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Sample records for sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

  1. Biochemical and morphological characterization of light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campbell, K.P.

    1978-01-01

    Light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from rabbit leg muscle have been used in a study of chloride-induced calcium release. The biochemical and morphological data indicate that light sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles are derived from the longitudinal reticulum and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles are derived from the terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were both able to accumulate calcium in the presence of ATP to amounts greater than 100 nmoles Ca/sup + +/ per mg of protein in less than one minute. Light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles each had a biphasic time course of calcium uptake. The initial uptake was followed by a rapid release after approximately one minute, of 30 to 40% of the accumulated calcium, which was then followed by a slower phase of calcium accumulation. Results indicate that the chloride induced release of calcium may be acting by two mechanisms, osmotic swelling and depolarization. The release of calcium from the light SR vesicles is probably due to osmotic swelling and the release of calcium from the heavy SR vesicles is probably due to depolarization.

  2. Biochemical and morphological characterization of light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

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    Campbell, Kevin Peter [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)

    1978-01-01

    Light (30 to 32.5% sucrose) and heavy (38.5 to 42% sucrose) sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles (LSR,HSR) were isolated from rabbit leg muscle using a combination of differential centrifugation and isopycnic zonal ultracentrifugation. Thin-section electron microscopy of LSR vesicles reveals empty vesicles of various sizes and shapes whereas the HSR vesicles appear as rounded vesicles of uniform size filled with electron dense material, similar to that seen in the terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The sucrose HSR vesicles have an additional morphological feature which appears as membrane projections that resemble the SR feet. The freeze-fracture morphology of either type of SR reveals an asymmetric distribution of intramembraneous particles in the same orientation and distribution as the sarcoplasmic reticulum in vivo. Biochemical studies were made on the content of Ca, Mg, ATPase, and protein of the vesicles and phosphorylation of the vesicles. The biochemical and morphological data indicate that the LSR is derived from the longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum and the HSR is derived from the terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, contains junctional SR membrane and has three unique proteins (calsequestrin, an intrinsic 30,000 dalton protein and a 9000 dalton proteolipid).

  3. Biochemical and morphological characterization of light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Volume I

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campbell, Kevin Peter [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)

    1978-01-01

    Light (30 to 32.5% sucrose) and heavy (38.5 to 42% sucrose) sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles (LSR, HSR) were isolated from rabbit leg muscle. They were then diluted and washed with sucrose or KCl and referred to as sucrose or KCl washed vesicles. Thin-section electron microscopy of LSR vesicles reveals empty vesicles of various sizes and shapes where as the HSR vesicles appear as rounded vesicles of uniform size filled with electron dense material. The LSR consists of predominantly Ca2+ + Mg2+ ATPase (80 to 90%), a small amount of the high affinity Ca binding protein (5%), and a 5000 dalton proteolipid. The sucrose HSR vesicles contain the Ca2+ + Mg2+ ATPase (50%), Calsequestrin (25%), high affinity Ca binding protein (5%), one extrinsic 34,000 dalton protein (3%), one intrinsic 30,000 dalton protein (3%), a 9000 dalton proteolipid, and a 5000 dalton proteolipid. The sucrose--washed HSR vesicles contain greater than three times the calcium content of the sucrose washed LSR vesicles where as the KCl--washed vesicles contain less than 15 nmoles Ca2+ mg of protein each. The light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were both able to accumulate calcium in the presence of ATP. Exchange of methanesulfonate for chloride resulted in the release of calcium from both the light and heavy SR vesicles. Sucrose causes a slight inhibition of chloride--induced calcium release from the heavy SR vesicles but it greatly reduces the release of calcium from the light SR vesicles. Sodium dantrolene (20 uM) has no effect on the release of calcium from the light SR vesicles but it inhibits the release of calcium from the heavy SR vesicles. The results indicate that the chloride--induced release of calcium may be acting by two mechanisms, osmotic swelling and depolarization.

  4. Biochemical and morphological characterization of light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Volume I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, K.P.

    1978-01-01

    Light (30 to 32.5% sucrose) and heavy (38.5 to 42% sucrose) sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles (LSR, HSR) were isolated from rabbit leg muscle. They were then diluted and washed with sucrose or KCl and referred to as sucrose or KCl washed vesicles. Thin-section electron microscopy of LSR vesicles reveals empty vesicles of various sizes and shapes where as the HSR vesicles appear as rounded vesicles of uniform size filled with electron dense material. The LSR consists of predominantly Ca 2+ + Mg 2+ ATPase (80 to 90%), a small amount of the high affinity Ca binding protein (5%), and a 5000 dalton proteolipid. The sucrose HSR vesicles contain the Ca 2+ + Mg 2+ ATPase (50%), Calsequestrin (25%), high affinity Ca binding protein (5%), one extrinsic 34,000 dalton protein (3%), one intrinsic 30,000 dalton protein (3%), a 9000 dalton proteolipid, and a 5000 dalton proteolipid. The sucrose--washed HSR vesicles contain greater than three times the calcium content of the sucrose washed LSR vesicles where as the KCl--washed vesicles contain less than 15 nmoles Ca 2+ /mg of protein each. The light and heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were both able to accumulate calcium in the presence of ATP. Exchange of methanesulfonate for chloride resulted in the release of calcium from both the light and heavy SR vesicles. Sucrose causes a slight inhibition of chloride--induced calcium release from the heavy SR vesicles but it greatly reduces the release of calcium from the light SR vesicles. Sodium dantrolene (20 uM) has no effect on the release of calcium from the light SR vesicles but it inhibits the release of calcium from the heavy SR vesicles. The results indicate that the chloride--induced release of calcium may be acting by two mechanisms, osmotic swelling and depolarization

  5. Structural role of lipids in mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes: freeze-fracture electron microscopy studies

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    Packer, L; Mehard, C W; Meissner, G; Zahler, W L; Fleischer, S

    1974-01-01

    The role of phospholipid in the structure of the membranes of beef heart mitochondria and of the sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes from rabbit skeletal muscle has been investigated by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Progressive removal of membrane phospholipids, by phospholipase A treatment or detergent treatment, or by organic solvent extraction, results in loss of the smooth background seen in membrane fracture faces and decreased ability of membrane to undergo freeze fracture to yield fracture faces. Instead cross-sections of vesicles or particle clusters are observed. Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles have a 9 to 1 asymmetry in the distribution of particles between the convex and concave fracture faces. There is also a wide range of particle size distribution in both of these fracture faces with 85-A particles in greatest number. The removal of membrane associated proteins by detergent extraction does not appreciably change the distribution in particle size. Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were dissolved with detergent and reassembled to form membrane vesicles containing mainly one protein (approx. 90%), i.e., the Ca/sup 2 +/ pump protein, and with a ratio of lipid to protein similar to the original membrane. The reconstituted vesicles readily underwent freeze fracture but the asymmetric particle distribution between the fracture faces was no longer observed. The size distribution of particles in the reconstituted membrane, consisting mainly of Ca/sup 2 +/ pump protein, and phospholipid, was similar in heterogeneity to the original sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. Thus the heterogeneity in particle size could reflect variation in the orientation of the Ca/sup 2 +/ pump protein within the membrane.

  6. Specific binding of [3H]LY186126, an analogue of indolidan (LY195115), to cardiac membranes enriched in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kauffman, R.F.; Utterback, B.G.; Robertson, D.W.

    1989-01-01

    LY186126 was found to be a potent inhibitor of type IV cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of canine cardiac muscle. This compound, a close structural analogue of indolidan (LY195115), was prepared in high specific activity, tritiated form to study the positive inotropic receptor(s) for cardiotonic phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as indolidan and milrinone. A high-affinity binding site for [ 3 H]LY186126 was observed (Kd = 4 nM) in purified preparations of canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Binding was proportional to vesicle protein, was inactivated by subjecting membranes to proteolysis or boiling, and was dependent on added Mg2+. Scatchard analysis suggested the presence of a single class of binding sites in the membrane preparation. Indolidan, milrinone, and LY186126 (all at 1 microM) produced essentially complete displacement of bound [ 3 H]LY186126, while nifedipine, propranolol, and prazosin had little or no effect at this concentration. This represents the first reported use of a radioactive analogue to label the inotropic receptor for cardiotonic phosphodiesterase inhibitors. The results suggest that [ 3 H]LY186126 is a useful radioligand for examining the subcellular site(s) responsible for positive inotropic effects of these drugs

  7. Specific binding of (/sup 3/H)LY186126, an analogue of indolidan (LY195115), to cardiac membranes enriched in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kauffman, R.F.; Utterback, B.G.; Robertson, D.W.

    1989-05-01

    LY186126 was found to be a potent inhibitor of type IV cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of canine cardiac muscle. This compound, a close structural analogue of indolidan (LY195115), was prepared in high specific activity, tritiated form to study the positive inotropic receptor(s) for cardiotonic phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as indolidan and milrinone. A high-affinity binding site for (/sup 3/H)LY186126 was observed (Kd = 4 nM) in purified preparations of canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Binding was proportional to vesicle protein, was inactivated by subjecting membranes to proteolysis or boiling, and was dependent on added Mg2+. Scatchard analysis suggested the presence of a single class of binding sites in the membrane preparation. Indolidan, milrinone, and LY186126 (all at 1 microM) produced essentially complete displacement of bound (/sup 3/H)LY186126, while nifedipine, propranolol, and prazosin had little or no effect at this concentration. This represents the first reported use of a radioactive analogue to label the inotropic receptor for cardiotonic phosphodiesterase inhibitors. The results suggest that (/sup 3/H)LY186126 is a useful radioligand for examining the subcellular site(s) responsible for positive inotropic effects of these drugs.

  8. Porcine malignant hyperthermia susceptibility: hypersensitive calcium-release mechanism of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, P J

    1986-01-01

    This study tested the hypothesis that calcium-release from sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from malignant hyperthermia swine had abnormal concentration-dependency on release modulators. Halothane stimulated half-maximal calcium-release at similar concentrations for malignant hyperthermia and control sarcoplasmic reticulum (0.10 +/- 0.04 mM). However, concentrations causing half-maximal calcium-release were lower for malignant hyperthermia sarcoplasmic reticulum (P less than 0.001) by an order of magnitude for Ca2+ (28.1 +/- 8.3 versus 1.23 +/- 0.45 nM), adenosine triphosphate (0.33 +/- 0.09 versus 0.023 +/- 0.014 mM) and caffeine (7.79 +/- 1.56 versus 0.80 +/- 0.44 mM). Half-maximal inhibition by Mg2+ occurred at threefold higher concentrations for malignant hyperthermia sarcoplasmic reticulum (0.23 +/- 0.02 versus 0.78 +/- 0.17 mM). The Ca2+-sensitivity curves for calcium-release by sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from heterozygotes for the malignant hyperthermia-defect were indistinguishable from the averages of the curves for controls and malignant hyperthermia-homozygotes. Results of this study suggest that malignant hyperthermia is initiated due to a hypersensitive calcium-release mechanism which is inherited in an autosomal, codominant pattern and may be diagnosed using calcium-release sensitivity-tests on isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum. Images Fig. 1. PMID:3742367

  9. Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobson, M.S.; Ambudkar, I.S.; Young, E.P.; Naseem, S.M.; Heald, F.P.; Shamoo, A.E.

    1985-01-01

    The effect on the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum of an atherogenic (1% cholesterol) diet fed during the neonatal vs the juvenile period of life was studied in Yorkshire swine. Male piglets were randomly assigned at birth to 1 of 4 groups: group I (control), group II (lactation feeding), group III (juvenile period feeding) and group IV (lactation and juvenile feeding). All animals were killed at 55 weeks of age and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) isolated for assay of calcium uptake, Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ ATPase activity, and lipid analysis by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography. The amount of cholesterol/mg SR protein and the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio were higher in the animals fed during lactation (groups II and IV) and lower in those fed only during the juvenile period (group III). Phospholipid fatty acid patterns as measured by gas chromatography were unaltered in any group. Calcium uptake was markedly diminished in all experimental conditions: group II 47%, group III 65% and group IV 96%. Compared to the observed changes in calcium transport, the ATP hydrolytic activity was relatively less affected. Only in group IV a significant decrease (41%) was seen. Groups II and III show no change in ATP hydrolytic activity. The decrease in calcium uptake and altered cholesterol/phospholipid ratio without effect on ATP hydrolytic activity is consistent with an uncoupling of calcium transport related to the atherogenic diet in early life. (author)

  10. Sarcoplasmic reticulum function in slow- and fast-twitch skeletal muscles from mdx mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Divet, Alexandra; Huchet-Cadiou, Corinne

    2002-08-01

    The aim of the present study was to establish whether alterations in sarcoplasmic reticulum function are involved in the abnormal Ca(2+) homeostasis of skeletal muscle in mice with muscular dystrophy ( mdx). The properties of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and contractile proteins of fast- and slow-twitch muscles were therefore investigated in chemically skinned fibres isolated from the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles of normal (C57BL/10) and mdx mice at 4 and 11 weeks of development. Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) uptake, estimated by the Ca(2+) release following exposure to caffeine, was significantly slower in mdx mice, while the maximal Ca(2+) quantity did not differ in either type of skeletal muscle at either stage of development. In 4-week-old mice spontaneous sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) leakage was observed in EDL and soleus fibres and this was more pronounced in mdx mice. In addition, the maximal Ca(2+)-activated tension was smaller in mdx than in normal fibres, while the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the contractile apparatus was not significantly different. These results indicate that mdx hindlimb muscles are affected differently by the disease process and suggest that a reduced ability of the Ca(2+)-ATPase to load Ca(2+) and a leaky sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane may be involved in the altered intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis.

  11. Preparation of a highly concentrated, completely monomeric, active sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lüdi, H; Hasselbach, W

    1985-11-21

    Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from fast skeletal muscle were partially delipidated with sodium cholate at high ionic strength and sedimented in a discontinuous sucrose gradient. Phospholipid content was reduced from 0.777 mumol/mg protein to 0.242 mumol/mg protein. As judged from gel electrophoresis and high pressure liquid gel chromatography, accessory proteins were removed during centrifugation and the Ca2+-ATPase was obtained in an almost pure form. Addition of myristoylglycerophosphocholine (1 mg/mg protein) reactivates ATPase and dinitrophenylphosphatase activity to the same degree obtained with native vesicles. Using the analytical ultracentrifuge it could be demonstrated that the reactivated Ca2+-ATPase was present exclusively in a monomeric state. These results were obtained at high and low ionic strength and up to a protein concentration of 10 mg/ml. Therefore this preparation should be very useful to investigate differences between oligomeric and monomeric Ca2+-ATPase.

  12. Calcium uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum in the presence of organophosphorus insecticide methyl-parathion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blasiak, J.

    1995-01-01

    Using an isotope labelling technique it has been shown that an organophosphorus insecticide methyl parathion (0,0-diethyl 0-4-nitrophenyl phosphorothionate) depressed calcium uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from rabbit hind leg muscle. The effect was significant for insecticide concentrations of 50 and 100 μM and was dose-dependent. The insecticide exerted a more pronounced effect on calcium uptake in the presence of ATP in the reticulum environment than in the absence of ATP. The inhibitory action of methyl parathion on Ca 2+ accumulation by sarcoplasmic reticulum can cause a rise in myoplasmic free Ca 2+ , the essential prerequisite for contracture activation. Because methyl parathion, as well as other organophosphorus insecticides, is primarily neurotoxic, evidence of non-specific effect could be important for assessing its environmental safety. (author). 20 refs, 2 figs

  13. Purification of a sarcoplasmic reticulum protein that binds Ca2+ and plasma lipoproteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofmann, S.L.; Brown, M.S.; Lee, E.; Pathak, R.K.; Anderson, R.G.; Goldstein, J.L.

    1989-01-01

    A protein in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of rabbit skeletal and cardiac muscle was identified because of its ability to bind 125I-labeled low density lipoprotein (LDL) with high affinity after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This protein, referred to as the 165-kDa protein, is restricted to striated muscle. It was not detected in 14 other tissues, including several that contain smooth muscle, but it appears in rat L6 myoblasts when they differentiate into myocytes. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopic studies revealed that the protein is present throughout the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the terminal cisternae. It binds 45Ca2+ on nitrocellulose blots and stains metachromatically with Stains-all, a cationic dye that stains Ca2+-binding proteins. It does not appear to be a glycoprotein, and it appears slightly larger than the 160-kDa glycoprotein previously described in sarcoplasmic reticulum. The 165-kDa protein binds LDL, beta-migrating very low density lipoprotein, and a cholesterol-induced high density lipoprotein particle that contains apoprotein E as its sole apoprotein with much higher affinity than it binds high density lipoprotein. The protein is stable to boiling and to treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate, but it becomes sensitive to these treatments when its cystine residues are reduced and alkylated. The protein was purified 1300-fold to apparent homogeneity from rabbit skeletal muscle membranes. It differs from the cell surface LDL receptor in that (1) its apparent molecular weight is not changed by reduction and alkylation; (2) it is present in Watanabe-heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits, which lack functional LDL receptors; (3) binding of lipoproteins is not inhibited by EDTA; and (4) it is located within the lumen of the sarcoplasmic reticulum where it has no access to plasma lipoproteins

  14. Effect of ionizing radiation on catalytic properties of Ca2+-ATP-ase from sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagel', I.M.; Shafranovskaya, E.V.; Gorokh, G.A.; Markova, A.G.

    1999-01-01

    It was studied kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of Ca 2+ -ATP-ase of rat skeletal muscle (membranes of sarcoplasmic reticulum) after irradiation in doses 0,5, 4,0 and 8,0 Gy. It was shown that external gamma-irradiation at different doses changed kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of the enzyme of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes of skeletal muscle. These alterations probably correlate with disbalance of hormonal regulation of intracellular calcium metabolism and changes in membrane structure and functions

  15. Uncoupling of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase by N-arachidonoyl dopamine. Members of the endocannabinoid family as thermogenic drugs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mahmmoud, Yasser Ahmed; Gaster, Michel

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase (SERCA) plays a role in thermogenesis. The exogenous compound capsaicin increased SERCA-mediated ATP hydrolysis not coupled to Ca²⁺ transport. Here, we have sought to identify endogenous compounds that may function as SERCA uncoupling...... agents. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Using isolated SR vesicles from rabbits, we have screened for endogenous compounds that uncouple SERCA. We have also studied their ability to deplete cytoplasmic ATP from human skeletal muscle cells in culture. KEY RESULTS: Studies on SR vesicles showed that the endogenous......, regardless of the presence of glucose. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: NADA is an endogenous molecule that may function as SERCA uncoupling agent in vivo. Members of the endocannabinoid family exert concerted actions on several Ca²⁺-handling proteins. Uncoupling of SERCA by exogenous compounds could be a novel...

  16. Investigation of function similarities between the sarcoplasmic reticulum and platelet calcium-dependent adenosinetriphosphatases with the inhibitors quercetin and calmidazolium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, T.H.; Campbell, K.P.; White, G.C. II

    1987-01-01

    The platelet and skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium-dependent adenosinetriphosphatases (Ca 2+ -ATPases) were functionally compared with respect to substrate activation by steady-state kinetic methods using the inhibitors quercetin and calmidazolium. Quercetin inhibited platelet and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase activities in a dose-dependent manner with IC 50 values of 25 and 10 μM, respectively. Calmidazolium also inhibited platelet and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase activities, with half-maximal inhibition measured at 5 and 4 μM, respectively. Both inhibitors also affected the [ 45 Ca] calcium transport activity of intact platelet microsomes at concentrations similar to those which reduced Ca 2+ -ATPase activity. These inhibitors were then used to examine substrate ligation by the platelet and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump proteins. For both Ca 2+ -ATPase proteins, quercetin has an affinity for the E-Ca 2 (fully ligated with respect to calcium at the exterior high-affinity calcium binding sites, unligated with respect to ATP) conformational state of the protein that is approximately 10-fold grater than for other conformational states in the hydrolytic cycle. Quercetin can thus be considered a competitive inhibitor of the calcium pump proteins with respect to ATP. In contrast to the effect of quercetin, calmidazolium interacts with the platelet and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPases in an uncompetitive manner. The dissociation constants for this inhibitor for the different conformational states of the calcium pump proteins were similar, indicating that calmidazolium has equal affinity for all of the reaction intermediates probed. These observations indicate that the substrate ligation processes are similar for the two pump proteins. This supports the concept that the hydrolytic cycles of the two proteins are comparable

  17. Molecular cloning and expression of cDNA encoding a lumenal calcium binding glycoprotein from sarcoplasmic reticulum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leberer, E.; Charuk, J.H.M.; MacLennan, D.H.; Green, N.M.

    1989-01-01

    Antibody screening was used to isolate a cDNA encoding the 160-kDa glycoprotein of rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. The cDNA is identical to that encoding the 53-kDa glycoprotein except that it contains an in-frame insertion of 1,308 nucleotides near its 5' end, apparently resulting from alternative splicing. The protein encoded by the cDNA would contain a 19-residue NH 2 -terminal signal sequence and a 453-residue COOH-terminal sequence identical to the 53-kDa glycoprotein. It would also contain a 436-amino acid insert between these sequences. This insert would be highly acidic, suggesting that it might bind Ca 2+ . The purified 160-kDa glycoprotein and the glycoprotein expressed in COS-1 cells transfected with cDNA encoding the 160-kDa glycoprotein were shown to bind 45 C 2+ in a gel overlay assay. The protein was shown to be located in the lumen of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and to be associated through Ca 2+ with the membrane. The authors propose that this lumenal Ca 2+ binding glycoprotein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum be designated sarcalumenin

  18. Effects of inorganic phosphate and ADP on calcium handling by the sarcoplasmic reticulum in rat skinned cardiac muscles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, J Z; Kentish, J C

    1995-03-01

    The aim was to investigate whether, and how, increases in inorganic phosphate (Pi) and ADP, similar to those occurring intracellularly during early myocardial ischaemia, affect the calcium handling of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Rat ventricular trabeculae were permeabilised with saponin. The physiological process of calcium induced calcium release (CICR) from the muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum was triggered via flash photolysis of the "caged Ca2+", nitr-5. Alternatively, calcium release was induced by rapid application of caffeine to give an estimate of sarcoplasmic reticular calcium loading. The initial rate of sarcoplasmic reticular calcium pumping was also assessed by photolysis of caged ATP at saturating [Ca2+]. Myoplasmic [Ca2+] (using fluo-3) and isometric force were measured. Pi (2-20 mM) significantly depressed the magnitude of CICR and the associated force transient. Sarcoplasmic reticular calcium loading was inhibited even more than CICR by Pi, suggesting that reduced calcium loading could account for all of the inhibitory effect of Pi on CICR and that Pi may slightly activate the calcium release mechanism. The reduced sarcoplasmic reticular calcium loading seemed to be due to a fall in the free energy of ATP hydrolysis (delta GATP) available for the calcium pump, since equal decreases in delta GATP produced by adding both Pi and ADP in various ratios caused similar falls in the calcium loading of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The caged ATP experiments indicated that Pi (20 mM) did not affect the rate constant of sarcoplasmic reticular calcium uptake. ADP (10 mM) alone, or with 1 mM Pi, inhibited calcium loading. In spite of this, ADP (10 mM) did not alter CICR and, when 1 mM Pi was added, ADP increased CICR above control. An increase in intracellular Pi reduces sarcoplasmic reticular calcium loading and thus depresses the CICR. This could be an important contributing factor in the hypoxic or ischaemic contractile failure of the myocardium. However the

  19. Hofmeister effect of anions on calcium translocation by sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadini-Buoninsegni, Francesco; Moncelli, Maria Rosa; Peruzzi, Niccolò; Ninham, Barry W.; Dei, Luigi; Nostro, Pierandrea Lo

    2015-10-01

    The occurrence of Hofmeister (specific ion) effects in various membrane-related physiological processes is well documented. For example the effect of anions on the transport activity of the ion pump Na+, K+-ATPase has been investigated. Here we report on specific anion effects on the ATP-dependent Ca2+ translocation by the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA). Current measurements following ATP concentration jumps on SERCA-containing vesicles adsorbed on solid supported membranes were carried out in the presence of different potassium salts. We found that monovalent anions strongly interfere with ATP-induced Ca2+ translocation by SERCA, according to their increasing chaotropicity in the Hofmeister series. On the contrary, a significant increase in Ca2+ translocation was observed in the presence of sulphate. We suggest that the anions can affect the conformational transition between the phosphorylated intermediates E1P and E2P of the SERCA cycle. In particular, the stabilization of the E1P conformation by chaotropic anions seems to be related to their adsorption at the enzyme/water and/or at the membrane/water interface, while the more kosmotropic species affect SERCA conformation and functionality by modifying the hydration layers of the enzyme.

