different methods, and we discuss briefly the complex subject of image interpretation.

Sliding of centrosome-unattached microtubules defines key features of neuronal phenotype.

Contemporary models for neuronal migration are grounded in the view that virtually all functionally relevant microtubules (MTs) in migrating neurons are attached to the centrosome, which occupies a position between the nucleus and a short leading process. It is assumed that MTs do not undergo independent movements but rather transduce forces that enable movements of the centrosome and nucleus. The present results demonstrate that although this is mostly true, a small fraction of the MTs are centrosome-unattached, and this permits limited sliding of MTs. When this sliding is pharmacologically inhibited, the leading process becomes shorter, migration of the neuron deviates from its normal path, and the MTs within the leading process become buckled. Partial depletion of ninein, a protein that attaches MTs to the centrosome, leads to greater numbers of centrosome-unattached MTs as well as greater sliding of MTs. Concomitantly, the soma becomes less mobile and the leading process acquires an elongated morphology akin to an axon.

Wnt5a directs polarized calcium gradients by recruiting cortical endoplasmic reticulum to the cell trailing edge.

Wnt5a directs the assembly of the Wnt-receptor-actin-myosin-polarity (WRAMP) structure, which integrates cell-adhesion receptors with F-actin and myosin to form a microfilament array associated with multivesicular bodies (MVBs). The WRAMP structure is polarized to the cell posterior, where it directs tail-end membrane retraction, driving forward translocation of the cell body. Here we define constituents of the WRAMP proteome, including regulators of microfilament and microtubule dynamics, protein interactions, and enzymatic activity. IQGAP1, a scaffold for F-actin nucleation and crosslinking, is necessary for WRAMP structure formation, potentially bridging microfilaments and MVBs. Vesicle coat proteins, including coatomer-I subunits, localize to and are required for the WRAMP structure. Electron microscopy and live imaging demonstrate movement of the ER to the WRAMP structure and plasma membrane, followed by elevation of intracellular Ca2+. Thus, Wnt5a controls directional movement by recruiting cortical ER to mobilize a rear-directed, localized Ca2+ signal, activating actomyosin contraction and adhesion disassembly for membrane retraction.

All three components of the neuronal SNARE complex contribute to secretory vesicle docking.

Before exocytosis, vesicles must first become docked to the plasma membrane. The SNARE complex was originally hypothesized to mediate both the docking and fusion steps in the secretory pathway, but previous electron microscopy (EM) studies indicated that the vesicular SNARE protein synaptobrevin (syb) was dispensable for docking. In this paper, we studied the function of syb in the docking of large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs) in live PC12 cells using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Cleavage of syb by a clostridial neurotoxin resulted in significant defects in vesicle docking in unfixed cells; these results were confirmed via EM using cells that were prepared using high-pressure freezing. The membrane-distal portion of its SNARE motif was critical for docking, whereas deletion of a membrane-proximal segment had little effect on docking but diminished fusion. Because docking was also inhibited by toxin-mediated cleavage of the target membrane SNAREs syntaxin and SNAP-25, syb might attach LDCVs to the plasma membrane through N-terminal assembly of trans-SNARE pairs.

Lattice structure of cytoplasmic microtubules in a cultured Mammalian cell.

Tubulin can polymerize in two distinct arrangements: "B-lattices," in which the alpha-tubulins of one protofilament lie next to alpha-tubulins in the neighboring protofilaments, or the "A" configuration, where alpha-tubulins lie beside beta-tubulins. Microtubules (MTs) in flagellar axonemes and those assembled from pure tubulin in vitro display only B-lattices, but recent work shows that A-lattices are found when tubulin co-polymerizes in vitro with an allele of end-binding protein 1 that lacks C-terminal sequences. This observation suggests that cytoplasmic MTs, which form in the presence of this "tip-associating protein," may have A-lattices. To test this hypothesis, we have decorated interphase MTs in 3T3 cells with monomeric motor domains from the kinesin-like protein Eg5. These MTs show only B-lattices, as confirmed by visual inspection of electron cryo-tomograms and power spectra of single projection views, imaged at higher electron dose. This result is significant because 13 protofilament MTs with B-lattices must include a "seam," one lateral domain where adjacent dimers are in the A-configuration. It follows that cytoplasmic MTs are not cylindrically symmetric; they have two distinct faces, which may influence the binding patterns of functionally significant MT-interacting proteins.

Three-dimensional cellular architecture of the flagellar pocket and associated cytoskeleton in trypanosomes revealed by electron microscope tomography.

This study uses electron tomography linked to a variety of other EM methods to provide an integrated view of the flagellar pocket and basal body area of the African trypanosome procyclic trypomastigote. We reveal the pocket as an asymmetric membranous 'balloon' with two boundary structures. One of these - the collar - defines the flagellum exit point. The other defines the entry point of the flagellum into the pocket and consists of both an internal transitional fibre array and an external membrane collarette. A novel set of nine radial fibres is described in the basal body proximal zone. The pocket asymmetry is invariably correlated with the position of the probasal body and Golgi. The neck region, just distal to the flagellum exit site, is a specialised area of membrane associated with the start of the flagellum attachment zone and signifies the point where a special set of four microtubules, nucleated close to the basal bodies, joins the subpellicular array. The neck region is also associated with the single Golgi apparatus of the cell. The flagellar exit point interrupts the subpellicular microtubule array with discrete endings of microtubules at the posterior side. Overall, our studies reveal a highly organised, yet dynamic, area of cytoplasm and will be informative in understanding its function.

A freeze substitution fixation-based gold enlarging technique for EM studies of endocytosed Nanogold-labeled molecules.

We have developed methods to locate individual ligands that can be used for electron microscopy studies of dynamic events during endocytosis and subsequent intracellular trafficking. The methods are based on enlargement of 1.4 nm Nanogold attached to an endocytosed ligand. Nanogold, a small label that does not induce misdirection of ligand-receptor complexes, is ideal for labeling ligands endocytosed by live cells, but is too small to be routinely located in cells by electron microscopy. Traditional pre-embedding enhancement protocols to enlarge Nanogold are not compatible with high pressure freezing/freeze substitution fixation (HPF/FSF), the most accurate method to preserve ultrastructure and dynamic events during trafficking. We have developed an improved enhancement procedure for chemically fixed samples that reduced auto-nucleation, and a new pre-embedding gold enlarging technique for HPF/FSF samples that preserved contrast and ultrastructure and can be used for high-resolution tomography. We evaluated our methods using labeled Fc as a ligand for the neonatal Fc receptor. Attachment of Nanogold to Fc did not interfere with receptor binding or uptake, and gold-labeled Fc could be specifically enlarged to allow identification in 2D projections and in tomograms. These methods should be broadly applicable to many endocytosis and transcytosis studies.