  20. 3-Bromopyruvate inhibits calcium uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles but not SERCA ATP hydrolysis activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jardim-Messeder, Douglas; Camacho-Pereira, Juliana; Galina, Antonio

    2012-05-01

    3-Bromopyruvate (3BrPA) is an antitumor agent that alkylates the thiol groups of enzymes and has been proposed as a treatment for neoplasias because of its specific reactivity with metabolic energy transducing enzymes in tumor cells. In this study, we show that the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium (Ca(2+)) ATPase (SERCA) type 1 is one of the target enzymes of 3BrPA activity. Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum vesicles (SRV) were incubated in the presence of 1mM 3BrPA, which was unable to inhibit the ATPase activity of SERCA. However, Ca(2+)-uptake activity was significantly inhibited by 80% with 150 μM 3BrPA. These results indicate that 3BrPA has the ability to uncouple the ATP hydrolysis from the calcium transport activities. In addition, we observed that the inclusion of 2mM reduced glutathione (GSH) in the reaction medium with different 3BrPA concentrations promoted an increase in 40% in ATPase activity and protects the inhibition promoted by 3BrPA in calcium uptake activity. This derivatization is accompanied by a decrease of reduced cysteine (Cys), suggesting that GSH and 3BrPA increases SERCA activity and transport by pyruvylation and/or S-glutathiolation mediated by GSH at a critical Cys residues of the SERCA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Dynamic Changes in Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Structure in Ventricular Myocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda L. Vega

    2011-01-01

    sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR and the sarcolemma where Ca2+ release is activated. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the SR is a structurally inert organelle in ventricular myocytes. Our data suggest that rather than being static, the SR undergoes frequent dynamic structural changes. SR boutons expressing functional ryanodine receptors moved throughout the cell, approaching or moving away from the sarcolemma of ventricular myocytes. These changes in SR structure occurred in the absence of changes in [Ca2+] during EC coupling. Microtubules and the molecular motors dynein and kinesin 1(Kif5b were important regulators of SR motility. These findings support a model in which the SR is a motile organelle capable of molecular motor protein-driven structural changes.

  2. Disturbances of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and transverse tubular system in 24-h electrostimulated fast-twitch skeletal muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frías, J A; Cadefau, J A; Prats, C

    2005-01-01

    Chronic low-frequency stimulation of rabbit tibialis anterior muscle over a 24-h period induces a conspicuous loss of isometric tension that is unrelated to muscle energy metabolism (J.A. Cadefau, J. Parra, R. Cusso, G. Heine, D. Pette, Responses of fatigable and fatigue-resistant fibres of rabbit...... muscle to low-frequency stimulation, Pflugers Arch. 424 (1993) 529-537). To assess the involvement of sarcoplasmic reticulum and transverse tubular system in this force impairment, we isolated microsomal fractions from stimulated and control (contralateral, unstimulated) muscles on discontinuous sucrose...... of muscles stimulated for 24 h underwent acute changes in the pattern of protein bands. First, light fractions from longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum, enriched in Ca2+-ATPase activity, R1 and R2, were greatly reduced (67% and 51%, respectively); this reduction was reflected in protein yield of crude...

  3. Roles of phosphorylation and nucleotide binding domains in calcium transport by sarcoplasmic reticulum adenosinetriphosphatase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teruel, J.A.; Inesi, G.

    1988-01-01

    The roles of the phosphorylation (phosphorylated enzyme intermediate) and nucleotide binding domains in calcium transport were studied by comparing acetyl phosphate and ATP as substrates for the Ca 2+ -ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. The authors found that the maximal level of phosphoenzyme obtained with either substrate is approximately 4 nmol/mg of protein, corresponding to the stoichiometry of catalytic sites in their preparation. The initial burst of phosphoenzyme formation observed in the transient state, following addition of either substrate, is accompanied by internalization of 2 mol of calcium per mole of phosphoenzyme. The internalized calcium is then translocated with a sequential pattern, independent of the substrate used. Following a rate-limiting step, the phosphoenzyme undergoes hydrolytic cleavage and proceeds to the steady-state activity which is soon back inhibited by the rise of Ca 2+ concentration in the lumen of the vesicles. When the back inhibition is released by the addition of oxalate, substrate utilization and calcium transport occur with a ratio of 1:2, independent of the substrate and its concentration. When the nucleotide binding site is derivatized with FITP, the enzyme can still utilize acetyl phosphate (but not ATP) for calcium transport. These observations demonstrate that the basic coupling mechanism of catalysis and calcium transport involves the phosphorylation and calcium binding domains, and not the nucleotide binding domain. On the other hand, occupancy of the FITC-sensitive nucleotide site is involved in kinetic regulation not only with respect to utilization of substrate for the phosphoryl transfer reaction but also for subsequent steps related to calcium translocation and phosphoenzyme turnover

  4. Methods for Creating and Animating a Computer Model Depicting the Structure and Function of the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase Enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Alice Y.; McKee, Nancy

    1999-01-01

    Describes the developmental process used to visualize the calcium ATPase enzyme of the sarcoplasmic reticulum which involves evaluating scientific information, consulting scientists, model making, storyboarding, and creating and editing in a computer medium. (Author/CCM)

  5. [ACTIVITY OF Ca2+,Mg(2+)-ATPase OF SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM AND CONTRACTION STRENGTH OF THE FROG SKELETAL MUSCLES UNDER THE EFFECT OF ORGANOPHOSPHORUS INSECTICIDES].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nozdrenko, D M; Korchinska, L V; Soroca, V M

    2015-01-01

    The results of an experimental study of organophosphorus insecticides, including pirimiphosmethyl, diazinon and chlorpyrifos caused a decline of the contraction properties in m. tibialis anterior fiber bundles of Rana temporaria, as well as sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+, Mg(2+)-ATPase enzymatic activity reduction are outlined in this paper. Concentration-dependent strengths response diminishing in isolated skeletal muscle fiber bundles as a result of non-cholinergic influence of organophosphorus insecticides were found. A decrease of Ca2+, Mg(2+)-ATPase enzymatic activity in sarcoplasmic reticulum was observed after administration of each insecticide. The most significant inhibition of this enzyme was observed when using chlorpyrifos.

  6. Effects of exercise training and exhaustion on 45Ca uptake by rat skeletal muscle mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonner, H.W.; Leslie, S.W.; Combs, A.B.; Tate, C.A.

    1976-01-01

    Mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticular 45 Ca 2+ uptake and Ca 2+ -ATPase activity were determined in skeletal muscle from exercise trained and non-trained rats at rest or following short-term exhaustive exercise. In trained rats exercised to exhaustion, mitochondrial 45 Ca 2+ uptake was significantly depressed when compared to non-trained rats at rest. Ca 2+ -ATPase activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum from trained rats exercised to exhaustion was significantly increased as compared to trained rats at rest. These data suggest that the disruptive influence of Ca 2+ accumulation in mitochondria isolated following exhaustive exercise may be diminished as a result of training

  7. Detection, Properties, and Frequency of Local Calcium Release from the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum in Teleost Cardiomyocytes

    OpenAIRE

    Llach, Anna; Molina, Cristina E.; Alvarez Lacalle, Enrique; Tort, Lluis; Benítez, Raul; Hove, Leif

    2011-01-01

    Calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) plays a central role in the regulation of cardiac contraction and rhythm in mammals and humans but its role is controversial in teleosts. Since the zebrafish is an emerging model for studies of cardiovascular function and regeneration we here sought to determine if basic features of SR calcium release are phylogenetically conserved. Confocal calcium imaging was used to detect spontaneous calcium release (calcium sparks and waves) from...

  8. Activity of Ca(2+,Mg(2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum and contraction strength of the frog skeletal muscles under the effect of organophosphorus insecticides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. M. Nozdrenko

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The results of an experimental study of organo­phosphorus insecticides, including pirimiphosmethyl, diazinon and chlorpyrifos caused a decline of the contraction properties in m. tibialis anterior fiber bundles of Rana temporaria, as well as sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase enzymatic activity reduction are outlined in this paper. Concentration-dependent strengths response diminishing in isolated skeletal muscle fiber bundles as a result of non-cholinergic influence of organophosphorus insecticides were found. A decrease of Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase enzymatic activity in sarcoplasmic reticulum was observed after administration of each insecticide. The most significant inhibition of this enzyme was observed when using chlorpyrifos.

  9. Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. Effects of an atherogenic diet during the neonatal and juvenile period

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jacobson, M S; Ambudkar, I S; Young, E P; Naseem, S M; Heald, F P; Shamoo, A E [Maryland Univ., College Park (USA). School of Medicine

    1985-04-01

    The effect on the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum of an atherogenic (1% cholesterol) diet fed during the neonatal vs the juvenile period of life was studied in Yorkshire swine. Male piglets were randomly assigned at birth to 1 of 4 groups: group I (control), group II (lactation feeding), group III (juvenile period feeding) and group IV (lactation and juvenile feeding). All animals were killed at 55 weeks of age and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) isolated for assay of calcium uptake, Ca/sup 2 +/-Mg/sup 2 +/ ATPase activity, and lipid analysis by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography. The amount of cholesterol/mg SR protein and the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio were higher in the animals fed during lactation (groups II and IV) and lower in those fed only during the juvenile period (group III). Phospholipid fatty acid patterns as measured by gas chromatography were unaltered in any group. Calcium uptake was markedly diminished in all experimental conditions: group II 47%, group III 65% and group IV 96%. Compared to the observed changes in calcium transport, the ATP hydrolytic activity was relatively less affected. Only in group IV a significant decrease (41%) was seen. Groups II and III show no change in ATP hydrolytic activity. The decrease in calcium uptake and altered cholesterol/phospholipid ratio without effect on ATP hydrolytic activity is consistent with an uncoupling of calcium transport related to the atherogenic diet in early life.

  10. Different thermostabilities of sarcoplasmic reticulum (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPases from rabbit and trout muscles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Toledo, F G; Albuquerque, M C; Goulart, B H; Chini, E N

    1995-05-01

    Trout and rabbit (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPases from sarcoplasmic reticulum were compared for differences in thermal inactivation and susceptibility to trypsin digestion. The trout ATPase is more heat-sensitive than the rabbit ATPase and is stabilized by Ca2+, Na+, K+ and nucleotides. Solubilization of both ATPases shows that the two ATPases have different protein-intrinsic inactivation kinetics. When digested by trypsin, the two ATPases display different cleavage patterns. The present results indicate that the trout and rabbit ATPases have dissimilarities in protein structure that may explain the differences in thermal inactivation kinetics.

  11. Specific protein-protein interactions of calsequestrin with junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damiani, E.; Margreth, A.

    1990-01-01

    Minor protein components of triads and of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) terminal cisternae (TC), i.e. 47 and 37 kDa peptides and 31-30 kDa and 26-25 kDa peptide doublets, were identified from their ability to bind 125 I calsequestrin (CS) in the presence of EGTA. The CS-binding peptides are specifically associated with the junctional membrane of TC, since they could not be detected in junctional transverse tubules and in longitudinal SR fragments. The 31-30 kDa peptide doublet, exclusively, did not bind CS in the presence of Ca 2+ . Thus, different types of protein-protein interactions appear to be involved in selective binding of CS to junctional TC

  12. pH-modulation of chloride channels from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kourie, J I

    1999-01-01

    The understanding of the role of cytoplasmic pH in modulating sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) ion channels involved in Ca2+ regulation is important for the understanding of the function of normal and adversely affected muscles. The dependency of the SR small chloride (SCl) channel from rabbit skeletal muscle on cytoplasmic pH (pHcis) and luminal pH (pHtrans) was investigated using the lipid bilayer-vesicle fusion technique. Low pHcis 6.75-4.28 modifies the operational mode of this multiconductance channel (conductance levels between 5 and 75 pS). At pHcis 7.26-7.37 the channel mode is dominated by the conductance and kinetics of the main conductance state (65-75 pS) whereas at low pHcis 6.75-4.28 the channel mode is dominated by the conductance and kinetics of subconductance states (5-40 pS). Similarly, low pHtrans 4.07, but not pHtrans 6.28, modified the activity of SCl channels. The effects of low pHcis are pronounced at 10(-3) and 10(-4) M [Ca2+]cis but are not apparent at 10(-5) M [Ca2+]cis, where the subconductances of the channel are already prominent. Low pHcis-induced mode shift in the SCl channel activity is due to modification of the channel proteins that cause the uncoupling of the subconductance states. The results in this study suggest that low pHcis can modify the functional properties of the skeletal SR ion channels and hence contribute, at least partly, to the malfunction in the contraction-relaxation mechanism in skeletal muscle under low cytoplasmic pH levels.

  13. The influence of ionizing radiation on the structure of Ca-ATPase hydrophobic fragment of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vojtsitskij, V.M.; Fedorov, A.N.; Lugovskoj, Eh.B.; Derzskaya, S.G.; Khizhnyak, S.V.; Kurskij, M.D.; Kucherenko, N.E.

    1990-01-01

    Early (1 and 24 h) after X-irradiation with a dose of 0.21 C/kg changes occurred in the acceptibility of the polypeptide chain parts of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase for the effect of trypsin. The analysis of the results of studying the structural and functional properties of a hydrophobic fragment of this enzyme in the control and after irradiation permitted to define the part of the Ca-ATPase polypeptide chain that provided ion selectivity of the fragment

  14. Vanilloid receptor expressed in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of rat skeletal muscle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xin Hong; Tanaka, Hideyuki; Yamaguchi, Maki; Takemori, Shigeru; Nakamura, Akio; Kohama, Kazuhiro

    2005-01-01

    Vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (VR1) was cloned as a capsaicin receptor from neuronal cells of dorsal root ganglia. VR1 was subsequently found in a few non-neuronal tissues, including skeletal muscle [Onozawa et al., Tissue distribution of capsaicin receptor in the various organs of rats, Proc. Jpn. Acad. Ser. B 76 (2000) 68-72]. We confirmed the expression of VR1 in muscle cells using the RT-PCR method and Western blot analysis. Immunostaining studies with a confocal microscope and an electron microscope indicated that VR1 was present in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), a store of Ca 2+ . The SR releases Ca 2+ to cause a contraction when a muscle is excited. However, SR still releases a small amount of Ca 2+ under relaxed conditions. We found that this leakage was enhanced by capsaicin and was antagonized by capsazepine, a capsaicin blocker, indicating that leakage of Ca 2+ occurs through a channel composed of VR1

  15. Characterization of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase pumps in muscle of patients with myotonic dystrophy and with hypothyroid myopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guglielmi, V; Oosterhof, A; Voermans, N C; Cardani, R; Molenaar, J P; van Kuppevelt, T H; Meola, G; van Engelen, B G; Tomelleri, G; Vattemi, G

    2016-06-01

    Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase (SERCA) pumps play the major role in lowering cytoplasmic calcium concentration in skeletal muscle by catalyzing the ATP-dependent transport of Ca(2+) from the cytosol to the lumen of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Although SERCA abnormalities have been hypothesized to contribute to the dysregulation of intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis and signaling in muscle of patients with myotonic dystrophy (DM) and hypothyroid myopathy, the characterization of SERCA pumps remains elusive and their impairment is still unclear. We assessed the activity of SR Ca(2+)-ATPase, expression levels and fiber distribution of SERCA1 and SERCA2, and oligomerization of SERCA1 protein in muscle of patients with DM type 1 and 2, and with hypothyroid myopathy. Our data provide evidence that SR Ca(2+) ATPase activity, protein levels and muscle fiber distribution of total SERCA1 and SERCA2, and SERCA1 oligomerization pattern are similar in patients with both DM1 and DM2, hypothyroid myopathy and in control subjects. We prove that SERCA1b, the neonatal isoform of SERCA1, is expressed at protein level in muscle of patients with DM2 and, in lower amount, of patients with DM1. Our present study demonstrates that SERCA function is not altered in muscle of patients with DM and with hypothyroid myopathy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Ceramide transport from endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi apparatus is not vesicle-mediated

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kok, JW; Babia, T; Klappe, K; Egea, G; Hoekstra, D

    1998-01-01

    Ceramide (Cer) transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus was measured under conditions that block vesicle-mediated protein transfer. This was done either in intact cells by reducing the incubation temperature to 15 degrees C, or in streptolysin O-permeabilized cells by

  17. Modulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release by calsequestrin in cardiac myocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SANDOR GYÖRKE

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Calsequestrin (CASQ2 is a high capacity Ca-binding protein expressed inside the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR. Mutations in the cardiac calsequestrin gene (CASQ2 have been linked to arrhythmias and sudden death induced by exercise and emotional stress. We have studied the function of CASQ2 and the consequences of arrhythmogenic CASQ2 mutations on intracellular Ca signalling using a combination of approaches of reverse genetics and cellular physiology in adult cardiac myocytes. We have found that CASQ2 is an essential determinant of the ability of the SR to store and release Ca2+ in cardiac muscle. CASQ2 serves as a reservoir for Ca2+ that is readily accessible for Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR and also as an active Ca2+ buffer that modulates the local luminal Ca-dependent closure of the SR Ca2+ release channels. At the same time, CASQ2 stabilizes the CICR process by slowing the functional recharging of SR Ca2+ stores. Abnormal restitution of the Ca2+ release channels from a luminal Ca-dependent refractory state could account for ventricular arrhythmias associated with mutations in the CASQ2 gene.

  18. Size of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase from Neurospora crassa determined by radiation inactivation and comparison with the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase from skeletal muscle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowman, B.J.; Berenski, C.J.; Jung, C.Y.

    1985-01-01

    Using radiation inactivation, the authors have measured the size of the H + -ATPase in Neurospora crassa plasma membranes. Membranes were exposed to either high energy electrons from a Van de Graaff generator or to gamma irradiation from 60 Co. Both forms of radiation caused an exponential loss of ATPase activity in parallel with the physical destruction of the Mr = 104,000 polypeptide of which this enzyme is composed. By applying target theory, the size of the H + -ATPase in situ was found to be approximately 2.3 X 10(5) daltons. They also used radiation inactivation to measure the size of the Ca 2+ -ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum and got a value of approximately 2.4 X 10(5) daltons, in agreement with previous reports. By irradiating a mixture of Neurospora plasma membranes and rabbit sarcoplasmic reticulum, they directly compared the sizes of these two ATPases and found them to be essentially the same. The authors conclude that both H + -ATPase and Ca 2+ -ATPase are oligomeric enzymes, most likely composed of two approximately 100,000-dalton polypeptides

  19. Biphasic decay of the Ca transient results from increased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca leak

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankaranarayanan, Rajiv; Li, Yatong; Greensmith, David J.; Eisner, David A.

    2016-01-01

    Key points Ca leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through the ryanodine receptor (RyR) reduces the amplitude of the Ca transient and slows its rate of decay.In the presence of β‐adrenergic stimulation, RyR‐mediated Ca leak produces a biphasic decay of the Ca transient with a fast early phase and a slow late phase.Two forms of Ca leak have been studied, Ca‐sensitising (induced by caffeine) and non‐sensitising (induced by ryanodine) and both induce biphasic decay of the Ca transient.Only Ca‐sensitising leak can be reversed by traditional RyR inhibitors such as tetracaine.Ca leak can also induce Ca waves. At low levels of leak, waves occur. As leak is increased, first biphasic decay and then slowed monophasic decay is seen. The level of leak has major effects on the shape of the Ca transient. Abstract In heart failure, a reduction in Ca transient amplitude and contractile dysfunction can by caused by Ca leak through the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR) and/or decreased activity of the SR Ca ATPase (SERCA). We have characterised the effects of two forms of Ca leak (Ca‐sensitising and non‐sensitising) on calcium cycling and compared with those of SERCA inhibition. We measured [Ca2+]i with fluo‐3 in voltage‐clamped rat ventricular myocytes. Increasing SR leak with either caffeine (to sensitise the RyR to Ca activation) or ryanodine (non‐sensitising) had similar effects to SERCA inhibition: decreased systolic [Ca2+]i, increased diastolic [Ca2+]i and slowed decay. However, in the presence of isoproterenol, leak produced a biphasic decay of the Ca transient in the majority of cells while SERCA inhibition produced monophasic decay. Tetracaine reversed the effects of caffeine but not of ryanodine. When caffeine (1 mmol l−1) was added to a cell which displayed Ca waves, the wave frequency initially increased before waves disappeared and biphasic decay developed. Eventually (at higher caffeine concentrations), the

  20. Impaired sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release rate after fatiguing stimulation in rat skeletal muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ørtenblad, Niels; Sjøgaard, G; Madsen, Klavs

    2000-01-01

    during the first 0.5-1 h the metabolic state recovered to resting levels, and a slow phase from 1-3 h characterized by a rather slow recovery of the mechanical properties. The recovery of SR Ca(2+) release rate was closely correlated to +dF/dt during the slow phase of recovery (r(2) = 0.51; P ... to 66% that persisted for 1 h, followed by a gradual recovery to 87% of prefatigue release rate at 3 h recovery. Tetanic force and rate of force development (+dF/dt) and relaxation (-dF/dt) were depressed by approximately 80% after stimulation. Recovery occurred in two phases: an initial phase, in which......The purpose of the study was to characterize the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function and contractile properties before and during recovery from fatigue in the rat extensor digitorum longus muscle. Fatiguing contractions (60 Hz, 150 ms/s for 4 min) induced a reduction of the SR Ca(2+) release rate...

  1. Calcium uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from hearts of septic rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDonough, K.H.

    1988-01-01

    Myocardial sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) plays a critical role in the regulation of the cytosolic calcium fluctuations that occur during the cardiac cycle. One function of the SR is to lower the calcium concentration so that myocardial relaxation and thus ventricular filling can occur. The aim of the present study was to determine if hyperdynamic sepsis induced a decrease in the capacity of SR to take up calcium. This defect would result in decreased ventricular filling and thus decreased cardiac output, as has previously been shown in isolated perfused working hearts removed from septic rats. Therefore, rats were anesthetized with ether, and sepsis was induced by the injection of an aliquot of a fecal homogenate into the peritoneal cavity. Control animals either underwent surgery and received an aliquot of sterilized fecal inoculum (sham) or were untreated (no surgery). On day 2 after surgery, animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital, and hearts were removed, weighted, and SR isolated. The rate of uptake of 45 Ca 2+ by SR from septic rats was not depressed compared to controls but in fact was elevated. Maximum 45 Ca 2+ accumulated by the SR and Ca 2+ -stimulated ATPase activity were similar in SR from control and septic hearts. These results suggest that the contractile dysfunction noted in the myocardium in early sepsis is probably not due to inadequate SR removal of Ca 2+ during diastole

  2. Reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum content of releasable Ca2+ in rat soleus muscle fibres after eccentric contractions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, J S; Sahlin, K; Ørtenblad, N

    2007-01-01

    AIM: The purpose was to evaluate the effects of fatiguing eccentric contractions (EC) on calcium (Ca2+) handling properties in mammalian type I muscles. We hypothesized that EC reduces both endogenous sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) content of releasable Ca2+ (eSRCa2+) and myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity....... METHODS: Isolated rat soleus muscles performed 30 EC bouts. Single fibres were isolated from the muscle and after mechanical removal of sarcolemma used to measure eSRCa2+, rate of SR Ca2+ loading and myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity. RESULTS: Following EC maximal force in whole muscle was reduced by 30......% and 16/100 Hz force ratio by 33%. The eSRCa2+ in fibres from non-stimulated muscles was 45 +/- 5% of the maximal loading capacity. After EC, eSRCa2+ per fibre CSA decreased by 38% (P = 0.05), and the maximal capacity of SR Ca2+ loading was depressed by 32%. There were no effects of EC on either...

  3. Redox regulation of calcium release in skeletal and cardiac muscle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CECILIA HIDALGO

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available In skeletal and cardiac muscle cells, specific isoforms of the Ryanodine receptor channels mediate Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These channels are highly susceptible to redox modifications, which regulate channel activity. In this work, we studied the effects of Ca2+ (endogenous agonist and Mg2+ (endogenous inhibitor on the kinetics of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from skeletal or cardiac mammalian muscle. Native skeletal vesicles exhibited maximal stimulation of release kinetics by 10-20 µM [Ca2+], whereas in native cardiac vesicles, maximal stimulation of release required only 1 µM [Ca2+]. In 10 µM [Ca2+], free [Mg2+] < 0.1 mM produced marked inhibition of release from skeletal vesicles but free [Mg2+] ­ 0.8 mM did not affect release from cardiac vesicles. Incubation of skeletal or cardiac vesicles with the oxidant thimerosal increased their susceptibility to stimulation by Ca2+ and decreased the inhibitory effect of Mg2+ in skeletal vesicles. Sulfhydryl-reducing agents fully reversed the effects of thimerosal. The endogenous redox species, glutathione disulfide and S-nitrosoglutathione, also stimulated release from skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. In 10 µM [Ca2+], 35S-nitrosoglutathione labeled a protein fraction enriched in release channels through S-glutathiolation. Free [Mg2+] 1 mM or decreasing free [Ca2+] to the nM range prevented this reaction. Possible physiological and pathological consequences of redox modification of release channels on Ca2+ signaling in heart and muscle cells are discussed

  4. The amino-terminal 200 amino acids of the plasma membrane Na+,K+-ATPase alpha subunit confer ouabain sensitivity on the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase.

    OpenAIRE

    Ishii, T; Takeyasu, K

    1993-01-01

    Cardiac glycosides such as G-strophanthin (ouabain) bind to and inhibit the plasma membrane Na+,K(+)-ATPase but not the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase, whereas thapsigargin specifically blocks the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase. The chimera [n/c]CC, in which the amino-terminal amino acids Met1 to Asp162 of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA1) were replaced with the corresponding portion of the Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 subunit (Met1 to Asp200), retained thapsigargin- and Ca(2+)-sensitive ATPase activity,...

  5. Nandrolone decanoate treatment affects sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase function in skinned rat slow- and fast-twitch fibres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouhlel, Aicha; Joumaa, Wissam H; Léoty, Claude

    2003-09-01

    The effects of anabolic-androgenic steroid administration on the function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) pump were investigated in chemically skinned fibres from the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles of sedentary rats. Twenty male rats were divided into two groups, one group received an intramuscular injection of nandrolone decanoate (15 mg x kg(-1)) weekly for 8 weeks, the second received similar weekly doses of vehicle (sterile peanut oil). Compared with control muscles, nandrolone decanoate treatment reduced SR Ca(2+) loading in EDL and soleus fibres by 49% and 29%, respectively. In control and treated muscles, the rate of Ca(2+) leakage depended on the quantity of Ca(2+) loaded. Furthermore, for similar SR Ca(2+) contents, the Ca(2+) leakage rate was not significantly modified by nandrolone decanoate treatment. Nandrolone decanoate treatment thus affects Ca (2+) uptake by the SR in a fibre-type dependent manner.

  6. Patterns of proteolytic cleavage and carbodiimide derivatization in sarcoplasmic reticulum adenosinetriphosphatase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    de Ancos, J.G.; Inesi, G.

    1988-01-01

    Two series of experiments were carried out to characterize (a) peptide fragments of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) ATPase, based on proteolysis with different enzymes and distribution of known labels, and (b) specific labeling and functional inactivation patterns, following ATPase derivatization with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) under various conditions. Digestion with trypsin or chymotrypsin results in the initial cleavage of the SR ATPase in two fragments of similar size and then into smaller fragments, while subtilisin and thermolysin immediately yield smaller fragments. Peptide fragments were assigned to segments of the protein primary structure and to functionally relevant domains, such as those containing the 32 P at the active site and the fluorescein isothiocyanate at the nucleotide site. ATPase derivatization with [ 14 C]DCCD under mild conditions produced selective inhibition of ATPase hydrolytic catalysis without significant incorporation of the 14 C radioactive label. This effect is attributed to blockage of catalytically active residues by reaction of the initial DCCD adduct with endogenous or exogenous nucleophiles. ATPase derivatization with [ 14 C]DCCD under more drastic conditions produced inhibition of calcium binding, 14 C radioactive labeling of tryptic fragments A 1 and A 2 (but not of B), and extensive cross-linking. The presence of calcium during derivatization prevented functional inactivation, radioactive labeling of fragment A 2 , and internal cross-linking of fragment A 1 . It is proposed that both A 1 and A 2 fragments participate in formation of the calcium binding domain and that the labeled residues of fragment A 2 are directly involved in calcium complexation. A diagram is constructed, representing the relative positions of labels and functional domains within the ATPase protein

  7. Regulatory effects of phospholamban on cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hae Won.

    1989-01-01

    In this thesis, the author reports the effect of phospholamban on: (a) Ca 2+ release by cardiac SR and (b) the Ca 2+ -ATPase activity in a purified reconstituted system. Phosphorylation of phospholamban by Ca 2+ · calmodulin-dependent protein kinase had no appreciable effect on the initial rates of Ca 2+ release from cardiac SR vesicles loaded under passive conditions and on the apparent 45 Ca 2+ - 40 Ca 2+ exchange from cardiac SR vesicles loaded under active conditions. us, it appears that Ca 2+ · calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of phospholamban is not involved in the regulation of Ca 2+ release and 45 Ca 2+-40 Ca 2+ exchange. To determine the molecular mechanism by which phospholamban regulates the Ca 2+ pump, a reconstituted system was developed, using a freeze-thaw sonication procedure. The Ca 2+ -ATPase was purified by a method which yields an active enzyme preparation essentially free of phospholamban. The best rates of Ca 2+ uptake were obtained when cholate and phosphatidylcholine (PC) were used at a ratio of cholate/PC/Ca 2 + -ATPase of 2/80/1. The maximal rates of Ca 2+ Uptake were 700 nmol/min/mg reconstituted vesicles compared to 800 nmol/min/mg SR vesicles. The EC 50 values for Ca 2+ were 0.05 μM for both Ca 2+ uptake and Ca 2+ -ATPase activity in the reconstituted vesicles compared to 0.63 μM Ca 2+ in native SR vesicles. To determine the effect of phospholamban on the Ca + -ATPase activity in the reconstituted vesicles, purified phospholamban was added to the cholate/Ca 2+ -ATPase mixture prior to combining it with liposomes

  8. Temperature and Ca2+-dependence of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2(+)-ATPase in haddock, salmon, rainbow trout and zebra cichlid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Godiksen, Helene; Jessen, Flemming

    2002-01-01

    Temperature dependence of Ca2+-ATPase from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in rabbit muscle has been widely studied, and it is generally accepted that a break point in Arrhenius plot exist at approximately 20 degreesC. Whether the break point arises as a result of temperature dependent changes......+- ATPase activity. The temperature range of the plateau was 14-21 and 18-25 degreesC in salmon and rainbow trout, respectively. Ca2+-dependence in the four different fish species investigated was very similar with half maximal activation (K-0.5) between 0.2 and 0.6 muM and half maximal inhibition (I-0.......5) between 60 and 250 muM. Results indicated that interaction between SR Ca2+-ATPase and its lipid environment may play an important role for the different Arrhenius plot of the different types of fish species investigated. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved....

  9. A novel artificial microRNA expressing AAV vector for phospholamban silencing in cardiomyocytes improves Ca2+ uptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tobias Gröβl

    Full Text Available In failing rat hearts, post-transcriptonal inhibition of phospholamban (PLB expression by AAV9 vector-mediated cardiac delivery of short hairpin RNAs directed against PLB (shPLBr improves both impaired SERCA2a controlled Ca2+ cycling and contractile dysfunction. Cardiac delivery of shPLB, however, was reported to cause cardiac toxicity in canines. Thus we developed a new AAV vector, scAAV6-amiR155-PLBr, expressing a novel engineered artificial microRNA (amiR155-PLBr directed against PLB under control of a heart-specific hybrid promoter. Its PLB silencing efficiency and safety were compared with those of an AAV vector expressing shPLBr (scAAV6-shPLBr from an ubiquitously active U6 promoter. Investigations were carried out in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (CM over a period of 14 days. Compared to shPLBr, amiR155-PLBr was expressed at a significantly lower level, resulting in delayed and less pronounced PLB silencing. Despite decreased knockdown efficiency of scAAV6-amiR155-PLBr, a similar increase of the SERCA2a-catalyzed Ca2+ uptake into sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR vesicles was observed for both the shPLBr and amiR155-PLBr vectors. Proteomic analysis confirmed PLB silencing of both therapeutic vectors and revealed that shPLBr, but not the amiR155-PLBr vector, increased the proinflammatory proteins STAT3, STAT1 and activated STAT1 phosphorylation at the key amino acid residue Tyr701. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis detected alterations in the expression of several cardiac microRNAs after treatment of CM with scAAV6-shPLBr and scAAV6-amiR155-PLBr, as well as after treatment with its related amiR155- and shRNAs-expressing control AAV vectors. The results demonstrate that scAAV6-amiR155-PLBr is capable of enhancing the Ca2+ transport function of the cardiac SR PLB/SERCA2a system as efficiently as scAAV6-shPLBr while offering a superior safety profile.

  10. Characterization of detergent-solubilized sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase by high-performance liquid chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersen, J.P.; Vilsen, B.; Nielsen, H.; Moller, J.V.

    1986-01-01

    Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase solubilized by the nonionic detergent octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether was studied by molecular sieve high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and analytical ultracentrifugation. Significant irreversible aggregation of soluble Ca 2+ -ATPase occurred within a few hours in the presence of ≤ 50 μM Ca 2+ . The aggregates were inactive and were primarily held together by hydrophobic forces. In the absence of reducing agent, secondary formation of disulfide bonds occurred. The stability of the inactive dimer upon dilution permitted unambiguous assignment of its elution position and sedimentation coefficient. At high 45 Ca 2+ concentration (500 μM), monomeric Ca 2+ -ATPase was stable for several house. Reversible self-association induced by variation in protein, detergent, and lipid concentrations was studied by large-zone HPLC. The association constant for dimerization of active Ca 2+ -ATPase was found to be 10 5 -10 6 M -1 depending on the detergent concentration. More detergent was bound to monomeric than to dimeric Ca 2+ -ATPase, even above the critical micellar concentration of the detergent. Binding of Ca 2+ and 48 V vanadate as well as ATP-dependent phosphorylation was studied in monomeric and in reversibly associated dimeric preparations. In both forms, two high-affinity Ca 2+ binding sites per phosphorylation site existed. The delipidated monomer purified by HPLC was able to form ADP-insensitive phosphoenzyme and to bind ATP and vanadate simultaneously. The results suggest that formation of Ca 2+ -ATPase oligomers in the membrane is governed by nonspecific forces (low affinity) and that each polypeptide chain constitutes a functional unit

  11. Comparison of the calcium release channel of cardiac and skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum by target inactivation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGrew, S.G.; Inui, Makoto; Chadwick, C.C.; Boucek, R.J. Jr.; Jung, C.Y.; Fleischer, S.

    1989-01-01

    The calcium release channel of sarcoplasmic reticulum which triggers muscle contraction in excitation-contraction coupling has recently been isolated. The channel has been found to be morphologically identical with the feet structures of the junctional face membrane of terminal cisternae and consists of an oligomer of a unique high molecular weight polypeptide. In this study, the authors compare the target size of the calcium release channel from heart and skeletal muscle using target inactivation analysis. The target molecular weights of the calcium release channel estimated by measuring ryanodine binding after irradiation are similar for heart (139,000) and skeletal muscle (143,000) and are smaller than the monomeric unit (estimated to be about 360,000). The target size, estimated by measuring polypeptide remaining after irradiation, was essentially the same for heart and skeletal muscle, 1,061,000 and 1,070,000, respectively, indicating an oligomeric association of protomers. Thus, the calcium release channel of both cardiac and skeletal muscle reacts uniquely with regard to target inactivation analysis in that (1) the size by ryanodine binding is smaller than the monomeric unit and (2) a single hit leads to destruction of more than one polypeptide, by measuring polypeptide remaining. The target inactivation analysis studies indicate that heart and skeletal muscle receptors are structurally very similar

  12. Effect of triorganotin compounds on calcium transport mechanisms in rat cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cameron, J.A.; Kodavanti, P.R.S.; Yallapragada, P.R.; Desaiah, D.

    1990-01-01

    Although organotin compounds, in general, are neurotoxicants, recent studies indicate that these tin compounds affect heme metabolism as well as cardiovascular system. Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium pump together with phosphorylation of phospholamban has an important role in myocardial contraction and relaxation. Since organotin compounds interfere with cardiovascular system, we have studied the in vitro as well as in vivo effects of tributyltin bromide (TBT), triethyltin bromide (TET) and trimethyltin chloride (TMT) on cardiac SR Ca 2+ -pump activity, in order to know the relative potency of these tin compounds. SR was isolated from heart ventricles of male Sprague-Dawley rats and used for in vitro studies. For in vivo studies, rats were treated orally in corn oil for 6 days with different doses of TET (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg/d), TMT (0.75, 1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg/d) and TBT (0.75, 1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg/d). Rats were sacrificed 24 hr after the last dosage and cardiac SR was prepared. Cardiac SR Ca 2+ -ATPase and 45 Ca-uptake were measured. All the three tin compounds inhibited Ca 2+ -ATPase and 45 Ca-uptake in vitro in a concentration dependent manner. The order of potency for Ca 2+ -ATPase as determined IC 50 , is TBT (2 uM) > TET (63 uM) > TMT (280 uM). For 45 Ca-uptake, if followed the same order i.e., TBT (0.35 uM) > TET (10 uM) > TMT (440 uM). In agreement with in vitro results, both SR Ca 2+ -ATPase and 45 Ca-uptake were significantly inhibited in rats treated with these tin compounds. These studies indicate that triorganotin compounds affect Ca 2+ -pumping mechanisms and thereby alter cardiac contraction-relaxation process

  13. N-acetylcysteine fails to modulate the in vitro function of sarcoplasmic reticulum of diaphragm in the final phase of fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishima, T; Yamada, T; Matsunaga, S; Wada, M

    2005-07-01

    In the present study, we tested the hypothesis whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a non-specific antioxidant, might influence fatigue by modulating Ca2+-handling capacity by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In the presence (10 mm) or absence of NAC, bundles of rat diaphragm were stimulated with tetanic trains (350 ms, 30-40 Hz) at 1 train every 2 s for 300 s. SR functions, as assessed by SR Ca2+-uptake and release rates and SR Ca2+-ATPase activity, were measured in vitro on muscle homogenates. Following the 300-s stimulation, the force developed by NAC-treated muscles is approximately 1.8-fold higher (P depression in SR function (P < 0.05). Despite the differing degrees of fatigue between NAC-treated and non-treated muscles, SR functions in these muscles were reduced to similar extents. These results suggest that modulation of SR function measured in vitro may not be a major contributor to inhibition of diaphragmic fatigue with antioxidant, at least, in the final phase of fatigue where force output is remarkably reduced.

  14. Presence of a Ca2+-sensitive CDPdiglyceride-inositol transferase in canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasinathan, C.; Kirchberger, M.A.

    1988-01-01

    Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and plasma membranes from canine left ventricle were used to evaluate the presence of the enzyme CDPdiglyceride-inositol transferase in these membranes. (K + ,-Ca 2+ )-ATPase activity, a marker for SR, was 79.2 +/- 5.0 (SE) and 11.2 +/- 2.0 μmol x mg -1 x h -1 in SR and plasma membrane preparations, respectively, and (Na + , K + )-ATPase activity, a marker for plasma membranes, was 5.6 +/- 1.2 and 99.2 +/- 8.0 μmol x mg -1 x h -1 , respectively. Contamination of SR and plasma membrane preparations by mitochondria was estimated to be 2% and 8%, respectively, and by Golgi membranes, 0.9% and 1.8%, respectively. The transferase activity detected in the plasma membrane preparation could be accounted for largely, but not entirely, by contaminating SR membranes. The pH optimum for the SR transferase activity was between 8.0 and 9.0. Ca 2+ inhibited the enzyme, half-maximal inhibition occurring at about 10 μM Ca 2+ . No loss of [ 3 H]PtdIns could be detected when membranes were incubated in the presence or absence of Ca 2+ . The Ca 2+ inhibition of the transferase was noncompetitive with respect to CDP-dipalmitin while that with respect to myo-inositol was slightly noncompetitive at low [Ca 2+ ] and became uncompetitive at higher [Ca 2+ ]. It is concluded that CDPdiglyceride-inositol transferase is present on SR membranes and is sensitive to micromolar Ca 2+ . The data are consistent with a putative role for the inhibition of the SR transferase by Ca 2+ and acidic pH in the protection of the SR against calcium overload in ischemic myocardium

  15. Inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase decreases atrioventricular node-paced heart rate in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Hongwei; Smith, Godfrey L; Orchard, Clive H; Hancox, Jules C; Burton, Francis L

    2012-10-01

    Recent data indicate that Ca(2+) cycling in isolated atrioventricular node (AVN) cells contributes to setting spontaneous rate. The aim of the present study was to extend this observation to the intact AVN in situ, by evaluating the effects of inhibiting sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) uptake with cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) on intact AVN spontaneous activity and its response to isoprenaline. A model of the AVN-paced heart was produced to investigate intact AVN automaticity, by surgical ablation of the sino-atrial node (SAN) in the rabbit Langendorff-perfused heart. Electrograms were recorded from a site close to the AVN (triangle of Koch), an atrial site above the AVN, the left atrium and right ventricle, enabling AVN pacing of the preparation to be confirmed. Before SAN ablation, the heart rate was 166.8 ± 5.4 beats min(-1). Ablation of the SAN was clearly indicated by a sudden and significant decrease of heart rate to 108.6 ± 9.6 beats min(-1) (P AVN rate to 187.8 ± 12.0 beats min(-1) after 1 min of application (P AVN rate to 81.6 ± 4.8 (n = 9) and 77.4 ± 6.0 beats min(-1) (n = 7), respectively [P AVN rate increase in response to isoprenaline from 78.8 ± 10.0 to 46.8 ± 6.8 and 26.7 ± 5.3%, respectively (P AVN rate and its response to isoprenaline indicate that Ca(2+) cycling is important to the intact AVN spontaneous activity and its acceleration during sympathetic stimulation.

  16. Crosstalk between mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ cycling modulates cardiac pacemaker cell automaticity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yael Yaniv

    Full Text Available Mitochondria dynamically buffer cytosolic Ca(2+ in cardiac ventricular cells and this affects the Ca(2+ load of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR. In sinoatrial-node cells (SANC the SR generates periodic local, subsarcolemmal Ca(2+ releases (LCRs that depend upon the SR load and are involved in SANC automaticity: LCRs activate an inward Na(+-Ca(2+ exchange current to accelerate the diastolic depolarization, prompting the ensemble of surface membrane ion channels to generate the next action potential (AP.To determine if mitochondrial Ca(2+ (Ca(2+ (m, cytosolic Ca(2+ (Ca(2+ (c-SR-Ca(2+ crosstalk occurs in single rabbit SANC, and how this may relate to SANC normal automaticity.Inhibition of mitochondrial Ca(2+ influx into (Ru360 or Ca(2+ efflux from (CGP-37157 decreased [Ca(2+](m to 80 ± 8% control or increased [Ca(2+](m to 119 ± 7% control, respectively. Concurrent with inhibition of mitochondrial Ca(2+ influx or efflux, the SR Ca(2+ load, and LCR size, duration, amplitude and period (imaged via confocal linescan significantly increased or decreased, respectively. Changes in total ensemble LCR Ca(2+ signal were highly correlated with the change in the SR Ca(2+ load (r(2 = 0.97. Changes in the spontaneous AP cycle length (Ru360, 111 ± 1% control; CGP-37157, 89 ± 2% control in response to changes in [Ca(2+](m were predicted by concurrent changes in LCR period (r(2 = 0.84.A change in SANC Ca(2+ (m flux translates into a change in the AP firing rate by effecting changes in Ca(2+ (c and SR Ca(2+ loading, which affects the characteristics of spontaneous SR Ca(2+ release.

  17. Altered sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase 2a content: Targets for heart failure therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Gang; Li, Si Qi; Hu, Ping Ping; Tong, Xiao Yong

    2018-05-01

    Sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase is responsible for transporting cytosolic calcium into the sarcoplasmic reticulum and endoplasmic reticulum to maintain calcium homeostasis. Sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase is the dominant isoform expressed in cardiac tissue, which is regulated by endogenous protein inhibitors, post-translational modifications, hormones as well as microRNAs. Dysfunction of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase is associated with heart failure, which makes sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase a promising target for heart failure therapy. This review summarizes current approaches to ameliorate sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase function and focuses on phospholamban, an endogenous inhibitor of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase, pharmacological tools and gene therapies.

  18. Interaction between endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum stress (ER/SR stress), mitochondrial signaling and Ca(2+) regulation in airway smooth muscle (ASM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delmotte, Philippe; Sieck, Gary C

    2015-02-01

    Airway inflammation is a key aspect of diseases such as asthma. Several inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNFα and IL-13) increase cytosolic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]cyt) responses to agonist stimulation and Ca(2+) sensitivity of force generation, thereby enhancing airway smooth muscle (ASM) contractility (hyper-reactive state). Inflammation also induces ASM proliferation and remodeling (synthetic state). In normal ASM, the transient elevation of [Ca(2+)]cyt induced by agonists leads to a transient increase in mitochondrial Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]mito) that may be important in matching ATP production with ATP consumption. In human ASM (hASM) exposed to TNFα and IL-13, the transient increase in [Ca(2+)]mito is blunted despite enhanced [Ca(2+)]cyt responses. We also found that TNFα and IL-13 induce reactive oxidant species (ROS) formation and endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR) stress (unfolded protein response) in hASM. ER/SR stress in hASM is associated with disruption of mitochondrial coupling with the ER/SR membrane, which relates to reduced mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) expression. Thus, in hASM it appears that TNFα and IL-13 result in ROS formation leading to ER/SR stress, reduced Mfn2 expression, disruption of mitochondrion-ER/SR coupling, decreased mitochondrial Ca(2+) buffering, mitochondrial fragmentation, and increased cell proliferation.

  19. Ryanodine receptor fragmentation and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ leak after one session of high-intensity interval exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Place, Nicolas; Ivarsson, Niklas; Venckunas, Tomas; Neyroud, Daria; Brazaitis, Marius; Cheng, Arthur J; Ochala, Julien; Kamandulis, Sigitas; Girard, Sebastien; Volungevičius, Gintautas; Paužas, Henrikas; Mekideche, Abdelhafid; Kayser, Bengt; Martinez-Redondo, Vicente; Ruas, Jorge L; Bruton, Joseph; Truffert, Andre; Lanner, Johanna T; Skurvydas, Albertas; Westerblad, Håkan

    2015-12-15

    High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient way of improving physical performance in healthy subjects and in patients with common chronic diseases, but less so in elite endurance athletes. The mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of HIIT are uncertain. Here, recreationally active human subjects performed highly demanding HIIT consisting of 30-s bouts of all-out cycling with 4-min rest in between bouts (≤3 min total exercise time). Skeletal muscle biopsies taken 24 h after the HIIT exercise showed an extensive fragmentation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) release channel, the ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1). The HIIT exercise also caused a prolonged force depression and triggered major changes in the expression of genes related to endurance exercise. Subsequent experiments on elite endurance athletes performing the same HIIT exercise showed no RyR1 fragmentation or prolonged changes in the expression of endurance-related genes. Finally, mechanistic experiments performed on isolated mouse muscles exposed to HIIT-mimicking stimulation showed reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS)-dependent RyR1 fragmentation, calpain activation, increased SR Ca(2+) leak at rest, and depressed force production due to impaired SR Ca(2+) release upon stimulation. In conclusion, HIIT exercise induces a ROS-dependent RyR1 fragmentation in muscles of recreationally active subjects, and the resulting changes in muscle fiber Ca(2+)-handling trigger muscular adaptations. However, the same HIIT exercise does not cause RyR1 fragmentation in muscles of elite endurance athletes, which may explain why HIIT is less effective in this group.

  20. Ryanodine receptor fragmentation and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ leak after one session of high-intensity interval exercise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Place, Nicolas; Ivarsson, Niklas; Venckunas, Tomas; Neyroud, Daria; Brazaitis, Marius; Cheng, Arthur J.; Ochala, Julien; Kamandulis, Sigitas; Girard, Sebastien; Volungevičius, Gintautas; Paužas, Henrikas; Mekideche, Abdelhafid; Kayser, Bengt; Martinez-Redondo, Vicente; Bruton, Joseph; Truffert, Andre; Lanner, Johanna T.; Skurvydas, Albertas; Westerblad, Håkan

    2015-01-01

    High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient way of improving physical performance in healthy subjects and in patients with common chronic diseases, but less so in elite endurance athletes. The mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of HIIT are uncertain. Here, recreationally active human subjects performed highly demanding HIIT consisting of 30-s bouts of all-out cycling with 4-min rest in between bouts (≤3 min total exercise time). Skeletal muscle biopsies taken 24 h after the HIIT exercise showed an extensive fragmentation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release channel, the ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1). The HIIT exercise also caused a prolonged force depression and triggered major changes in the expression of genes related to endurance exercise. Subsequent experiments on elite endurance athletes performing the same HIIT exercise showed no RyR1 fragmentation or prolonged changes in the expression of endurance-related genes. Finally, mechanistic experiments performed on isolated mouse muscles exposed to HIIT-mimicking stimulation showed reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS)-dependent RyR1 fragmentation, calpain activation, increased SR Ca2+ leak at rest, and depressed force production due to impaired SR Ca2+ release upon stimulation. In conclusion, HIIT exercise induces a ROS-dependent RyR1 fragmentation in muscles of recreationally active subjects, and the resulting changes in muscle fiber Ca2+-handling trigger muscular adaptations. However, the same HIIT exercise does not cause RyR1 fragmentation in muscles of elite endurance athletes, which may explain why HIIT is less effective in this group. PMID:26575622

  1. 78 kDa receptor for Man6P-independent lysosomal enzyme targeting: Biosynthetic transport from endoplasmic reticulum to 'high-density vesicles'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez-Noriega, Alfonso; Ortega Cuellar, Daniel D.; Michalak, Colette

    2006-01-01

    Recent work has shown that the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate and the 78 kDa receptors for lysosomal enzyme targeting are located in different cell compartments. While the mannose 6-phosphate receptor is enriched in the Percoll fractions that contain Golgi apparatus, most of the 78 kDa receptor is localized in a heavy fraction at the bottom of the Percoll gradient. This report presents the biosynthetic transport of the 78 kDa receptor. Newly synthesized 78 kDa receptor was transported to Golgi from endoplasmic reticulum with a half life of 5 min. From the Golgi apparatus, the receptor takes two routes; about 15-25% is transported to the plasma membrane, and the rest migrates to late endosomes, subsequently to prelysosomes and finally to the dense vesicles. The 78 kDa receptor starts appearing at the dense vesicles 120 min after biosynthesis and reaches a maximum of 40-50% of the total receptor. Treatment of cells with NH 4 Cl causes depletion of the receptor from the dense vesicles and prelysosomes and corresponding augmentation in endosomes and plasma membrane. These results suggest that the 78 kDa receptor cycles between compartments and that the dense vesicles seem to represent the most distal compartment in the biosynthetic pathway of this receptor

  2. Altered calcium pump and secondary deficiency of γ-sarcoglycan and microspan in sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes isolated from δ-sarcoglycan knockout mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solares-Pérez, Alhondra; Álvarez, Rocío; Crosbie, Rachelle H.; Vega-Moreno, Jesús; Medina-Monares, Joel; Estrada, Francisco J.; Ortega, Alicia; Coral-Vazquez, Ramón

    2016-01-01

    Sarcoglycans (SGs) and sarcospan (SSPN) are transmembrane proteins of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. Mutations in the genes encoding SGs cause many inherited forms of muscular dystrophy. In this study, using purified membranes of wild-type (WT) and δ-SG knockout (KO) mice, we found the specific localization of the SG-SSPN isoforms in transverse tubules (TT) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes. Immunoblotting revealed that the absence of δ-SG isoforms in TT and SR results in a secondary deficiency of γ-SG and µSPN. Our results showed augmented ATP hydrolytic activity, ATP-dependent calcium uptake and passive calcium efflux, probably through SERCA1 in KO compared to WT mice. Furthermore, we found a conformational change in SERCA1 isolated from KO muscle as demonstrated by calorimetric analysis. Following these alterations with mechanical properties, we found an increase in force in KO muscle with the same rate of fatigue but with a decreased fatigue recovery compared to WT. Together our observations suggest, for the first time, that the δ-SG isoforms may stabilize the expression of γ-SG and µSPN in the TT and SR membranes and that this possible complex may play a role in the maintenance of a stable level of resting cytosolic calcium concentration in skeletal muscle. PMID:20638123

  3. Phospholipid alterations in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum induced by xanthine oxidase: contamination of commercial preparations of xanthine oxidase by phospholipase A2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gamache, D.A.; Kornberg, L.J.; Bartolf, M.; Franson, R.C.

    1986-01-01

    Incubation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum with xanthine oxidase alone at pH 7.0 resulted in a loss of lipid phosphorus that was potentiated by the addition of xanthine. Using autoclaved E.coli with 1- 14 C-oleate in the 2-acyl position of membrane phospholipids, the authors demonstrate that many, but not all, commercial preparations of xanthine oxidase contain significant phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) activity (64.3-545.6 nmols/min/mg). The PLA 2 was maximally active in the neutral-alkaline pH range, was Ca 2+ -dependent, and was unaffected by the addition of xanthine. PLA 2 activity was totally inhibited by 1mM EDTA whereas radical production by optimal concentrations of xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) was unaffected by EDTA. Chromatographically purified xanthine oxidase (Sigma Grade III) contained high levels of PLA 2 activity (64.3 nmols/min/mg) compared to endogenous levels of neutral-active, Ca 2+ -dependent PLA 2 measured in various tissue homogenates (≤ 0.5 nmols/ min/mg). Because X/XO mixtures are used extensively to study oxygen free radical-induced cell injury and membrane phospholipid alterations, the presence of a potent extracellular PLA 2 may have influenced previously published reports, and such studies should be interpreted cautiously

  4. Is contraction-stimulated glucose transport feedforward regulated by Ca2+?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Thomas Elbenhardt; Angin, Yeliz; Sylow, Lykke

    2014-01-01

    cell types. The literature is contrasted against our recent findings suggesting that SR Ca(2+) release is neither essential nor adequate to stimulate glucose transport in muscle. Instead, feedback signals through AMPK and mechanical stress are likely to account for most of contraction......In many cell types, Ca(2+) signals to increase the movement and surface membrane insertion of vesicles. In skeletal muscle, Ca(2+) is predominantly released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) to initiate contraction. Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release is widely believed to be a direct......-stimulated glucose transport. A revised working model is proposed, in which muscle glucose transport during contraction is not directly regulated by SR Ca(2+) release but rather responds exclusively to feedback signals activated secondary to cross-bridge cycling and tension development....

  5. Decrease in sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium content, not myofilament function, contributes to muscle twitch force decline in isolated cardiac trabeculae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milani-Nejad, Nima; Brunello, Lucia; Gyorke, Sándor; Janssen, Paul M.L.

    2014-01-01

    We set out to determine the factors responsible for twitch force decline in isolated intact rat cardiac trabeculae. The contractile force of trabeculae declined over extended periods of isometric twitch contractions. The force-frequency relationship within the frequency range of 4–8 Hz, at 37 °C, became more positive and the frequency optimum shifted to higher rates with this decline in baseline twitch tensions. The post-rest potentiation (37 °C), a phenomenon highly dependent on calcium handling mechanisms, became more pronounced with decrease in twitch tensions. We show that the main abnormality during muscle run-down was not due to a deficit in the myofilaments; maximal tension achieved using a K+ contracture protocol was either unaffected or only slightly decreased. Conversely, the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium content, as assessed by rapid cooling contractures (from 27 °C to 0 °C), decreased, and had a close association with the declining twitch tensions (R2 ~ 0.76). SR Ca2+-ATPase, relative to Na+/Ca2+ exchanger activity, was not altered as there was no significant change in paired rapid cooling contracture ratios. Furthermore, confocal microscopy detected no abnormalities in the overall structure of the cardiomyocytes and t-tubules in the cardiac trabeculae (~23 °C). Overall, the data indicates that the primary mechanism responsible for force run-down in multi-cellular cardiac preparations is a decline in the SR calcium content and not the maximal tension generation capability of the myofilaments. PMID:25056841

  6. Dynamic measurement of the calcium buffering properties of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in mouse skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manno, Carlo; Sztretye, Monika; Figueroa, Lourdes; Allen, Paul D; Ríos, Eduardo

    2013-01-15

    The buffering power, B, of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), ratio of the changes in total and free [Ca(2+)], was determined in fast-twitch mouse muscle cells subjected to depleting membrane depolarization. Changes in total SR [Ca(2+)] were measured integrating Ca(2+) release flux, determined with a cytosolic [Ca(2+)] monitor. Free [Ca(2+)](SR) was measured using the cameleon D4cpv-Casq1. In 34 wild-type (WT) cells average B during the depolarization (ON phase) was 157 (SEM 26), implying that of 157 ions released, 156 were bound inside the SR. B was significantly greater when BAPTA, which increases release flux, was present in the cytosol. B was greater early in the pulse - when flux was greatest - than at its end, and greater in the ON than in the OFF. In 29 Casq1-null cells, B was 40 (3.6). The difference suggests that 75% of the releasable calcium is normally bound to calsequestrin. In the nulls the difference in B between ON and OFF was less than in the WT but still significant. This difference and the associated decay in B during the ON were not artifacts of a slow SR monitor, as they were also found in the WT when [Ca(2+)](SR) was tracked with the fast dye fluo-5N. The calcium buffering power, binding capacity and non-linear binding properties of the SR measured here could be accounted for by calsequestrin at the concentration present in mammalian muscle, provided that its properties were substantially different from those found in solution. Its affinity should be higher, or K(D) lower than the conventionally accepted 1 mm; its cooperativity (n in a Hill fit) should be higher and the stoichiometry of binding should be at the higher end of the values derived in solution. The reduction in B during release might reflect changes in calsequestrin conformation upon calcium loss.

  7. Matching of sarcoplasmic reticulum and contractile properties in rat fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinh, Huong H; Lamb, Graham D

    2006-07-01

    1. The twitch characteristics (fast-twitch or slow-twitch) of skeletal muscle fibres are determined not only by the contractile apparatus properties of the fibre, but also by the time-course of Ca2+ release and re-uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The present study examined, in individual fibres from non-transforming muscle of the rat, whether particular SR properties are matched to the contractile apparatus properties of the fibre, in particular in the case of fibres with fast-twitch contractile apparatus located in a slow-twitch muscle, namely the soleus. 2. Force was recorded in single, mechanically skinned fibres from extensor digitorum longus (EDL), gastrocnemius, peroneus longus and soleus muscles. Using repeated cycles in which the SR was emptied of all releasable Ca2+ and then reloaded, it was possible to determine the relative amount of Ca2+ present in the SR endogenously, the maximum SR capacity and the rate of Ca2+ loading. The sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to Ca2+ and Sr2+ was used to classify the fibres as fast-twitch (FT), slow-twitch (ST) or mixed (fibres examined) and thereby identify the likely troponin C and myosin heavy chain types present. 3. There was no significant difference in SR properties between the groups of FT fibres obtained from the four different muscles, including soleus. Despite some overlap in the SR properties of individual fibres between the FT and ST groups, the properties of the FT fibres in all four muscles studied were significantly different from those of the ST and mixed fibres. 4. In general, in FT fibres the SR had a larger capacity and the endogenous Ca2+ content was a relatively lower percentage of maximum compared with ST fibres. Importantly, in terms of their SR properties, FT fibres from soleus muscle more closely resembled FT fibres from other muscles than they did ST fibres from soleus muscle.

  8. The protein phosphatase-1/inhibitor-2 complex differentially regulates GSK3 dephosphorylation and increases sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, Taj D.; Gandy, Johanna C.; Bijur, Gautam N.

    2006-01-01

    The ubiquitously expressed protein glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is constitutively active, however its activity is markedly diminished following phosphorylation of Ser21 of GSK3α and Ser9 of GSK3β. Although several kinases are known to phosphorylate Ser21/9 of GSK3, for example Akt, relatively much less is known about the mechanisms that cause the dephosphorylation of GSK3 at Ser21/9. In the present study KCl-induced plasma membrane depolarization of SH-SY5Y cells, which increases intracellular calcium concentrations caused a transient decrease in the phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308 and Ser473, and GSK3 at Ser21/9. Overexpression of the selective protein phosphatase-1 inhibitor protein, inhibitor-2, increased basal GSK3 phosphorylation at Ser21/9 and significantly blocked the KCl-induced dephosphorylation of GSK3β, but not GSK3α. The phosphorylation of Akt was not affected by the overexpression of inhibitor-2. GSK3 activity is known to affect sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 (SERCA2) levels. Overexpression of inhibitor-2 or treatment of cells with the GSK3 inhibitors lithium and SB216763 increased the levels of SERCA2. These results indicate that the protein phosphatase-1/inhibitor-2 complex differentially regulates GSK3 dephosphorylation induced by KCl and that GSK3 activity regulates SERCA2 levels

  9. The role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in the generation of high heart rates and blood pressures in reptiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galli, Gina L J; Gesser, Hans; Taylor, Edwin W; Shiels, Holly A; Wang, Tobias

    2006-05-01

    The functional significance of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in the generation of high heart rates and blood pressures was investigated in four species of reptile; the turtle, Trachemys scripta; the python, Python regius, the tegu lizard, Tupinanvis merianae, and the varanid lizard, Varanus exanthematicus. Force-frequency trials and imposed pauses were performed on ventricular and atrial tissue from each species with and without the SR inhibitor ryanodine, and in the absence and presence of adrenaline. In all species, an imposed pause of 1 or 5 min caused a post-rest decay of force, and a negative force-frequency response was observed in all species within their in vivo frequency range of heart rates. These relationships were not affected by either ryanodine or adrenaline. In ventricular strips from varanid lizards and pythons, ryanodine caused significant reductions in twitch force within their physiologically relevant frequency range. In atrial tissue from the tegu and varanid lizards, SR inhibition reduced twitch force across the whole of their physiological frequency range. In contrast, in the more sedentary species, the turtle and the python, SR inhibition only decreased twitch force at stimulation frequencies above maximal in vivo heart rates. Adrenaline caused an increase in twitch force in all species studied. In ventricular tissue, this positive inotropic effect was sufficient to overcome the negative effects of ryanodine. In atrial tissue however, adrenaline could only ameliorate the negative effects of ryanodine at the lower pacing frequencies. Our results indicate that reptiles recruit Ca2+ from the SR for force development in a frequency and tissue dependent manner. This is discussed in the context of the development of high reptilian heart rates and blood pressures.

  10. Effects of dantrolene and its derivatives on Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of mouse skeletal muscle fibres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikemoto, Takaaki; Hosoya, Takamitsu; Aoyama, Hiroshi; Kihara, Yasutaka; Suzuki, Masaaki; Endo, Makoto

    2001-01-01

    We analysed the effect of dantrolene (Dan) and five newly synthesized derivatives (GIFs) on Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of mouse skeletal muscle.In intact muscles, GIF-0185 reduced the size of twitch contraction induced by electrical stimulation to the same extent as Dan. GIF-0082, an azido-functionalized Dan derivative, also inhibited twitch contraction, although the extent of inhibition was less than that of Dan and of GIF-0185.In skinned fibres, Dan inhibited Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) under Mg2+-free conditions at room temperature. In contrast, GIF-0082 and GIF-0185 showed no inhibitory effect on CICR under the same conditions.Dan-induced inhibition of CICR was not affected by the presence of GIF-0082, whereas it was diminished in the presence of GIF-0185.GIF-0082 and GIF-0185 significantly inhibited clofibric acid (Clof)-induced Ca2+ release, as did Dan.Several Dan derivatives other than GIF-0082 and GIF-0185 showed an inhibitory effect on twitch tension but not on the CICR mechanism. All of these derivatives inhibited Clof-induced Ca2+ release.The magnitudes of inhibition of Clof-induced Ca2+ release by all Dan derivatives were well correlated with those of twitch inhibition. This supports the notion that the mode of Clof-induced opening of the RyR-Ca2+ release channel may be similar to that of physiological Ca2+ release (PCR).These results indicate that the difference in opening modes of the RyR-Ca2+ release channel is recognized by certain Dan derivatives. PMID:11606312

  11. Is the Ca2+-ATPase from sarcoplasmic reticulum also a heat pump?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kjelstrup, Signe; de Meis, Leopoldo; Bedeaux, Dick; Simon, Jean-Marc

    2008-11-01

    We calculate, using the first law of thermodynamics, the membrane heat fluxes during active transport of Ca(2+) in the Ca(2+)-ATPase in leaky and intact vesicles, during ATP hydrolysis or synthesis conditions. The results show that the vesicle interior may cool down during hydrolysis and Ca(2+)-uptake, and heat up during ATP synthesis and Ca(2+)-efflux. The heat flux varies with the SERCA isoform. Electroneutral processes and rapid equilibration of water were assumed. The results are consistent with the second law of thermodynamics for the overall processes. The expression for the heat flux and experimental data, show that important contributions come from the enthalpy of hydrolysis for the medium in question, and from proton transport between the vesicle interior and exterior. The analysis give quantitative support to earlier proposals that certain, but not all, Ca(2+)-ATPases, not only act as Ca(2+)-pumps, but also as heat pumps. It can thus help explain why SERCA 1 type enzymes dominate in tissues where thermal regulation is important, while SERCA 2 type enzymes, with their lower activity and better ability to use the energy from the reaction to pump ions, dominate in tissues where this is not an issue.

  12. Direct measurement of newly synthesized ATP dissociation kinetics in sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teruel-Puche, J.; Kurzmack, M.; Inesi, G.

    1987-01-01

    Incubation of SR vesicles with Ca 2+ and ( 32 P)acetylphosphate, yields steady state levels of ( 32 P)phosphorylated enzyme (ATPase) intermediate and high concentrations of Ca 2+ in the lumen of the vesicles. At this time, addition of ADP (and EGTA to lower the Ca 2+ concentration in the medium outside the vesicles) results in single cycle formation of (γ- 32 P)ATP by transfer of ( 32 P)phosphate from the enzyme intermediate to ADP. The phosphoenzyme decay and ATP formation exhibit a fast component within the first 20 msec following addition of ADP, and a slower component reaching an asymptote in approximately 100 msec. They have now measured by a rapid filtration method the fraction of newly synthesized ATP which is bound to the enzyme, as opposed to the fraction dissociated into the medium. They find that nearly all the ATP formed during the initial burst is still bound to the enzyme within the initial 20 msec of reaction. Dissociation of newly synthesized ATP occurs then with approximately 13 sec -1 rate constant, permitting reequilibration of the system and further formation of ATP. The rate limiting effect of ATP dissociation and other partial reactions on the slow component of single cycle ATP synthesis is evaluated by appropriate kinetic simulations

  13. Sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release compared in slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibres of mouse muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baylor, S M; Hollingworth, S

    2003-08-15

    Experiments were carried out to compare the amplitude and time course of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in intact slow-twitch and fast-twitch mouse fibres. Individual fibres within small bundles were injected with furaptra, a low-affinity, rapidly responding Ca2+ indicator. In response to a single action potential at 16 degrees C, the peak amplitude and half-duration of the change in myoplasmic free [Ca2+] (Delta[Ca2+]) differed significantly between fibre types (slow-twitch: peak amplitude, 9.4 +/- 1.0 microM (mean +/- S.E.M.); half-duration, 7.7 +/- 0.6 ms; fast-twitch: peak amplitude 18.5 +/- 0.5 microM; half-duration, 4.9 +/- 0.3 ms). SR Ca2+ release was estimated from Delta[Ca2+] with a computational model that calculated Ca2+ binding to the major myoplasmic Ca2+ buffers (troponin, ATP and parvalbumin); buffer concentrations and reaction rate constants were adjusted to reflect fibre-type differences. In response to an action potential, the total concentration of released Ca2+ (Delta[CaT]) and the peak rate of Ca2+ release ((d/dt)Delta[CaT]) differed about 3-fold between the fibre types (slow-twitch: Delta[CaT], 127 +/- 7 microM; (d/dt)Delta[CaT], 70 +/- 6 microM ms-1; fast-twitch: Delta[CaT], 346 +/- 6 microM; (d/dt)Delta[CaT], 212 +/- 4 microM ms-1). In contrast, the half-duration of (d/dt)Delta[CaT] was very similar in the two fibre types (slow-twitch, 1.8 +/- 0.1 ms; fast-twitch, 1.6 +/- 0.0 ms). When fibres were stimulated with a 5-shock train at 67 Hz, the peaks of (d/dt)Delta[CaT] in response to the second and subsequent shocks were much smaller than that due to the first shock; the later peaks, expressed as a fraction of the amplitude of the first peak, were similar in the two fibre types (slow-twitch, 0.2-0.3; fast-twitch, 0.1-0.3). The results support the conclusion that individual SR Ca2+ release units function similarly in slow-twitch and fast-twitch mammalian fibres.

  14. Properties of Ca2+ release induced by clofibric acid from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of mouse skeletal muscle fibres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikemoto, Takaaki; Endo, Makoto

    2001-01-01

    To characterize the effect of clofibric acid (Clof) on the Ca2+ release mechanism in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of skeletal muscle, we analysed the properties of Clof-induced Ca2+ release under various conditions using chemically skinned skeletal muscle fibres of the mouse.Clof (>0.5 mM) released Ca2+ from the SR under Ca2+-free conditions buffered with 10 mM EGTA (pCa >8).Co-application of ryanodine and Clof at pCa >8 but not ryanodine alone reduced the Ca2+ uptake capacity of the SR. Thus, Ca2+ release induced by Clof at pCa >8 must be a result of the activation of the ryanodine receptor (RyR).At pCa >8, (i) Clof-induced Ca2+ release was inhibited by adenosine monophosphate (AMP), (ii) the inhibitory effect of Mg2+ on the Clof-induced Ca2+ release was saturated at about 1 mM, and (iii) Clof-induced Ca2+ release was not inhibited by procaine (10 mM). These results indicate that Clof may activate the RyR-Ca2+ release channels in a manner different from Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR).In addition to this unique mode of opening, Clof also enhanced the CICR mode of opening of RyR-Ca2+ release channels.Apart from CICR, a high concentration of Ca2+ might also enhance the unique mode of opening by Clof.These results suggest that some features of Ca2+ release activated by Clof are similar to those of physiological Ca2+ release (PCR) in living muscle cells and raise the possibility that Clof may be useful in elucidating the mechanism of PCR in skeletal muscle. PMID:11606311

  15. Role of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium in development of secondary calcium rise and early afterdepolarizations in long QT syndrome rabbit model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Po-Cheng Chang

    Full Text Available L-type calcium current reactivation plays an important role in development of early afterdepolarizations (EADs and torsades de pointes (TdP. Secondary intracellular calcium (Cai rise is associated with initiation of EADs.To test whether inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR Ca2+ cycling suppresses secondary Cai rise and genesis of EADs.Langendorff perfusion and dual voltage and Cai optical mapping were conducted in 10 rabbit hearts. Atrioventricular block (AVB was created by radiofrequency ablation. After baseline studies, E4031, SR Ca2+ cycling inhibitors (ryanodine plus thapsigargin and nifedipine were then administrated subsequently, and the protocols were repeated.At baseline, there was no spontaneous or pacing-induced TdP. After E4031 administration, action potential duration (APD was significantly prolonged and the amplitude of secondary Cai rise was enhanced, and 7 (70% rabbits developed spontaneous or pacing-induced TdP. In the presence of ryanodine plus thapsigargin, TdP inducibility was significantly reduced (2 hearts, 20%, p = 0.03. Although APD was significantly prolonged (from 298 ± 30 ms to 457 ± 75 ms at pacing cycle length of 1000 m, p = 0.007 by ryanodine plus thapsigargin, the secondary Cai rise was suppressed (from 8.8 ± 2.6% to 1.2 ± 0.9%, p = 0.02. Nifedipine inhibited TdP inducibility in all rabbit hearts.In this AVB and long QT rabbit model, inhibition of SR Ca2+ cycyling reduces the inducibility of TdP. The mechanism might be suppression of secondary Cai rise and genesis of EADs.

  16. Determination of the separate lipid and protein profile structures derived from the total membrane profile structure or isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum via x-ray and neutron diffraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbette, L.; Blasie, J.K.

    1984-01-01

    Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes were prepared to contain biosynthetically deuterated SR phospholipids utilizing specific and general phospholipid exchange proteins (PLEP). Functional measurements and freeze fracture on SR dispersions and x-ray diffraction of hydrated oriented membrane multilayers revealed that the exchanged SR membranes were very similar to unexchanged SR membranes. Low resolution (28-A) neutron diffraction studies utilizing SR membranes exchanged with either protonated or perdeuterated SR phospholipids allowed direct determination of the lipid profile within the isolated SR membrane at two different unit cell repeat distances. These lipid profile structures were found to be highly asymmetric regarding the conformation of the fatty acid chain extents and compositional distribution of phospholipid molecules in the inner vs. outer monolayer of the SR membrane bilayer. The relatively high resolution (11-A) electron-density profile from x-ray diffraction was decomposed by utilizing the asymmetry in the number of phospholipid molecules residing in the inner vs. outer monolayer of the SR lipid bilayer as obtained from the neutron diffraction study. To our knowledge, this represents the first direct determination of a lipid bilayer profile structure within an isolated membrane system

  17. Interaction between neuronal nitric oxide synthase signaling and temperature influences sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium leak: role of nitroso-redox balance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dulce, Raul A; Mayo, Vera; Rangel, Erika B; Balkan, Wayne; Hare, Joshua M

    2015-01-02

    Although nitric oxide (NO) signaling modulates cardiac function and excitation-contraction coupling, opposing results because of inconsistent experimental conditions, particularly with respect to temperature, confound the ability to elucidate NO signaling pathways. Here, we show that temperature significantly modulates NO effects. To test the hypothesis that temperature profoundly affects nitroso-redox equilibrium, thereby affecting sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium (Ca(2+)) leak. We measured SR Ca(2+) leak in cardiomyocytes from wild-type (WT), NO/redox imbalance (neuronal nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice-1 [NOS1(-/-)]), and hyper S-nitrosoglutathione reductase-deficient (GSNOR(-/-)) mice. In WT cardiomyocytes, SR Ca(2+) leak increased because temperature decreased from 37°C to 23°C, whereas in NOS1(-/-) cells, the leak suddenly increased when the temperature surpassed 30°C. GSNOR(-/-) cardiomyocytes exhibited low leak throughout the temperature range. Exogenously added NO had a biphasic effect on NOS1(-/-) cardiomyocytes; reducing leak at 37°C but increasing it at subphysiological temperatures. Oxypurinol and Tempol diminished the leak in NOS1(-/-) cardiomyocytes. Cooling from 37°C to 23°C increased reactive oxygen species generation in WT but decreased it in NOS1(-/-) cardiomyocytes. Oxypurinol further reduced reactive oxygen species generation. At 23°C in WT cells, leak was decreased by tetrahydrobiopterin, an essential NOS cofactor. Cooling significantly increased SR Ca(2+) content in NOS1(-/-) cells but had no effect in WT or GSNOR(-/-). Ca(2+) leak and temperature are normally inversely proportional, whereas NOS1 deficiency reverses this effect, increasing leak and elevating reactive oxygen species production because temperature increases. Reduced denitrosylation (GSNOR deficiency) eliminates the temperature dependence of leak. Thus, temperature regulates the balance between NO and reactive oxygen species which in turn has a major effect on SR

  18. Effect of phospholipid, detergent and protein-protein interaction on stability and phosphoenzyme isomerization of soluble sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilsen, B; Andersen, J P

    1987-12-30

    The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the separate roles of lipid, detergent and protein-protein interaction for stability and catalytic properties of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase solubilized in the non-ionic detergent octa(ethylene glycol) monododecyl ether (C12E8). The use of large-zone high-performance liquid chromatography permitted us to define the self-association state of Ca-ATPase peptide at various detergent, phospholipid and protein concentrations, and also during enzymatic turnover with ATP. Conditions were established for monomerization of Ca-ATPase in the presence of a high concentration of phospholipid relative to detergent. The lipid-saturated monomeric preparation was relatively resistant to inactivation in the absence of Ca2+, whereas delipidated enzyme in monomeric or in oligomeric form was prone to inactivation. Kinetics of phosphoenzyme turnover were examined in the presence and absence of Mg2+. Dephosphorylation rates were sensitive to Mg2+, irrespective of whether the peptide was present in soluble monomeric form or was membrane-bound. C12E8-solubilized monomer without added phospholipid was, however, characterized by a fast initial phase of dephosphorylation in the absence of Mg2+. This was not observed with monomer saturated with phospholipid or with monomer solubilized in myristoylglycerophosphocholine or deoxycholate. The mechanism underlying this difference was shown to be a C12E8-induced acceleration of conversion of ADP-sensitive phosphoenzyme (E1P) to ADP-insensitive phosphoenzyme (E2P). The phosphoenzyme isomerization rate was also found to be enhanced by low-affinity binding of ATP. This was demonstrated both in membrane-bound and in soluble monomeric Ca-ATPase. Our results indicate that a single peptide chain constitutes the target for modulation of phosphoenzyme turnover by Mg2+ and ATP, and that detergent effects, distinct from those arising from disruption of protein-protein contacts, are the major determinants of

  19. Evidence that the effects of phospholipids on the activity of the Ca(2+)-ATPase do not involve aggregation.

    OpenAIRE

    Starling, A P; East, J M; Lee, A G

    1995-01-01

    The Ca(2+)-ATPase of skeletal-muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum, solubilized in monomeric from in C12E8, has been reconstituted by dialysis into sealed vesicles of dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine [di(C18:1)PC], dimyristoleoyl phosphatidylcholine [di(C14:1)PC], dinervonyl phosphatidylcholine [di(C24:1)PC] or dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine [di(C16:0)PC] in the gel phase, at a phospholipid/ATPase molar ratio of 10,000: 1. Cross-linking experiments show that ATPase molecules are present in these recons...

  20. Impact of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release on calcium dynamics and action potential morphology in human atrial myocytes: a computational study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jussi T Koivumäki

    Full Text Available Electrophysiological studies of the human heart face the fundamental challenge that experimental data can be acquired only from patients with underlying heart disease. Regarding human atria, there exist sizable gaps in the understanding of the functional role of cellular Ca²+ dynamics, which differ crucially from that of ventricular cells, in the modulation of excitation-contraction coupling. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to develop a mathematical model of the human atrial myocyte that, in addition to the sarcolemmal (SL ion currents, accounts for the heterogeneity of intracellular Ca²+ dynamics emerging from a structurally detailed sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR. Based on the simulation results, our model convincingly reproduces the principal characteristics of Ca²+ dynamics: 1 the biphasic increment during the upstroke of the Ca²+ transient resulting from the delay between the peripheral and central SR Ca²+ release, and 2 the relative contribution of SL Ca²+ current and SR Ca²+ release to the Ca²+ transient. In line with experimental findings, the model also replicates the strong impact of intracellular Ca²+ dynamics on the shape of the action potential. The simulation results suggest that the peripheral SR Ca²+ release sites define the interface between Ca²+ and AP, whereas the central release sites are important for the fire-diffuse-fire propagation of Ca²+ diffusion. Furthermore, our analysis predicts that the modulation of the action potential duration due to increasing heart rate is largely mediated by changes in the intracellular Na+ concentration. Finally, the results indicate that the SR Ca²+ release is a strong modulator of AP duration and, consequently, myocyte refractoriness/excitability. We conclude that the developed model is robust and reproduces many fundamental aspects of the tight coupling between SL ion currents and intracellular Ca²+ signaling. Thus, the model provides a useful framework for future

  1. Influence of the sarcoplasmic reticulum on the inotropic responses of the rat myocardium resulting from changes in rate and rhythm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mill, J G; Vassallo, D V; Leite, C M; Campagnaro, P

    1994-06-01

    1. The role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in the inotropic responses produced by changes in stimulation rate and rhythm and resting tension was investigated in the rat myocardium. 2. Rat papillary muscles contracting isometrically (basic stimulation rate = 30/min) were superfused in vitro with normal Krebs solution and after addition of ryanodine (1 microM). Post-rest potentiation was obtained after pauses of 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 120 s, and the stimulation rate was changed from 6 to 90 bpm. Post-extrasystolic potentiation was induced by interpolating an extra stimulus after an interval of 413 +/- 15 ms. NiCl2 (2 mM) was used to confirm that contractions obtained after SR blockade with ryanodine were activated only by sarcolemmal calcium influx. 3. In the presence of ryanodine, the post-rest potentiation phenomenon disappears and the force-frequency relationship changes from the typical force decrease produced by rate increase to force increase. Under the effect of ryanodine, resting tension increased with the increase in stimulation rate. This behavior was enhanced by reducing extracellular KCl from 5.4 mM to 1 mM. This maneuver decreases Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and increases intracellular Na+ activity, which reduces Ca2+ extrusion through the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange mechanism. 4. SR participation in the post-extrasystolic potentiation phenomenon is also suggested because ryanodine treatment reversed the extrasystolic force depression into potentiation. In the presence of ryanodine, blockade of Ca2+ influx with NiCl2 (2 mM) abolished isometric contractions indicating that after SR blockade contractions are mainly dependent on sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx. 5. The results suggest that the SR is involved in the genesis of post-rest potentiation and contributes to the typical force-frequency relationship of the rat myocardium and to the post-extrasystolic potentiation phenomenon. Moreover, SR activity seems to be important for the maintenance of low resting tension in the

  2. [Changes induced by hypertonic solutions in the transportation of calcium by the cardiac reticular sarcoplasma].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sierra, M; Holguín, J A

    1979-01-01

    In the sarcoplasmic reticulum of the myocardium, celular organell which function is to regulate the cytoplasmic concentration of calcium in contraction and relaxation, we have studied the effect of hypertonic solutions of sucrose between 1 and 6.96 times the normal tonicity in order to observe the behavior of the internal linked or free calcium of this structure, as well as to prove the hypothesis that hypertonic solutions encourage the calcium exit of the sarcoplasmatic reticulum with the resulting signs of contractures. The following results were obtained: 1. The ATP hydrolisis and calcium transport rate are 14% and 90% respectively of the maximum speeds of 10(-5) M in calcium, while for concentrations of 10(-7) M or ess of the said cation, the transport rates and the ATPase do not reach 5% of the maximum values. 2. Between 1 and 2.54 times of the normal tonicity the calcium uptake remains between 400 and 500 nmoles of calcium/mg protein/min, the transported amount of calcium varies between 14 and 16 nmoles/mg protein and the rate of the ATP hydrolysis increases a 37% to 0.4 M in sucrose. 3. Between 0.4 and 1.2 M in sucrose of 2.54 to 6.96 times the isotonicity, the calcium transport rate velocity as well as the ATP hydrolisis are strongly inhibited. The vesicles volume minimizes and the amount of linked calcium remains within the control values, proving that the capacity of linking this cathion is independent from sarcoplasmic reticulum volume. These results show that the sarcoplasmic reticulum is involved in the contractures induced by hypertonic solutions in intact cells, since the osmolarity increase produces changes of volume which results in a decrease of the calcium transportation velocity or in an increase of the exit of said cathion.

  3. Nitric oxide-dependent activation of CaMKII increases diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release in cardiac myocytes in response to adrenergic stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curran, Jerry; Tang, Lifei; Roof, Steve R; Velmurugan, Sathya; Millard, Ashley; Shonts, Stephen; Wang, Honglan; Santiago, Demetrio; Ahmad, Usama; Perryman, Matthew; Bers, Donald M; Mohler, Peter J; Ziolo, Mark T; Shannon, Thomas R

    2014-01-01

    Spontaneous calcium waves in cardiac myocytes are caused by diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum release (SR Ca(2+) leak) through ryanodine receptors. Beta-adrenergic (β-AR) tone is known to increase this leak through the activation of Ca-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) and the subsequent phosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor. When β-AR drive is chronic, as observed in heart failure, this CaMKII-dependent effect is exaggerated and becomes potentially arrhythmogenic. Recent evidence has indicated that CaMKII activation can be regulated by cellular oxidizing agents, such as reactive oxygen species. Here, we investigate how the cellular second messenger, nitric oxide, mediates CaMKII activity downstream of the adrenergic signaling cascade and promotes the generation of arrhythmogenic spontaneous Ca(2+) waves in intact cardiomyocytes. Both SCaWs and SR Ca(2+) leak were measured in intact rabbit and mouse ventricular myocytes loaded with the Ca-dependent fluorescent dye, fluo-4. CaMKII activity in vitro and immunoblotting for phosphorylated residues on CaMKII, nitric oxide synthase, and Akt were measured to confirm activity of these enzymes as part of the adrenergic cascade. We demonstrate that stimulation of the β-AR pathway by isoproterenol increased the CaMKII-dependent SR Ca(2+) leak. This increased leak was prevented by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase 1 but not nitric oxide synthase 3. In ventricular myocytes isolated from wild-type mice, isoproterenol stimulation also increased the CaMKII-dependent leak. Critically, in myocytes isolated from nitric oxide synthase 1 knock-out mice this effect is ablated. We show that isoproterenol stimulation leads to an increase in nitric oxide production, and nitric oxide alone is sufficient to activate CaMKII and increase SR Ca(2+) leak. Mechanistically, our data links Akt to nitric oxide synthase 1 activation downstream of β-AR stimulation. Collectively, this evidence supports the hypothesis that CaMKII is

  4. Calsequestrin content and SERCA determine normal and maximal Ca2+ storage levels in sarcoplasmic reticulum of fast- and slow-twitch fibres of rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Robyn M; Larkins, Noni T; Mollica, Janelle P; Beard, Nicole A; Lamb, Graham D

    2009-01-15

    Whilst calsequestrin (CSQ) is widely recognized as the primary Ca2+ buffer in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in skeletal muscle fibres, its total buffering capacity and importance have come into question. This study quantified the absolute amount of CSQ isoform 1 (CSQ1, the primary isoform) present in rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus fibres, and related this to their endogenous and maximal SR Ca2+ content. Using Western blotting, the entire constituents of minute samples of muscle homogenates or segments of individual muscle fibres were compared with known amounts of purified CSQ1. The fidelity of the analysis was proven by examining the relative signal intensity when mixing muscle samples and purified CSQ1. The CSQ1 contents of EDL fibres, almost exclusively type II fibres, and soleus type I fibres [SOL (I)] were, respectively, 36 +/- 2 and 10 +/- 1 micromol (l fibre volume)(-1), quantitatively accounting for the maximal SR Ca2+ content of each. Soleus type II [SOL (II)] fibres (approximately 20% of soleus fibres) had an intermediate amount of CSQ1. Every SOL (I) fibre examined also contained some CSQ isoform 2 (CSQ2), which was absent in every EDL and other type II fibre except for trace amounts in one case. Every EDL and other type II fibre had a high density of SERCA1, the fast-twitch muscle sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase isoform, whereas there was virtually no SERCA1 in any SOL (I) fibre. Maximal SR Ca2+ content measured in skinned fibres increased with CSQ1 content, and the ratio of endogenous to maximal Ca2+ content was inversely correlated with CSQ1 content. The relative SR Ca2+ content that could be maintained in resting cytoplasmic conditions was found to be much lower in EDL fibres than in SOL (I) fibres (approximately 20 versus >60%). Leakage of Ca2+ from the SR in EDL fibres could be substantially reduced with a SR Ca2+ pump blocker and increased by adding creatine to buffer cytoplasmic [ADP] at a higher level, both results

  5. Hsp47 and cyclophilin B traverse the endoplasmic reticulum with procollagen into pre-Golgi intermediate vesicles. A role for Hsp47 and cyclophilin B in the export of procollagen from the endoplasmic reticulum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, T; Ferreira, L R; Hebert, C; Norris, K; Sauk, J J

    1995-08-04

    Hsp47 and cyclophilin B (CyPB) are residents of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Both of these proteins are closely associated with polysome-associated alpha 1(I) procollagen chains. Hsp47 possesses chaperone properties early during the translation of procollagen while the cis/trans-isomerase properties of CyPB facilitate procollagen folding. In this report, we further investigate the interaction of these proteins with procollagen I during export from the ER. To inhibit vesicular budding and retain procollagen within the ER, cells were treated with the heterotrimeric G protein inhibitor mastoparan or calphostin C, a specific inhibitor of diacylglycerol/phorbol ester binding proteins. To arrest procollagen in pre-Golgi intermediate vesicles, cells were treated with guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate. Pulse-chase experiments of cells labeled with [35S]methionine followed by immunoprecipitation during the chase period with anti-procollagen, anti-Hsp47, and anti-CyPB antibodies were performed to reveal the relationship between Hsp47/CyPB/procollagen I. The distribution of procollagen, Hsp47, and CyPB to the ER and/or pre-Golgi vesicles was verified by immunofluorescence. Hsp47 and CyPB remained associated with procollagen retained within the ER. Hsp47 and CyPB were also associated with procollagen exported from the ER into pre-Golgi intermediate vesicles. Treatment of cells with cyclosporin A diminished the levels of CyPB bound to procollagen and diminished the rate of Hsp47 released from procollagen and the rate of procollagen secretion, suggesting that Hsp47 release from procollagen may be driven by helix formation. Also, these studies suggest that Hsp47 may resemble protein disulfide isomerase and possess both chaperone and anti-chaperone properties. During translation, high levels of Hsp47 are seen to limit protein aggregation and facilitate chain registration. Later, Hsp47 and/or CyPB and protein disulfide isomerase act as anti-chaperones and provide the basis for

  6. Pseudomonas aeruginosa vesicles associate with and are internalized by human lung epithelial cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuehn Meta J

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the major pathogen associated with chronic and ultimately fatal lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF. To investigate how P. aeruginosa-derived vesicles may contribute to lung disease, we explored their ability to associate with human lung cells. Results Purified vesicles associated with lung cells and were internalized in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Vesicles from a CF isolate exhibited a 3- to 4-fold greater association with lung cells than vesicles from the lab strain PAO1. Vesicle internalization was temperature-dependent and was inhibited by hypertonic sucrose and cyclodextrins. Surface-bound vesicles rarely colocalized with clathrin. Internalized vesicles colocalized with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER marker, TRAPα, as well as with ER-localized pools of cholera toxin and transferrin. CF isolates of P. aeruginosa abundantly secrete PaAP (PA2939, an aminopeptidase that associates with the surface of vesicles. Vesicles from a PaAP knockout strain exhibited a 40% decrease in cell association. Likewise, vesicles from PAO1 overexpressing PaAP displayed a significant increase in cell association. Conclusion These data reveal that PaAP promotes the association of vesicles with lung cells. Taken together, these results suggest that P. aeruginosa vesicles can interact with and be internalized by lung epithelial cells and contribute to the inflammatory response during infection.

  7. Vesicle coating and uncoating: controlling the formation of large COPII-coated carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townley, Anna K; Stephens, David J

    2009-08-26

    The basic mechanisms underlying the formation of coated vesicles are now defined in considerable detail. This article highlights recent developments in our understanding of the problem of exporting large macromolecular cargo such as procollagen from the endoplasmic reticulum and discusses the implications that this has for cell and tissue organisation and human disease.

  8. Suppression of the endoplasmic reticulum calcium pump during zebrafish gastrulation affects left-right asymmetry of the heart and brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreiling, Jill A; Balantac, Zaneta L; Crawford, Andrew R; Ren, Yuexin; Toure, Jamal; Zchut, Sigalit; Kochilas, Lazaros; Creton, Robbert

    2008-01-01

    Vertebrate embryos generate striking Ca(2+) patterns, which are unique regulators of dynamic developmental events. In the present study, we used zebrafish embryos as a model system to examine the developmental roles of Ca(2+) during gastrulation. We found that gastrula stage embryos maintain a distinct pattern of cytosolic Ca(2+) along the dorsal-ventral axis, with higher Ca(2+) concentrations in the ventral margin and lower Ca(2+) concentrations in the dorsal margin and dorsal forerunner cells. Suppression of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) pump with 0.5 microM thapsigargin elevates cytosolic Ca(2+) in all embryonic regions and induces a randomization of laterality in the heart and brain. Affected hearts, visualized in living embryos by a subtractive imaging technique, displayed either a reversal or loss of left-right asymmetry. Brain defects include a left-right reversal of pitx2 expression in the dorsal diencephalon and a left-right reversal of the prominent habenular nucleus in the brain. Embryos are sensitive to inhibition of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) pump during early and mid gastrulation and lose their sensitivity during late gastrulation and early segmentation. Suppression of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) pump during gastrulation inhibits expression of no tail (ntl) and left-right dynein related (lrdr) in the dorsal forerunner cells and affects development of Kupffer's vesicle, a ciliated organ that generates a counter-clockwise flow of fluid. Previous studies have shown that Ca(2+) plays a role in Kupffer's vesicle function, influencing ciliary motility and translating the vesicle's counter-clockwise flow into asymmetric patterns of gene expression. The present results suggest that Ca(2+) plays an additional role in the formation of Kupffer's vesicle.

  9. The sarcolipin-bound calcium pump stabilizes calcium sites exposed to the cytoplasm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Anne-Marie Lund; Bublitz, Maike; Karlsen, Jesper Lykkegaard

    2013-01-01

    The contraction and relaxation of muscle cells is controlled by the successive rise and fall of cytosolic Ca(2+), initiated by the release of Ca(2+) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and terminated by re-sequestration of Ca(2+) into the sarcoplasmic reticulum as the main mechanism of Ca(2+) removal...

  10. Cannabinoid signalling inhibits sarcoplasmic Ca2+ release and regulates excitation–contraction coupling in mammalian skeletal muscle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oláh, Tamás; Bodnár, Dóra; Tóth, Adrienn; Vincze, János; Fodor, János; Reischl, Barbara; Kovács, Adrienn; Ruzsnavszky, Olga; Dienes, Beatrix; Szentesi, Péter; Friedrich, Oliver

    2016-01-01

    Key points Marijuana was found to cause muscle weakness, although the exact regulatory role of its receptors (CB1 cannabinoid receptor; CB1R) in the excitation–contraction coupling (ECC) of mammalian skeletal muscle remains unknown.We found that CB1R activation or its knockout did not affect muscle force directly, whereas its activation decreased the Ca2+‐sensitivity of the contractile apparatus and made the muscle fibres more prone to fatigue.We demonstrate that CB1Rs are not connected to the inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate pathway either in myotubes or in adult muscle fibres.By contrast, CB1Rs constitutively inhibit sarcoplasmic Ca2+ release and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase during ECC in a Gi/o protein‐mediated way in adult skeletal muscle fibres but not in myotubes.These results help with our understanding of the physiological effects and pathological consequences of CB1R activation in skeletal muscle and may be useful in the development of new cannabinoid drugs. Abstract Marijuana was found to cause muscle weakness, although it is unknown whether it affects the muscles directly or modulates only the motor control of the central nervous system. Although the presence of CB1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R), which are responsible for the psychoactive effects of the drug in the brain, have recently been demonstrated in skeletal muscle, it is unclear how CB1R‐mediated signalling affects the contraction and Ca²⁺ homeostasis of mammalian skeletal muscle. In the present study, we demonstrate that in vitro CB1R activation increased muscle fatigability and decreased the Ca2+‐sensitivity of the contractile apparatus, whereas it did not alter the amplitude of single twitch contractions. In myotubes, CB1R agonists neither evoked, nor influenced inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3)‐mediated Ca2+ transients, nor did they alter excitation–contraction coupling. By contrast, in isolated muscle fibres of wild‐type mice, although CB1R agonists did not evoke IP3

  11. Cannabinoid signalling inhibits sarcoplasmic Ca2+ release and regulates excitation-contraction coupling in mammalian skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oláh, Tamás; Bodnár, Dóra; Tóth, Adrienn; Vincze, János; Fodor, János; Reischl, Barbara; Kovács, Adrienn; Ruzsnavszky, Olga; Dienes, Beatrix; Szentesi, Péter; Friedrich, Oliver; Csernoch, László

    2016-12-15

    Marijuana was found to cause muscle weakness, although the exact regulatory role of its receptors (CB1 cannabinoid receptor; CB1R) in the excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) of mammalian skeletal muscle remains unknown. We found that CB1R activation or its knockout did not affect muscle force directly, whereas its activation decreased the Ca 2+ -sensitivity of the contractile apparatus and made the muscle fibres more prone to fatigue. We demonstrate that CB1Rs are not connected to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate pathway either in myotubes or in adult muscle fibres. By contrast, CB1Rs constitutively inhibit sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ release and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ ATPase during ECC in a G i/o protein-mediated way in adult skeletal muscle fibres but not in myotubes. These results help with our understanding of the physiological effects and pathological consequences of CB1R activation in skeletal muscle and may be useful in the development of new cannabinoid drugs. Marijuana was found to cause muscle weakness, although it is unknown whether it affects the muscles directly or modulates only the motor control of the central nervous system. Although the presence of CB1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R), which are responsible for the psychoactive effects of the drug in the brain, have recently been demonstrated in skeletal muscle, it is unclear how CB1R-mediated signalling affects the contraction and Ca²⁺ homeostasis of mammalian skeletal muscle. In the present study, we demonstrate that in vitro CB1R activation increased muscle fatigability and decreased the Ca 2+ -sensitivity of the contractile apparatus, whereas it did not alter the amplitude of single twitch contractions. In myotubes, CB1R agonists neither evoked, nor influenced inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 )-mediated Ca 2+ transients, nor did they alter excitation-contraction coupling. By contrast, in isolated muscle fibres of wild-type mice, although CB1R agonists did not evoke IP 3 -mediated Ca 2

  12. Muscle Glycogen Content Modifies SR Ca2 + Release Rate in Elite Endurance Athletes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gejl, Kasper Degn; Hvid, Lars G; Frandsen, Ulrik

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of muscle glycogen content on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function and peak power output (Wpeak) in elite endurance athletes.......The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of muscle glycogen content on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function and peak power output (Wpeak) in elite endurance athletes....

  13. The Highly Conserved COPII Coat Complex Sorts Cargo from the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Targets It to the Golgi

    OpenAIRE

    Lord, Christopher; Ferro-Novick, Susan; Miller, Elizabeth A.

    2013-01-01

    Protein egress from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is driven by a conserved cytoplasmic coat complex called the COPII coat. The COPII coat complex contains an inner shell (Sec23/Sec24) that sorts cargo into ER-derived vesicles and an outer cage (Sec13/Sec31) that leads to coat polymerization. Once released from the ER, vesicles must tether to and fuse with the target membrane to deliver their protein and lipid contents. This delivery step also depends on the COPII coat, with coat proteins bin...

  14. Flexibility contra Stiffness: The Phragmoplast as a Physical Barrier for Beads But Not for Vesicles[OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esseling-Ozdoba, Agnieszka; Kik, Richard A.; van Lammeren, André A.M.; Kleijn, J. Mieke; Emons, Anne Mie C.

    2010-01-01

    In plant cells, Golgi vesicles are transported to the division plane to fuse with each other, forming the cell plate, the initial membrane-bordered cell wall separating daughter cells. Vesicles, but not organelles, move through the phragmoplast, which consists of two opposing cylinders of microtubules and actin filaments, interlaced with endoplasmic reticulum membrane. To study physical aspects of this transport/inhibition process, we microinjected fluorescent synthetic 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-1-glycerol (DOPG) vesicles and polystyrene beads into Tradescantia virginiana stamen hair cells. The phragmoplast was nonselective for DOPG vesicles of a size up to 150 nm in diameter but was a physical barrier for polystyrene beads having a diameter of 20 and 40 nm and also when beads were coated with the same DOPG membrane. We conclude that stiffness is a parameter for vesicle transit through the phragmoplast and discuss that cytoskeleton configurations can physically block such transit. PMID:19939943

  15. The structure of the COPII transport-vesicle coat assembled on membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanetti, Giulia; Prinz, Simone; Daum, Sebastian; Meister, Annette; Schekman, Randy; Bacia, Kirsten; Briggs, John A G

    2013-09-17

    Coat protein complex II (COPII) mediates formation of the membrane vesicles that export newly synthesised proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum. The inner COPII proteins bind to cargo and membrane, linking them to the outer COPII components that form a cage around the vesicle. Regulated flexibility in coat architecture is essential for transport of a variety of differently sized cargoes, but structural data on the assembled coat has not been available. We have used cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging to determine the structure of the complete, membrane-assembled COPII coat. We describe a novel arrangement of the outer coat and find that the inner coat can assemble into regular lattices. The data reveal how coat subunits interact with one another and with the membrane, suggesting how coordinated assembly of inner and outer coats can mediate and regulate packaging of vesicles ranging from small spheres to large tubular carriers. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00951.001.

  16. Calsequestrin 2 deletion causes sinoatrial node dysfunction and atrial arrhythmias associated with altered sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium cycling and degenerative fibrosis within the mouse atrial pacemaker complex1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glukhov, Alexey V.; Kalyanasundaram, Anuradha; Lou, Qing; Hage, Lori T.; Hansen, Brian J.; Belevych, Andriy E.; Mohler, Peter J.; Knollmann, Björn C.; Periasamy, Muthu; Györke, Sandor; Fedorov, Vadim V.

    2015-01-01

    Aims Loss-of-function mutations in Calsequestrin 2 (CASQ2) are associated with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). CPVT patients also exhibit bradycardia and atrial arrhythmias for which the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We aimed to study the sinoatrial node (SAN) dysfunction due to loss of CASQ2. Methods and results In vivo electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, in vitro high-resolution optical mapping, confocal imaging of intracellular Ca2+ cycling, and 3D atrial immunohistology were performed in wild-type (WT) and Casq2 null (Casq2−/−) mice. Casq2−/− mice exhibited bradycardia, SAN conduction abnormalities, and beat-to-beat heart rate variability due to enhanced atrial ectopic activity both at baseline and with autonomic stimulation. Loss of CASQ2 increased fibrosis within the pacemaker complex, depressed primary SAN activity, and conduction, but enhanced atrial ectopic activity and atrial fibrillation (AF) associated with macro- and micro-reentry during autonomic stimulation. In SAN myocytes, CASQ2 deficiency induced perturbations in intracellular Ca2+ cycling, including abnormal Ca2+ release, periods of significantly elevated diastolic Ca2+ levels leading to pauses and unstable pacemaker rate. Importantly, Ca2+ cycling dysfunction occurred not only at the SAN cellular level but was also globally manifested as an increased delay between action potential (AP) and Ca2+ transient upstrokes throughout the atrial pacemaker complex. Conclusions Loss of CASQ2 causes abnormal sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and selective interstitial fibrosis in the atrial pacemaker complex, which disrupt SAN pacemaking but enhance latent pacemaker activity, create conduction abnormalities and increase susceptibility to AF. These functional and extensive structural alterations could contribute to SAN dysfunction as well as AF in CPVT patients. PMID:24216388

  17. Altered elementary calcium release events and enhanced calcium release by thymol in rat skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szentesi, Péter; Szappanos, Henrietta; Szegedi, Csaba; Gönczi, Monika; Jona, István; Cseri, Julianna; Kovács, László; Csernoch, László

    2004-03-01

    The effects of thymol on steps of excitation-contraction coupling were studied on fast-twitch muscles of rodents. Thymol was found to increase the depolarization-induced release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which could not be attributed to a decreased calcium-dependent inactivation of calcium release channels/ryanodine receptors or altered intramembrane charge movement, but rather to a more efficient coupling of depolarization to channel opening. Thymol increased ryanodine binding to heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles, with a half-activating concentration of 144 micro M and a Hill coefficient of 1.89, and the open probability of the isolated and reconstituted ryanodine receptors, from 0.09 +/- 0.03 to 0.22 +/- 0.04 at 30 micro M. At higher concentrations the drug induced long-lasting open events on a full conducting state. Elementary calcium release events imaged using laser scanning confocal microscopy in the line-scan mode were reduced in size, 0.92 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.01, but increased in duration, 56 +/- 1 vs. 79 +/- 1 ms, by 30 micro M thymol, with an increase in the relative proportion of lone embers. Higher concentrations favored long events, resembling embers in control, with duration often exceeding 500 ms. These findings provide direct experimental evidence that the opening of a single release channel will generate an ember, rather than a spark, in mammalian skeletal muscle.

  18. Isolation and characterization of plasma membranes from guinea pig ileum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    A plasma membrane fraction from guinea pig ileum has been isolated by extraction of a crude microsomal fraction with a low ionic strength buffer containing ATP and Ca 2+ . The extracted microsomes were subjected to sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation in the presence of 0.6 M KCl. The plasma membranes were substantially free from contamination with contractile proteins, mitochondria and sarco-plasmic reticulum. The plasma membrane vesicles were enriched 30-to-40-fold in Na + -K + -ATPase and 5'-nucleotidase activities. The plasma membrane vesicles accumulated Ca 2+ in the presence of ATP. The addition of Ca 2+ ionophore A23187 to vesicles loaded with Ca 2+ in the presence of ATP removed Ca 2+ completely from the vesicles in one minute. The Km values for the Ca 2+ -dependent phosphorylated intermediates of Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase and Ca 2+ uptake were approximately 0.8 μM indicating that the phosphorylated intermediates represent phosphorylation of Ca 2+ pump ATPase. The 3 H-nitrendipine binding to plasma membranes was characterized by high affinity with Kd of 185 pM and B/sub max/ 1280 fmol/mg protein. The plasma membrane vesicles prepared by these procedures can prove useful for the study of ion transport

  19. Yarrowia lipolytica vesicle-mediated protein transport pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beckerich Jean-Marie

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein secretion is a universal cellular process involving vesicles which bud and fuse between organelles to bring proteins to their final destination. Vesicle budding is mediated by protein coats; vesicle targeting and fusion depend on Rab GTPase, tethering factors and SNARE complexes. The Génolevures II sequencing project made available entire genome sequences of four hemiascomycetous yeasts, Yarrowia lipolytica, Debaryomyces hansenii, Kluyveromyces lactis and Candida glabrata. Y. lipolytica is a dimorphic yeast and has good capacities to secrete proteins. The translocation of nascent protein through the endoplasmic reticulum membrane was well studied in Y. lipolytica and is largely co-translational as in the mammalian protein secretion pathway. Results We identified S. cerevisiae proteins involved in vesicular secretion and these protein sequences were used for the BLAST searches against Génolevures protein database (Y. lipolytica, C. glabrata, K. lactis and D. hansenii. These proteins are well conserved between these yeasts and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We note several specificities of Y. lipolytica which may be related to its good protein secretion capacities and to its dimorphic aspect. An expansion of the Y. lipolytica Rab protein family was observed with autoBLAST and the Rab2- and Rab4-related members were identified with BLAST against NCBI protein database. An expansion of this family is also found in filamentous fungi and may reflect the greater complexity of the Y. lipolytica secretion pathway. The Rab4p-related protein may play a role in membrane recycling as rab4 deleted strain shows a modification of colony morphology, dimorphic transition and permeability. Similarly, we find three copies of the gene (SSO encoding the plasma membrane SNARE protein. Quantification of the percentages of proteins with the greatest homology between S. cerevisiae, Y. lipolytica and animal homologues involved in vesicular

  20. Temperature dependence of the kinetics of isometric myocardium relaxation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Izakov, V.Ya.; Bykov, B.L.; Kimmelman, I.Ya.

    1981-11-01

    The dependence of the exponential decay constant expressing the isometric relaxation of the myocardium on temperature is investigated in animals with various specific contents of myocardial sarcoplasmic reticulum. Experiments were performed on cardiac ventricles and atria isolated from rabbits, frogs and turtles and electrically stimulated to produce maximal contraction at temperatures from 10 to 35 C. Arrhenius plots derived from the data are found to be linear in the myocardia of the rabbit and frog, with a greater activation energy for the relaxation found in the rabbit. The Arrhenius plot for the turtle, which has a sarcoplasmic reticulum content intermediate between those of the frog and rabbit, corresponds to two straight lines with different activation energies. Results thus support the hypothesis of two separate mechanisms of calcium removal, involving the sarcoplasmic reticulum and cellular membrane, in muscle relaxation.

  1. Nanospan, an alternatively spliced isoform of sarcospan, localizes to the sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal muscle and is absent in limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2F.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peter, Angela K; Miller, Gaynor; Capote, Joana; DiFranco, Marino; Solares-Pérez, Alhondra; Wang, Emily L; Heighway, Jim; Coral-Vázquez, Ramón M; Vergara, Julio; Crosbie-Watson, Rachelle H

    2017-06-06

    Sarcospan (SSPN) is a transmembrane protein that interacts with the sarcoglycans (SGs) to form a tight subcomplex within the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex that spans the sarcolemma and interacts with laminin in the extracellular matrix. Overexpression of SSPN ameliorates Duchenne muscular dystrophy in murine models. Standard cloning approaches were used to identify nanospan, and nanospan-specific polyclonal antibodies were generated and validated. Biochemical isolation of skeletal muscle membranes and two-photon laser scanning microscopy were used to analyze nanospan localization in muscle from multiple murine models. Duchenne muscular dystrophy biopsies were analyzed by immunoblot analysis of protein lysates as well as indirect immunofluorescence analysis of muscle cryosections. Nanospan is an alternatively spliced isoform of sarcospan. While SSPN has four transmembrane domains and is a core component of the sarcolemmal dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, nanospan is a type II transmembrane protein that does not associate with the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. We demonstrate that nanospan is enriched in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) fractions and is not present in the T-tubules. SR fractions contain membranes from three distinct structural regions: a region flanking the T-tubules (triadic SR), a SR region across the Z-line (ZSR), and a longitudinal SR region across the M-line (LSR). Analysis of isolated murine muscles reveals that nanospan is mostly associated with the ZSR and triadic SR, and only minimally with the LSR. Furthermore, nanospan is absent from the SR of δ-SG-null (Sgcd -/- ) skeletal muscle, a murine model for limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2F. Analysis of skeletal muscle biopsies from Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients reveals that nanospan is preferentially expressed in type I (slow) fibers in both control and Duchenne samples. Furthermore, nanospan is significantly reduced in Duchenne biopsies. Alternative splicing of proteins from the SG

  2. Picture frame fibres in a carrier of the trait for malignant hyperpyrexia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Isaacs, H; Badenhorst, M [University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa). Department of Physiology; Heffron, J J.A. [University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa). Department of Physiological Chemistry

    1975-11-01

    A member of a family which was known to be susceptible to malignant hyperpyrexia, who was identified as a carrier by the presence of an elevated serum creatinephosphokinase, has been investigated further. Muscle was examined biochemically, and the study included the sarcoplasmic ATPase-activity, actinomycin, Mg2+ ATPase activity, ATP, phosphocreatine and glucose-6-phosphate. In addition, the calcium uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum was studied. The histochemical analysis of the muscle revealed the presence of a new fibre type characterized by a dense rim of ATPase activity, which gives the impression of a 'picture-frame'. Ultramicroscopic study revealed changes in the mitochondria and areas of myofibrillar disruption with swelling of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

  3. Picture frame fibres in a carrier of the trait for malignant hyperpyrexia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isaacs, H.; Badenhorst, M.; Heffron, J.J.A.

    1975-01-01

    A member of a family which was known to be susceptible to malignant hyperpyrexia, who was identified as a carrier by the presence of an elevated serum creatinephosphokinase, has been investigated further. Muscle was examined biochemically, and the study included the sarcoplasmic ATPase-activity, actinomycin, Mg2+ ATPase activity, ATP, phosphocreatine and glucose-6-phosphate. In addition, the calcium uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum was studied. The histochemical analysis of the muscle revealed the presence of a new fibre type characterized by a dense rim of ATPase activity, which gives the impression of a 'picture-frame'. Ultramicroscopic study revealed changes in the mitochondria and areas of myofibrillar disruption with swelling of the sarcoplasmic reticulum

  4. The Cucumber leaf spot virus p25 auxiliary replicase protein binds and modifies the endoplasmic reticulum via N-terminal transmembrane domains

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghoshal, Kankana [University of British Columbia, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4 (Canada); Theilmann, Jane; Reade, Ron; Sanfacon, Helene [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, 4200 Hwy 97, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada V0H 1Z0 (Canada); Rochon, D’Ann, E-mail: dann.rochon@agr.gc.ca [University of British Columbia, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4 (Canada); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, 4200 Hwy 97, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada V0H 1Z0 (Canada)

    2014-11-15

    Cucumber leaf spot virus (CLSV) is a member of the Aureusvirus genus, family Tombusviridae. The auxiliary replicase of Tombusvirids has been found to localize to endoplasmic reticulum (ER), peroxisomes or mitochondria; however, localization of the auxiliary replicase of aureusviruses has not been determined. We have found that the auxiliary replicase of CLSV (p25) fused to GFP colocalizes with ER and that three predicted transmembrane domains (TMDs) at the N-terminus of p25 are sufficient for targeting, although the second and third TMDs play the most prominent roles. Confocal analysis of CLSV infected 16C plants shows that the ER becomes modified including the formation of punctae at connections between ER tubules and in association with the nucleus. Ultrastructural analysis shows that the cytoplasm contains numerous vesicles which are also found between the perinuclear ER and nuclear membrane. It is proposed that these vesicles correspond to modified ER used as sites for CLSV replication. - Highlights: • The CLSV p25 auxiliary replicase targets the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). • Targeting of CLSV p25 is associated with ER restructuring. • Restructuring of the ER occurs during CLSV infection. • CLSV p25 contains 3 predicted transmembrane domains 2 of which are required for ER targeting. • Vesicles derived from the ER may be sites of CLSV replication.

  5. The Cucumber leaf spot virus p25 auxiliary replicase protein binds and modifies the endoplasmic reticulum via N-terminal transmembrane domains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghoshal, Kankana; Theilmann, Jane; Reade, Ron; Sanfacon, Helene; Rochon, D’Ann

    2014-01-01

    Cucumber leaf spot virus (CLSV) is a member of the Aureusvirus genus, family Tombusviridae. The auxiliary replicase of Tombusvirids has been found to localize to endoplasmic reticulum (ER), peroxisomes or mitochondria; however, localization of the auxiliary replicase of aureusviruses has not been determined. We have found that the auxiliary replicase of CLSV (p25) fused to GFP colocalizes with ER and that three predicted transmembrane domains (TMDs) at the N-terminus of p25 are sufficient for targeting, although the second and third TMDs play the most prominent roles. Confocal analysis of CLSV infected 16C plants shows that the ER becomes modified including the formation of punctae at connections between ER tubules and in association with the nucleus. Ultrastructural analysis shows that the cytoplasm contains numerous vesicles which are also found between the perinuclear ER and nuclear membrane. It is proposed that these vesicles correspond to modified ER used as sites for CLSV replication. - Highlights: • The CLSV p25 auxiliary replicase targets the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). • Targeting of CLSV p25 is associated with ER restructuring. • Restructuring of the ER occurs during CLSV infection. • CLSV p25 contains 3 predicted transmembrane domains 2 of which are required for ER targeting. • Vesicles derived from the ER may be sites of CLSV replication

  6. A low-dose β1-blocker in combination with milrinone improves intracellular Ca2+ handling in failing cardiomyocytes by inhibition of milrinone-induced diastolic Ca2+ leakage from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shigeki Kobayashi

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether adding a low-dose β1-blocker to milrinone improves cardiac function in failing cardiomyocytes and the underlying cardioprotective mechanism. BACKGROUND: The molecular mechanism underlying how the combination of low-dose β1-blocker and milrinone affects intracellular Ca(2+ handling in heart failure remains unclear. METHODS: We investigated the effect of milrinone plus landiolol on intracellular Ca(2+ transient (CaT, cell shortening (CS, the frequency of diastolic Ca(2+ sparks (CaSF, and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+ concentration ({Ca(2+}SR in normal and failing canine cardiomyocytes and used immunoblotting to determine the phosphorylation level of ryanodine receptor (RyR2 and phospholamban (PLB. RESULTS: In failing cardiomyocytes, CaSF significantly increased, and peak CaT and CS markedly decreased compared with normal myocytes. Administration of milrinone alone slightly increased peak CaT and CS, while CaSF greatly increased with a slight increase in {Ca(2+}SR. Co-administration of β1-blocker landiolol to failing cardiomyocytes at a dose that does not inhibit cardiomyocyte function significantly decreased CaSF with a further increase in {Ca(2+}SR, and peak CaT and CS improved compared with milrinone alone. Landiolol suppressed the hyperphosphorylation of RyR2 (Ser2808 in failing cardiomyocytes but had no effect on levels of phosphorylated PLB (Ser16 and Thr17. Low-dose landiolol significantly inhibited the alternans of CaT and CS under a fixed pacing rate (0.5 Hz in failing cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSION: A low-dose β1-blocker in combination with milrinone improved cardiac function in failing cardiomyocytes, apparently by inhibiting the phosphorylation of RyR2, not PLB, and subsequent diastolic Ca(2+ leak.

  7. A low-dose β1-blocker in combination with milrinone improves intracellular Ca2+ handling in failing cardiomyocytes by inhibition of milrinone-induced diastolic Ca2+ leakage from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Shigeki; Susa, Takehisa; Ishiguchi, Hironori; Myoren, Takeki; Murakami, Wakako; Kato, Takayoshi; Fukuda, Masakazu; Hino, Akihiro; Suetomi, Takeshi; Ono, Makoto; Uchinoumi, Hitoshi; Tateishi, Hiroki; Mochizuki, Mamoru; Oda, Tetsuro; Okuda, Shinichi; Doi, Masahiro; Yamamoto, Takeshi; Yano, Masafumi

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate whether adding a low-dose β1-blocker to milrinone improves cardiac function in failing cardiomyocytes and the underlying cardioprotective mechanism. The molecular mechanism underlying how the combination of low-dose β1-blocker and milrinone affects intracellular Ca(2+) handling in heart failure remains unclear. We investigated the effect of milrinone plus landiolol on intracellular Ca(2+) transient (CaT), cell shortening (CS), the frequency of diastolic Ca(2+) sparks (CaSF), and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) concentration ({Ca(2+)}SR) in normal and failing canine cardiomyocytes and used immunoblotting to determine the phosphorylation level of ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and phospholamban (PLB). In failing cardiomyocytes, CaSF significantly increased, and peak CaT and CS markedly decreased compared with normal myocytes. Administration of milrinone alone slightly increased peak CaT and CS, while CaSF greatly increased with a slight increase in {Ca(2+)}SR. Co-administration of β1-blocker landiolol to failing cardiomyocytes at a dose that does not inhibit cardiomyocyte function significantly decreased CaSF with a further increase in {Ca(2+)}SR, and peak CaT and CS improved compared with milrinone alone. Landiolol suppressed the hyperphosphorylation of RyR2 (Ser2808) in failing cardiomyocytes but had no effect on levels of phosphorylated PLB (Ser16 and Thr17). Low-dose landiolol significantly inhibited the alternans of CaT and CS under a fixed pacing rate (0.5 Hz) in failing cardiomyocytes. A low-dose β1-blocker in combination with milrinone improved cardiac function in failing cardiomyocytes, apparently by inhibiting the phosphorylation of RyR2, not PLB, and subsequent diastolic Ca(2+) leak.

  8. Time Course of the Response of Myofibrillar and Sarcoplasmic Protein Metabolism to Unweighting of the Soleus Muscle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munoz, Kathryn A.; Satarug, Soisungwan; Tischler, Marc E.

    1993-01-01

    Contributions of altered in vivo protein synthesis and degradation to unweighting atrophy of the soleus muscle in tail-suspended young female rats were analyzed daily for up to 6 days. Specific changes in myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins were also evaluated to assess their contributions to the loss of total protein. Synthesis of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins was estimated by intramuscular (IM) injection and total protein by intraperitoneal (IP) injection of flooding doses of H-3-phenylaianine. Total protein loss was greatest during the first 3 days following suspension and was a consequence of the loss of myofibrillar rather than sarcoplasmic proteins. However, synthesis of total myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins diminished in parallel beginning in the first 24 hours. Therefore sarcoplasmic proteins must be spared due to a decrease in their degradation. In contrast, myofibrillar protein degradation increased, thus explaining the elevated degradation of the total pool. Following 72 hours of suspension, protein synthesis remained low, but the rate of myofibrillar protein loss diminished, suggesting a slowing of degradation. These various results show acute loss of protein during unweighting atrophy is a consequence of decreased synthesis and increased degradation of myofibrillar proteins, and sarcoplasmic proteins are spared due to slower degradation, likely explaining the sparing of plasma membrane receptors. Based on other published data, we propose that the slowing of atrophy after the initial response may be attributed to an increased effect of insulin.

  9. A model of propagating calcium-induced calcium release mediated by calcium diffusion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Backx, P. H.; de Tombe, P. P.; van Deen, J. H.; Mulder, B. J.; ter Keurs, H. E.

    1989-01-01

    The effect of sudden local fluctuations of the free sarcoplasmic [Ca++]i in cardiac cells on calcium release and calcium uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was calculated with the aid of a simplified model of SR calcium handling. The model was used to evaluate whether propagation of calcium

  10. Contractile properties and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium content in type I and type II skeletal muscle fibres in active aged humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamboley, C R; Wyckelsma, V L; Dutka, T L; McKenna, M J; Murphy, R M; Lamb, G D

    2015-06-01

    Muscle weakness in old age is due in large part to an overall loss of skeletal muscle tissue, but it remains uncertain how much also stems from alterations in the properties of the individual muscle fibres. This study examined the contractile properties and amount of stored intracellular calcium in single muscle fibres of Old (70 ± 4 years) and Young (22 ± 3 years) adults. The maximum level of force production (per unit cross-sectional area) in fast twitch fibres in Old subjects was lower than in Young subjects, and the fibres were also less sensitive to activation by calcium. The amount of calcium stored inside muscle fibres and available to trigger contraction was also lower in both fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibres in the Old subjects. These findings indicate that muscle weakness in old age stems in part from an impaired capacity for force production in the individual muscle fibres. This study examined the contractile properties and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) content in mechanically skinned vastus lateralis muscle fibres of Old (70 ± 4 years) and Young (22 ± 3 years) humans to investigate whether changes in muscle fibre properties contribute to muscle weakness in old age. In type II fibres of Old subjects, specific force was reduced by ∼17% and Ca(2+) sensitivity was also reduced (pCa50 decreased ∼0.05 pCa units) relative to that in Young. S-Glutathionylation of fast troponin I (TnIf ) markedly increased Ca(2+) sensitivity in type II fibres, but the increase was significantly smaller in Old versus Young (+0.136 and +0.164 pCa unit increases, respectively). Endogenous and maximal SR Ca(2+) content were significantly smaller in both type I and type II fibres in Old subjects. In fibres of Young, the SR could be nearly fully depleted of Ca(2+) by a combined caffeine and low Mg(2+) stimulus, whereas in fibres of Old the amount of non-releasable Ca(2+) was significantly increased (by > 12% of endogenous Ca(2+) content). Western

  11. Sodium Butyrate Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Autophagy in Colorectal Cells: Implications for Apoptosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jintao Zhang

    Full Text Available Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid derived from dietary fiber, inhibits proliferation and induces cell death in colorectal cancer cells. However, clinical trials have shown mixed results regarding the anti-tumor activities of butyrate. We have previously shown that sodium butyrate increases endoplasmic reticulum stress by altering intracellular calcium levels, a well-known autophagy trigger. Here, we investigated whether sodium butyrate-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress mediated autophagy, and whether there was crosstalk between autophagy and the sodium butyrate-induced apoptotic response in human colorectal cancer cells.Human colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29 were treated with sodium butyrate at concentrations ranging from 0.5-5mM. Cell proliferation was assessed using MTT tetrazolium salt formation. Autophagy induction was confirmed through a combination of Western blotting for associated proteins, acridine orange staining for acidic vesicles, detection of autolysosomes (MDC staining, and electron microscopy. Apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry using standard annexinV/propidium iodide staining and by assessing PARP-1 cleavage by Western blot.Sodium butyrate suppressed colorectal cancer cell proliferation, induced autophagy, and resulted in apoptotic cell death. The induction of autophagy was supported by the accumulation of acidic vesicular organelles and autolysosomes, and the expression of autophagy-associated proteins, including microtubule-associated protein II light chain 3 (LC3-II, beclin-1, and autophagocytosis-associated protein (Atg3. The autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine (3-MA and chloroquine inhibited sodium butyrate induced autophagy. Furthermore, sodium butyrate treatment markedly enhanced the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated proteins, including BIP, CHOP, PDI, and IRE-1a. When endoplasmic reticulum stress was inhibited by pharmacological (cycloheximide and mithramycin and genetic

  12. Vesicles and vesicle fusion: coarse-grained simulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shillcock, Julian C.

    2010-01-01

    of vesicles that is crucial for this transport is their ability to fuse to target membranes and release their contents to the distal side. In industry, some personal care products contain vesicles to help transport reagents across the skin, and research on drug formulation shows that packaging active......Biological cells are highly dynamic, and continually move material around their own volume and between their interior and exterior. Much of this transport encapsulates the material inside phospholipid vesicles that shuttle to and fro, fusing with, and budding from, other membranes. A feature...

  13. Emergence and stability of intermediate open vesicles in disk-to-vesicle transitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jianfeng; Zhang, Hongdong; Qiu, Feng; Shi, An-Chang

    2013-07-01

    The transition between two basic structures, a disk and an enclosed vesicle, of a finite membrane is studied by examining the minimum energy path (MEP) connecting these two states. The MEP is constructed using the string method applied to continuum elastic membrane models. The results reveal that, besides the commonly observed disk and vesicle, open vesicles (bowl-shaped vesicles or vesicles with a pore) can become stable or metastable shapes. The emergence, stability, and probability distribution of these open vesicles are analyzed. It is demonstrated that open vesicles can be stabilized by higher-order elastic energies. The estimated probability distribution of the different structures is in good agreement with available experiments.

  14. Ultrastructral studies of epidermis in acute radiation dermatitis. Basal lamina thickening and coated vesicles. [X-ray

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oguchi, M.; Komura, J.; Ofuji, S.

    1978-06-29

    Fine structural changes of keratinocytes by x-ray were examined in normal skin area around a lesion of Bowen's disease. The area was exposed to about 600 r over 28 days. The findings were: a decreased number of desmosomes and microvilli, formation of cytoplasmic vaculoes with or without membrane, perinuclear aggregation of tonofibrils, intracytoplasmic desmosomes and gap junction, cytoplasmic occurrence of dense bodies, lipid droplet and glycogen particles, changes in mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, and deep invagination of the nuclear membrane. Possible exocytotic nature of coated vesicles in x-ray irradiated keratinocytes is discussed.

  15. Apoptosis-linked Gene-2 (ALG-2)/Sec31 Interactions Regulate Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi Transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helm, Jared R.; Bentley, Marvin; Thorsen, Kevin D.; Wang, Ting; Foltz, Lauren; Oorschot, Viola; Klumperman, Judith; Hay, Jesse C.

    2014-01-01

    Luminal calcium released from secretory organelles has been suggested to play a regulatory role in vesicle transport at several steps in the secretory pathway; however, its functional roles and effector pathways have not been elucidated. Here we demonstrate for the first time that specific luminal calcium depletion leads to a significant decrease in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport rates in intact cells. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that luminal calcium depletion is accompanied by increased accumulation of intermediate compartment proteins in COPII buds and clusters of unfused COPII vesicles at ER exit sites. Furthermore, we present several lines of evidence suggesting that luminal calcium affected transport at least in part through calcium-dependent interactions between apoptosis-linked gene-2 (ALG-2) and the Sec31A proline-rich region: 1) targeted disruption of ALG-2/Sec31A interactions caused severe defects in ER-to-Golgi transport in intact cells; 2) effects of luminal calcium and ALG-2/Sec31A interactions on transport mutually required each other; and 3) Sec31A function in transport required luminal calcium. Morphological phenotypes of disrupted ALG-2/Sec31A interactions were characterized. We found that ALG-2/Sec31A interactions were not required for the localization of Sec31A to ER exit sites per se but appeared to acutely regulate the stability and trafficking of the cargo receptor p24 and the distribution of the vesicle tether protein p115. These results represent the first outline of a mechanism that connects luminal calcium to specific protein interactions regulating vesicle trafficking machinery. PMID:25006245

  16. Solution-blown nanofiber mats from fish sarcoplasmic protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sett, S.; Boutrup Stephansen, Karen; Yarin, A.L.

    2016-01-01

    In the present work, solution-blowing was adopted to form nanofibers from fish sarcoplasmic proteins (FSPs). Nanofiber mats containing different weight ratios (up to 90/10) of FSP in the FSP/nylon 6 blended nanofibers were formed from formic acid solutions, and compared to electrospun fibers made...... that the production rate of solution-blowing was increased 30-fold in relation to electrospinning. Overall, this study reveals FSP as an interesting biopolymeric alternative to synthetic polymers, and the introduction of FSP to nylon 6 provides a composite with controlled properties....

  17. Comparative profiling of sarcoplasmic phosphoproteins in ovine muscle with different color stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Meng; Li, Zheng; Li, Xin; Xin, Jianzeng; Wang, Ying; Li, Guixia; Wu, Liguo; Shen, Qingwu W; Zhang, Dequan

    2018-02-01

    The phosphorylation of sarcoplasmic proteins in postmortem muscles was investigated in relationship to color stability in the present study. Although no difference was observed in the global phosphorylation level of sarcoplasmic proteins, difference was determined in the phosphorylation levels of individual protein bands from muscles with different color stability. Correlation analysis and liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) identification of phosphoproteins showed that most of the color stability-related proteins were glycolytic enzymes. Interestingly, the phosphorylation level of myoglobin was inversely related to meat color stability. As the phosphorylation of myoglobin increased, color stability based on a ∗ value decreased and metMb content increased. In summary, the study revealed that protein phosphorylation might play a role in the regulation of meat color stability probably by regulating glycolysis and the redox stability of myoglobin, which might be affected by the phosphorylation of myoglobin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Vesicle electrohydrodynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwalbe, Jonathan T; Vlahovska, Petia M; Miksis, Michael J

    2011-04-01

    A small amplitude perturbation analysis is developed to describe the effect of a uniform electric field on the dynamics of a lipid bilayer vesicle in a simple shear flow. All media are treated as leaky dielectrics and fluid motion is described by the Stokes equations. The instantaneous vesicle shape is obtained by balancing electric, hydrodynamic, bending, and tension stresses exerted on the membrane. We find that in the absence of ambient shear flow, it is possible that an applied stepwise uniform dc electric field could cause the vesicle shape to evolve from oblate to prolate over time if the encapsulated fluid is less conducting than the suspending fluid. For a vesicle in ambient shear flow, the electric field damps the tumbling motion, leading to a stable tank-treading state.

  19. Vesicles and vesicle gels - structure and dynamics of formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gradzielski, M

    2003-01-01

    Vesicles constitute an interesting morphology formed by self-aggregating amphiphilic molecules. They exhibit a rich structural variety and are of interest both from a fundamental point of view (for studying closed bilayer systems) and from a practical point of view (whenever one is interested in the encapsulation of active molecules). In many circumstances vesicular structures have to be formed by external forces, but of great interest are amphiphilic systems, where they form spontaneously. Here the question arises of whether this means that they are also thermodynamically stable structures, which at least in some systems appears to be the case. If such vesicles are well defined in size, it is possible to pack them densely and thereby form vesicle gels that possess highly elastic properties even for relatively low volume fractions of amphiphile. Conditions for the formation and the microstructure of such vesicle gels have been studied in some detail for the case of unilamellar vesicles. Another important and topical issue is the dynamics of vesicle formation/breakdown, as the understanding of the transition process will open the way to a deeper understanding of their stability and also allow controlling of the structures formed, by means of their formation processes. Significant progress in the study of the transformation processes has been achieved, in particular by means of time-resolved scattering experiments. (topical review)

  20. SARS-coronavirus replication is supported by a reticulovesicular network of modified endoplasmic reticulum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kèvin Knoops

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Positive-strand RNA viruses, a large group including human pathogens such as SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV, replicate in the cytoplasm of infected host cells. Their replication complexes are commonly associated with modified host cell membranes. Membrane structures supporting viral RNA synthesis range from distinct spherular membrane invaginations to more elaborate webs of packed membranes and vesicles. Generally, their ultrastructure, morphogenesis, and exact role in viral replication remain to be defined. Poorly characterized double-membrane vesicles (DMVs were previously implicated in SARS-CoV RNA synthesis. We have now applied electron tomography of cryofixed infected cells for the three-dimensional imaging of coronavirus-induced membrane alterations at high resolution. Our analysis defines a unique reticulovesicular network of modified endoplasmic reticulum that integrates convoluted membranes, numerous interconnected DMVs (diameter 200-300 nm, and "vesicle packets" apparently arising from DMV merger. The convoluted membranes were most abundantly immunolabeled for viral replicase subunits. However, double-stranded RNA, presumably revealing the site of viral RNA synthesis, mainly localized to the DMV interior. Since we could not discern a connection between DMV interior and cytosol, our analysis raises several questions about the mechanism of DMV formation and the actual site of SARS-CoV RNA synthesis. Our data document the extensive virus-induced reorganization of host cell membranes into a network that is used to organize viral replication and possibly hide replicating RNA from antiviral defense mechanisms. Together with biochemical studies of the viral enzyme complex, our ultrastructural description of this "replication network" will aid to further dissect the early stages of the coronavirus life cycle and its virus-host interactions.

  1. F-actin-based Ca signaling-a critical comparison with the current concept of Ca signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Klaus; Gartzke, Joachim

    2006-11-01

    A short comparative survey on the current idea of Ca signaling and the alternative concept of F-actin-based Ca signaling is given. The two hypotheses differ in one central aspect, the mechanism of Ca storage. The current theory rests on the assumption of Ca-accumulating endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum-derived vesicles equipped with an ATP-dependent Ca pump and IP3- or ryanodine-sensitive channel-receptors for Ca-release. The alternative hypothesis proceeds from the idea of Ca storage at the high-affinity binding sites of actin filaments. Cellular sites of F-actin-based Ca storage are microvilli and the submembrane cytoskeleton. Several specific features of Ca signaling such as store-channel coupling, quantal Ca release, spiking and oscillations, biphasic and "phasic" uptake kinetics, and Ca-induced Ca release (CICR), which are not adequately described by the current concept, are inherent properties of the F-actin system and its dynamic state of treadmilling. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  2. ALUMINUM CHLORIDE EFFECT ON Ca2+,Mg(2+)-ATPase ACTIVITY AND DYNAMIC PARAMETERS OF SKELETAL MUSCLE CONTRACTION.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nozdrenko, D M; Abramchuk, O M; Soroca, V M; Miroshnichenko, N S

    2015-01-01

    We studied enzymatic activity and measured strain-gauge contraction properties of the frog Rana temporaria m. tibialis anterior muscle fascicles during the action of aluminum chloride solution. It was shown that AlCl3 solutions did not affect the dynamic properties of skeletal muscle preparation in concentrations less than 10(-4) M Increasing the concentration of AlCl3 to 10(-2) M induce complete inhibition of muscle contraction. A linear correlation between decrease in Ca2+,Mg(2+)-ATPase activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum and the investigated concentrations range of aluminum chloride was observed. The reduction in the dynamic contraction performance and the decrease Ca2+,Mg(2+)-ATPase activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum under the effect of the investigated AlCl3 solution were minimal in pre-tetanus period of contraction.

  3. Aluminum chloride effect on Ca(2+,Mg(2+-ATPase activity and dynamic parameters of skeletal muscle contraction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. M. Nozdrenko

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available We studied enzymatic activity and measured strain-gauge contraction properties of the frog Rana temporaria m. tibialis anterior muscle fascicles during the action of aluminum chloride solution. It was shown that AlCl3 solutions did not affect the dynamic properties of skeletal muscle preparation in concentrations less than 10-4 M. Increasing the concentration of AlCl3 to 10-2 M induce complete inhibition of muscle contraction. A linear correlation between decrease in Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum and the investigated concentrations range of aluminum chloride was observed. The reduction in the dynamic contraction performance and the decrease Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum under the effect of the investigated AlCl3 solution were minimal in pre-tetanus period of contraction.

  4. Subcellular distribution of glycogen and decreased tetanic Ca2+ in fatigued single intact mouse muscle fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Joachim; Cheng, Arthur J; Ørtenblad, Niels

    2014-01-01

    In skeletal muscle fibres, glycogen has been shown to be stored at different subcellular locations: (i) between the myofibrils (intermyofibrillar); (ii) within the myofibrils (intramyofibrillar); and (iii) subsarcolemmal. Of these, intramyofibrillar glycogen has been implied as a critical regulator...... of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release. The aim of the present study was to test directly how the decrease in cytoplasmic free Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i) during repeated tetanic contractions relates to the subcellular glycogen distribution. Single fibres of mouse flexor digitorum brevis muscles were fatigued with 70 Hz...... in tetanic [Ca(2+)]i, and hence force, is accompanied by major reductions in inter- and intramyofibrillar glycogen. The stronger correlation between decreased tetanic [Ca(2+)]i and reduced intramyofibrillar glycogen implies that sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release critically depends on energy supply from...

  5. Formation of Oligovesicular Vesicles by Micromanipulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yukihisa Okumura

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Cell-sized lipid bilayer membrane vesicles (giant vesicles, GVs or semi-vesicles were formed from egg yolk phosphatidylcholine on a platinum electrode under applied electric voltage by electroformation. Micromanipulation of the semi-vesicle by first pressing its membrane with a glass microneedle and then withdrawing the needle left a GV in the interior of the vesicle. During the process, an aqueous solution of Ficoll that filled the needle was introduced into the newly formed inner vesicle and remained encapsulated. Approximately 50% of attempted micromanipulation resulted in the formation of an inner daughter vesicle, “microvesiculation”. By repeating the microvesiculation process, multiple inner GVs could be formed in a single parent semi-vesicle. A semi-vesicle with inner GVs could be detached from the electrode by scraping with a microneedle, yielding an oligovesicular vesicle (OVV with desired inner aqueous contents. Microvesiculation of a GV held on the tip of a glass micropipette was also possible, and this also produced an OVV. Breaking the membrane of the parent semi-vesicle by micromanipulation with a glass needle after microvesiculation, released the inner GVs. This protocol may be used for controlled formation of GVs with desired contents.

  6. Vesicle-based rechargeable batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stanish, I.; Singh, A. [Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Lowy, D.A. [Nova Research, Inc., 1900 Elkin St., Alexandria, VA 22308 (United States); Hung, C.W. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

    2005-05-02

    Vesicle-based rechargeable batteries can be fabricated by mounting polymerized vesicles filled with ferrocyanide or ferricyanide to a conductive surface. The potential can be adjusted by changing the concentration ratio of hydroquinone and benzoquinone bound to the vesicle membranes. These batteries show promise as a means of supplying portable power for future autonomous nanosystems. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  7. SR calcium handling and calcium after-transients in a rabbit model of heart failure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Baartscheer, Antonius; Schumacher, Cees A.; Belterman, Charly N. W.; Coronel, Ruben; Fiolet, Jan W. T.

    2003-01-01

    Objective: After-depolarization associated arrhythmias are frequently observed in heart failure and associated with spontaneous calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), calcium after-transients. We hypothesize that disturbed SR calcium handling underlies calcium after-transients in heart

  8. Direct detection of SERCA calcium transport and small-molecule inhibition in giant unilamellar vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bian, Tengfei; Autry, Joseph M.; Casemore, Denise; Li, Ji; Thomas, David D.; He, Gaohong; Xing, Chengguo

    2016-01-01

    We have developed a charge-mediated fusion method to reconstitute the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase (SERCA) in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV). Intracellular Ca 2+ transport by SERCA controls key processes in human cells such as proliferation, signaling, and contraction. Small-molecule effectors of SERCA are urgently needed as therapeutics for Ca 2+ dysregulation in human diseases including cancer, diabetes, and heart failure. Here we report the development of a method for efficiently reconstituting SERCA in GUV, and we describe a streamlined protocol based on optimized parameters (e.g., lipid components, SERCA preparation, and activity assay requirements). ATP-dependent Ca 2+ transport by SERCA in single GUV was detected directly using confocal fluorescence microscopy with the Ca 2+ indicator Fluo-5F. The GUV reconstitution system was validated for functional screening of Ca 2+ transport using thapsigargin (TG), a small-molecule inhibitor of SERCA currently in clinical trials as a prostate cancer prodrug. The GUV system overcomes the problem of inhibitory Ca 2+ accumulation for SERCA in native and reconstituted small unilamellar vesicles (SUV). We propose that charge-mediated fusion provides a widely-applicable method for GUV reconstitution of clinically-important membrane transport proteins. We conclude that GUV reconstitution is a technological advancement for evaluating small-molecule effectors of SERCA.

  9. Irradiation-induced fusion between giant vesicles and photoresponsive large unilamellar vesicles containing malachite green derivative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uda, Ryoko M; Yoshikawa, Yuki; Kitaba, Moe; Nishimoto, Noriko

    2018-07-01

    Light-initiated fusion between vesicles has attracted much attention in the research community. In particular, fusion between photoresponsive and non-photoresponsive vesicles has been of much interest in the development of systems for the delivery of therapeutic agents to cells. We have performed fusion between giant vesicles (GVs) and photoresponsive smaller vesicles containing malachite green (MG) derivative, which undergoes ionization to afford a positive charge on the molecule by irradiation. The fusion proceeds as the concentration of GV lipid increases toward equimolarity with the lipid of the smaller vesicle. It is also dependent on the molar percentage of photoionized MG in the lipid of the smaller vesicle. On the other hand, the fusion is hardly affected by the anionic component of the GV. The photoinduced fusion was characterized by two methods, involving the mixing of lipid membranes and of aqueous contents. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that irradiation triggered the fusion of a single GV with the smaller vesicles containing MG. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Intracellular calcium leak due to FKBP12.6 deficiency in mice facilitates the inducibility of atrial fibrillation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sood, Subeena; Chelu, Mihail G.; van Oort, Ralph J.; Skapura, Darlene; Santonastasi, Marco; Dobrev, Dobromir; Wehrens, Xander H. T.

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Although defective Ca(2+) homeostasis may contribute to arrhythmogenesis in atrial fibrillation (AF), the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Studies in patients with AF revealed that impaired diastolic closure of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-release channels

  11. Taurine Rescues Cisplatin-Induced Muscle Atrophy In Vitro: A Morphological Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Stacchiotti

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cisplatin (CisPt is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug whose side effects include muscle weakness and cachexia. Here we analysed CisPt-induced atrophy in C2C12 myotubes by a multidisciplinary morphological approach, focusing on the onset and progression of autophagy, a protective cellular process that, when excessively activated, may trigger protein hypercatabolism and atrophy in skeletal muscle. To visualize autophagy we used confocal and transmission electron microscopy at different times of treatment and doses of CisPt. Moreover we evaluated the effects of taurine, a cytoprotective beta-amino acid able to counteract oxidative stress, apoptosis, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in different tissues and organs. Our microscopic results indicate that autophagy occurs very early in 50 μM CisPt challenged myotubes (4 h–8 h before overt atrophy but it persists even at 24 h, when several autophagic vesicles, damaged mitochondria, and sarcoplasmic blebbings engulf the sarcoplasm. Differently, 25 mM taurine pretreatment rescues the majority of myotubes size upon 50 μM CisPt at 24 h. Taurine appears to counteract atrophy by restoring regular microtubular apparatus and mitochondria and reducing the overload and the localization of autophagolysosomes. Such a promising taurine action in preventing atrophy needs further molecular and biochemical studies to best define its impact on muscle homeostasis and the maintenance of an adequate skeletal mass in vivo.

  12. Genetics Home Reference: Brody myopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... 1 (SERCA1). The SERCA1 enzyme is found in skeletal muscle cells, specifically in the membrane of a structure called the sarcoplasmic reticulum . This structure plays a major role in muscle contraction and relaxation by storing and releasing positively charged ...

  13. Blocking variant surface glycoprotein synthesis alters endoplasmic reticulum exit sites/Golgi homeostasis in Trypanosoma brucei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ooi, Cher-Pheng; Smith, Terry K; Gluenz, Eva; Wand, Nadina Vasileva; Vaughan, Sue; Rudenko, Gloria

    2018-06-01

    The predominant secretory cargo of bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei is variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), comprising ~10% total protein and forming a dense protective layer. Blocking VSG translation using Morpholino oligonucleotides triggered a precise pre-cytokinesis arrest. We investigated the effect of blocking VSG synthesis on the secretory pathway. The number of Golgi decreased, particularly in post-mitotic cells, from 3.5 ± 0.6 to 2.0 ± 0.04 per cell. Similarly, the number of endoplasmic reticulum exit sites (ERES) in post-mitotic cells dropped from 3.9 ± 0.6 to 2.7 ± 0.1 eight hours after blocking VSG synthesis. The secretory pathway was still functional in these stalled cells, as monitored using Cathepsin L. Rates of phospholipid and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor biosynthesis remained relatively unaffected, except for the level of sphingomyelin which increased. However, both endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi morphology became distorted, with the Golgi cisternae becoming significantly dilated, particularly at the trans-face. Membrane accumulation in these structures is possibly caused by reduced budding of nascent vesicles due to the drastic reduction in the total amount of secretory cargo, that is, VSG. These data argue that the total flux of secretory cargo impacts upon the biogenesis and maintenance of secretory structures and organelles in T. brucei, including the ERES and Golgi. © 2018 The Authors. Traffic published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Single-vesicle imaging reveals different transport mechanisms between glutamatergic and GABAergic vesicles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Farsi, Z.; Preobraschenski, J.; Bogaart, G. van den; Riedel, D.; Jahn, R.; Woehler, A.

    2016-01-01

    Synaptic transmission is mediated by the release of neurotransmitters, which involves exo-endocytotic cycling of synaptic vesicles. To maintain synaptic function, synaptic vesicles are refilled with thousands of neurotransmitter molecules within seconds after endocytosis, using the energy provided

  15. Single-vesicle imaging reveals different transport mechanisms between glutamatergic and GABAergic vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farsi, Zohreh; Preobraschenski, Julia; van den Bogaart, Geert; Riedel, Dietmar; Jahn, Reinhard; Woehler, Andrew

    2016-02-26

    Synaptic transmission is mediated by the release of neurotransmitters, which involves exo-endocytotic cycling of synaptic vesicles. To maintain synaptic function, synaptic vesicles are refilled with thousands of neurotransmitter molecules within seconds after endocytosis, using the energy provided by an electrochemical proton gradient. However, it is unclear how transmitter molecules carrying different net charges can be efficiently sequestered while maintaining charge neutrality and osmotic balance. We used single-vesicle imaging to monitor pH and electrical gradients and directly showed different uptake mechanisms for glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) operating in parallel. In contrast to glutamate, GABA was exchanged for protons, with no other ions participating in the transport cycle. Thus, only a few components are needed to guarantee reliable vesicle filling with different neurotransmitters. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  16. Effects of Preslaughter Stress Levels on the Post-mortem Sarcoplasmic Proteomic Profile of Gilthead Seabream Muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Silva, Tomé Santos; Cordeiro, Odete D; Matos, Elisabete D.

    2012-01-01

    identification was performed by MALDI-TOF-TOF MS. Analysis of the results indicates changes on several cellular pathways, with some of these changes being attributable to oxidative and proteolytic activity on sarcoplasmic proteins, together with leaking of myofibrillar proteins. These processes appear to have...

  17. Fusion of Nonionic Vesicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bulut, Sanja; Oskolkova, M. Z.; Schweins, R.

    2010-01-01

    We present an experimental study of vesicle fusion using light and neutron scattering to monitor fusion events. Vesicles are reproducibly formed with an extrusion procedure using an single amphiphile triethylene glycol mono-n-decyl ether in water. They show long-term stability for temperatures ar...... a barrier to fusion changing from 15 k(B)T at T = 26 degrees C to 10k(H) T at T = 35 degrees C. These results are compatible with the theoretical predictions using the stalk model of vesicle fusion....

  18. Characterization of yeast extracellular vesicles: evidence for the participation of different pathways of cellular traffic in vesicle biogenesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Débora L Oliveira

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Extracellular vesicles in yeast cells are involved in the molecular traffic across the cell wall. In yeast pathogens, these vesicles have been implicated in the transport of proteins, lipids, polysaccharide and pigments to the extracellular space. Cellular pathways required for the biogenesis of yeast extracellular vesicles are largely unknown.We characterized extracellular vesicle production in wild type (WT and mutant strains of the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using transmission electron microscopy in combination with light scattering analysis, lipid extraction and proteomics. WT cells and mutants with defective expression of Sec4p, a secretory vesicle-associated Rab GTPase essential for Golgi-derived exocytosis, or Snf7p, which is involved in multivesicular body (MVB formation, were analyzed in parallel. Bilayered vesicles with diameters at the 100-300 nm range were found in extracellular fractions from yeast cultures. Proteomic analysis of vesicular fractions from the cells aforementioned and additional mutants with defects in conventional secretion pathways (sec1-1, fusion of Golgi-derived exocytic vesicles with the plasma membrane; bos1-1, vesicle targeting to the Golgi complex or MVB functionality (vps23, late endosomal trafficking revealed a complex and interrelated protein collection. Semi-quantitative analysis of protein abundance revealed that mutations in both MVB- and Golgi-derived pathways affected the composition of yeast extracellular vesicles, but none abrogated vesicle production. Lipid analysis revealed that mutants with defects in Golgi-related components of the secretory pathway had slower vesicle release kinetics, as inferred from intracellular accumulation of sterols and reduced detection of these lipids in vesicle fractions in comparison with WT cells.Our results suggest that both conventional and unconventional pathways of secretion are required for biogenesis of extracellular vesicles, which demonstrate the

  19. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles launches the first massive open online course on extracellular vesicles

    OpenAIRE

    L?sser, Cecilia; Th?ry, Clotilde; Buz?s, Edit I.; Mathivanan, Suresh; Zhao, Weian; Gho, Yong Song; L?tvall, Jan

    2016-01-01

    The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) has organised its first educational online course for students and beginners in the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs). This course, “Basics of Extracellular Vesicles,” uses recorded lectures from experts in the field and will be open for an unlimited number of participants. The course is divided into 5 modules and can be accessed at www.coursera.org/learn/extracellular-vesicles. The first module is an introduction to the field co...

  20. Design and characterization of self-assembled fish sarcoplasmic protein-alginate nanocomplexes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boutrup Stephansen, Karen; Mattebjerg, Maria Ahlm; Wattjes, Jasper

    2015-01-01

    Macrostructures based on natural polymers are subject to large attention, as the application range is wide within the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this study we present nanocomplexes (NCXs) made from electrostatic self-assembly between negatively charged alginate and positively charged...... fish sarcoplasmic proteins (FSP), prepared by bulk mixing. A concentration screening revealed that there was a range of alginate and FSP concentrations where stable NCXs with similar properties were formed, rather than two exact concentrations. The size of the NCXs was 293 +/- 3 nm, and the zeta...

  1. Seminal vesicle cycts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alpern, M.B.; Dorfman, R.E.; Gross, B.H.; Gottlieb, C.A.; Sandler, M.A.

    1990-01-01

    PURPOSE: Adult polycystic kidney disease (APKCD), an autosomal dominant disorder, causes cyst formation in the kidney, liver, pancreas, esophagus, ovaries, uterus, and brain. This paper describes four APKCD patients with CT evidence of seminal vesicle cysts (SVCs). Four patients (aged 45-65 years) underwent abdominal/pelvic CT with oral and intravenous contrast material. Three were evaluated for possible renal transplantation and one for sepsis material. All seminal vesicles contained cystic masses with fluid that measured between 0 and 30 HU. Seminal vesicle thickness was 3-4 cm (normal, 1.5 cm). High-density walls separated the 3-12-mm diameter cysts. All patients demonstrated typical renal stigmata of APKCD. One patient had hepatic cysts, and none had cysts elsewhere. Postmortem examination in one patient confirmed the SVCs

  2. Endoplasmic reticulum stress in lung disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan J. Marciniak

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Exposure to inhaled pollutants, including fine particulates and cigarette smoke is a major cause of lung disease in Europe. While it is established that inhaled pollutants have devastating effects on the genome, it is now recognised that additional effects on protein folding also drive the development of lung disease. Protein misfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum affects the pathogenesis of many diseases, ranging from pulmonary fibrosis to cancer. It is therefore important to understand how cells respond to endoplasmic reticulum stress and how this affects pulmonary tissues in disease. These insights may offer opportunities to manipulate such endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways and thereby cure lung disease.

  3. Impermeability effects in three-dimensional vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biscari, P; Canevese, S M; Napoli, G

    2004-01-01

    We analyse the effects of the impermeability constraint on the equilibrium shapes of a three-dimensional vesicle hosting a rigid inclusion. A given alteration of the inclusion and/or vesicle parameters leads to shape modifications of different orders of magnitude, when applied to permeable or impermeable vesicles. Moreover, the enclosed-volume constraint wrecks the uniqueness of stationary equilibrium shapes, and gives rise to pear-shaped or stomatocyte-like vesicles

  4. MR imaging of the seminal vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edson, S.B.; Hricak, H.; Chun-Fang Chang, Y.

    1987-01-01

    The seminal vesicles of 56 healthy males and 23 males with pathologic conditions were studied with a .35-T magnet and spin-echo (SE) techniques (repetition time/echo time [msec] = 500/30 and 2,000/60). The authors analyzed (1) the size and relative signal intensity of seminal vesicles compared to surrounding fat, muscle, or urine; (2) the effect of aging on the size and signal intensity of the vesicles, and (3) the appearance of the seminal vesicles in different pathologic conditions. In the transverse plane, the normal seminal vesicle measures 31 +- 7 mm in length and 17 +- 4 mm in width. Its size or signal intensity did not change significantly with age. On SE = 500/30 images the seminal vesicles were isointense with muscle; on SE = 2,000/60 images they were isointense or slightly hypointense relative to fat. MR imaging was highly sensitive for displaying seminal vesicle pathology, based on asymmetry in size and changes in signal intensities. MR imaging provides unique information but its role in pathologic conditions needs to be further explored

  5. Spontaneous charged lipid transfer between lipid vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richens, Joanna L; Tyler, Arwen I I; Barriga, Hanna M G; Bramble, Jonathan P; Law, Robert V; Brooks, Nicholas J; Seddon, John M; Ces, Oscar; O'Shea, Paul

    2017-10-03

    An assay to study the spontaneous charged lipid transfer between lipid vesicles is described. A donor/acceptor vesicle system is employed, where neutrally charged acceptor vesicles are fluorescently labelled with the electrostatic membrane probe Fluoresceinphosphatidylethanolamine (FPE). Upon addition of charged donor vesicles, transfer of negatively charged lipid occurs, resulting in a fluorescently detectable change in the membrane potential of the acceptor vesicles. Using this approach we have studied the transfer properties of a range of lipids, varying both the headgroup and the chain length. At the low vesicle concentrations chosen, the transfer follows a first-order process where lipid monomers are transferred presumably through the aqueous solution phase from donor to acceptor vesicle. The rate of transfer decreases with increasing chain length which is consistent with energy models previously reported for lipid monomer vesicle interactions. Our assay improves on existing methods allowing the study of a range of unmodified lipids, continuous monitoring of transfer and simplified experimental procedures.

  6. Localization and in-vivo characterization of thapsia garganica CYP76AE2 indicates a role in thapsigargin biosynthesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Trine Bundgaard; Martinez-Swatson, Karen Agatha; Rasmussen, Silas Anselm

    2017-01-01

    The Mediterranean plant Thapsia garganica (dicot, Apiaceae), also known as deadly carrot, produces the highly toxic compound thapsigargin. This compound is a potent inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase calcium pump in mammals and is of industrial importance as the active...

  7. Ultrasound-responsive ultrathin multiblock copolyamide vesicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Lei; Yu, Chunyang; Huang, Tong; Xu, Shuting; Bai, Yongping; Zhou, Yongfeng

    2016-02-01

    This study reports the self-assembly of novel polymer vesicles from an amphiphilic multiblock copolyamide, and the vesicles show a special structure with an ultrathin wall thickness of about 4.5 nm and a combined bilayer and monolayer packing model. Most interestingly, the vesicles are ultrasound-responsive and can release the encapsulated model drugs in response to ultrasonic irradiation.This study reports the self-assembly of novel polymer vesicles from an amphiphilic multiblock copolyamide, and the vesicles show a special structure with an ultrathin wall thickness of about 4.5 nm and a combined bilayer and monolayer packing model. Most interestingly, the vesicles are ultrasound-responsive and can release the encapsulated model drugs in response to ultrasonic irradiation. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details of experiments and characterization, and FT-IR, TEM, DPD, FL and micro-DSC results. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr08596a

  8. Responsive Polydiacetylene Vesicles for Biosensing Microorganisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Estelle Lebègue

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Polydiacetylene (PDA inserted in films or in vesicles has received increasing attention due to its property to undergo a blue-to-red colorimetric transition along with a change from non-fluorescent to fluorescent upon application of various stimuli. In this review paper, the principle for the detection of various microorganisms (bacteria, directly detected or detected through the emitted toxins or through their DNA, and viruses and of antibacterial and antiviral peptides based on these responsive PDA vesicles are detailed. The analytical performances obtained, when vesicles are in suspension or immobilized, are given and compared to those of the responsive vesicles mainly based on the vesicle encapsulation method. Many future challenges are then discussed.

  9. SH Oxidation Stimulates Calcium Release Channels (Ryanodine Receptors From Excitable Cells

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    CECILIA HIDALGO

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available The effects of redox reagents on the activity of the intracellular calcium release channels (ryanodine receptors of skeletal and cardiac muscle, or brain cortex neurons, was examined. In lipid bilayer experiments, oxidizing agents (2,2'-dithiodipyridine or thimerosal modified the calcium dependence of all single channels studied. After controlled oxidation channels became active at sub µM calcium concentrations and were not inhibited by increasing the calcium concentration to 0.5 mM. Subsequent reduction reversed these effects. Channels purified from amphibian skeletal muscle exhibited the same behavior, indicating that the SH groups responsible for modifying the calcium dependence belong to the channel protein. Parallel experiments that measured calcium release through these channels in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles showed that following oxidation, the channels were no longer inhibited by sub mM concentrations of Mg2+. It is proposed that channel redox state controls the high affinity sites responsible for calcium activation as well as the low affinity sites involved in Mg2+ inhibition of channel activity. The possible physiological and pathological implications of these results are discussed

  10. [3H]PN200-110 and [3H]ryanodine binding and reconstitution of ion channel activity with skeletal muscle membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, S.L.; Alvarez, R.M.; Fill, M.; Hawkes, M.J.; Brush, K.L.; Schilling, W.P.; Stefani, E.

    1989-01-01

    Skeletal muscle membranes derived either from the tubular (T) network or from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) were characterized with respect to the binding of the dihydropyridine, [ 3 H]PN200-110, and the alkaloid, [ 3 H]ryanodine; polypeptide composition; and ion channel activity. Conditions for optimizing the binding of these radioligands are discussed. A bilayer pulsing technique is described and is used to examine the channels present in these membranes. Fusion of T-tubule membranes into bilayers revealed the presence of chloride channels and dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels with three distinct conductances. The dihydropyridine-sensitive channels were further characterized with respect to their voltage dependence. Pulsing experiments indicated that two different populations of dihydropyridine-sensitive channels existed. Fusion of heavy SR vesicles revealed three different ion channels; the putative calcium release channel, a potassium channel, and a chloride channel. Thus, this fractionation procedure provides T-tubules and SR membranes which, with radioligand binding and single channel recording techniques, provide a useful tool to study the characteristics of skeletal muscle ion channels and their possible role in excitation-contraction coupling

  11. Study of the plant COPII vesicle coat subunits by functional complementation of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants.

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    Johan-Owen De Craene

    Full Text Available The formation and budding of endoplasmic reticulum ER-derived vesicles depends on the COPII coat protein complex that was first identified in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ER-associated Sec12 and the Sar1 GTPase initiate the COPII coat formation by recruiting the Sec23-Sec24 heterodimer following the subsequent recruitment of the Sec13-Sec31 heterotetramer. In yeast, there is usually one gene encoding each COPII protein and these proteins are essential for yeast viability, whereas the plant genome encodes multiple isoforms of all COPII subunits. Here, we used a systematic yeast complementation assay to assess the functionality of Arabidopsis thaliana COPII proteins. In this study, the different plant COPII subunits were expressed in their corresponding temperature-sensitive yeast mutant strain to complement their thermosensitivity and secretion phenotypes. Secretion was assessed using two different yeast cargos: the soluble α-factor pheromone and the membranous v-SNARE (vesicle-soluble NSF (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor Snc1 involved in the fusion of the secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane. This complementation study allowed the identification of functional A. thaliana COPII proteins for the Sec12, Sar1, Sec24 and Sec13 subunits that could represent an active COPII complex in plant cells. Moreover, we found that AtSec12 and AtSec23 were co-immunoprecipitated with AtSar1 in total cell extract of 15 day-old seedlings of A. thaliana. This demonstrates that AtSar1, AtSec12 and AtSec23 can form a protein complex that might represent an active COPII complex in plant cells.

  12. Pannexin2 oligomers localize into endosomal vesicles in mammalian cells while Pannexin1 channels traffic to the plasma membrane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela eBoassa

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Pannexin2 (Panx2 is the largest of three members of the pannexin proteins. Pannexins are topologically related to connexins and innexins, but serve different functional roles than forming gap junctions. We previously showed that pannexins form oligomeric channels but unlike connexins and innexins, they form only single membrane channels. High levels of Panx2 mRNA and protein in the Central Nervous System (CNS have been documented. Whereas Pannexin1 (Panx1 is fairly ubiquitous and Pannexin3 (Panx3 is found in skin and connective tissue, both are fully glycosylated, traffic to the plasma membrane and have functions correlated with extracellular ATP release. Here, we describe trafficking and subcellular localizations of exogenous Panx2 and Panx1 protein expression in MDCK, HeLa and HEK293T cells as well as endogenous Panx1 and Panx2 patterns in the CNS. Panx2 was found in intracellular localizations, was partially N-glycosylated, and localizations were non-overlapping with Panx1. Confocal images of hippocampal sections immunolabeled for the astrocytic protein GFAP, Panx1 and Panx2 demonstrated that the two isoforms, Panx1 and Panx2, localized at different subcellular compartments in both astrocytes and neurons. Using recombinant fusions of Panx2 with appended genetic tags developed for correlated light and electron microscopy and then expressed in different cell lines, we determined that Panx2 is localized in the membrane of intracellular vesicles and not in the endoplasmic reticulum as initially indicated by calnexin colocalization experiments. Dual immunofluorescence imaging with protein markers for specific vesicle compartments showed that Panx2 vesicles are early endosomal in origin. In electron tomographic volumes, cross-sections of these vesicles displayed fine structural details and close proximity to actin filaments. Thus, pannexins expressed at different subcellular compartments likely exert distinct functional roles, particularly in the

  13. Transcriptome of extracellular vesicles released by hepatocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felix Royo

    Full Text Available The discovery that the cells communicate through emission of vesicles has opened new opportunities for better understanding of physiological and pathological mechanisms. This discovery also provides a novel source for non-invasive disease biomarker research. Our group has previously reported that hepatocytes release extracellular vesicles with protein content reflecting the cell-type of origin. Here, we show that the extracellular vesicles released by hepatocytes also carry RNA. We report the messenger RNA composition of extracellular vesicles released in two non-tumoral hepatic models: primary culture of rat hepatocytes and a progenitor cell line obtained from a mouse foetal liver. We describe different subpopulations of extracellular vesicles with different densities and protein and RNA content. We also show that the RNA cargo of extracellular vesicles released by primary hepatocytes can be transferred to rat liver stellate-like cells and promote their activation. Finally, we provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that liver-damaging drugs galactosamine, acetaminophen, and diclofenac modify the RNA content of these vesicles. To summarize, we show that the extracellular vesicles secreted by hepatocytes contain various RNAs. These vesicles, likely to be involved in the activation of stellate cells, might become a new source for non-invasive identification of the liver toxicity markers.

  14. Spontaneous Vesicle Recycling in the Synaptic Bouton

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    Sven eTruckenbrodt

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The trigger for synaptic vesicle exocytosis is Ca2+, which enters the synaptic bouton following action potential stimulation. However, spontaneous release of neurotransmitter also occurs in the absence of stimulation in virtually all synaptic boutons. It has long been thought that this represents exocytosis driven by fluctuations in local Ca2+ levels. The vesicles responding to these fluctuations are thought to be the same ones that release upon stimulation, albeit potentially triggered by different Ca2+ sensors. This view has been challenged by several recent works, which have suggested that spontaneous release is driven by a separate pool of synaptic vesicles. Numerous articles appeared during the last few years in support of each of these hypotheses, and it has been challenging to bring them into accord. We speculate here on the origins of this controversy, and propose a solution that is related to developmental effects. Constitutive membrane traffic, needed for the biogenesis of vesicles and synapses, is responsible for high levels of spontaneous membrane fusion in young neurons, probably independent of Ca2+. The vesicles releasing spontaneously in such neurons are not related to other synaptic vesicle pools and may represent constitutively releasing vesicles (CRVs rather than bona fide synaptic vesicles. In mature neurons, constitutive traffic is much dampened, and the few remaining spontaneous release events probably represent bona fide spontaneously releasing synaptic vesicles (SRSVs responding to Ca2+ fluctuations, along with a handful of CRVs that participate in synaptic vesicle turnover.

  15. Spontaneous transfer of gangliotetraosylceramide between phospholipid vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, R.E.; Sugar, I.P.; Thompson, T.E.

    1985-01-01

    The transfer kinetics of the neutral glycosphingolipid gangliotetraosylceramide (asialo-GM1) were investigated by monitoring tritiated asialo-GM1 movement from donor to acceptor vesicles. Two different methods were employed to separate donor and acceptor vesicles at desired time intervals. In one method, a negative charge was imparted to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine donor vesicles by including 10 mol% dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid. Donors were separated from neutral dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine acceptor vesicles by ion-exchange chromatography. In the other method, small, unilamellar donor vesicles and large, unilamellar acceptor vesicles were coincubated at 45 degrees C and then separated at desired time intervals by molecular sieve chromatography. The majority of asialo-GM1 transfer to acceptor vesicles occurred as a slow first-order process with a half-time of about 24 days assuming that the relative concentration of asialo-GM1 in the phospholipid matrix was identical in each half of the donor bilayer and that no glycolipid flip-flop occurred. Asialo-GM1 net transfer was calculated relative to that of [ 14 C]cholesteryl oleate, which served as a nontransferable marker in the donor vesicles. A nearly identical transfer half-time was obtained when the phospholipid matrix was changed from dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine to palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine. Varying the acceptor vesicle concentration did not significantly alter the asialo-GM1 transfer half-time. This result is consistent with a transfer mechanism involving diffusion of glycolipid through the aqueous phase rather than movement of glycolipid following formation of collisional complexes between donor and acceptor vesicles. (Abstract Truncated)

  16. The structural basis of calcium transport by the calcium pump

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Claus; Picard, Martin; Winther, Anne-Marie Lund

    2007-01-01

    The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, a P-type ATPase, has a critical role in muscle function and metabolism. Here we present functional studies and three new crystal structures of the rabbit skeletal muscle Ca2+-ATPase, representing the phosphoenzyme intermediates associated with Ca2+ binding,...

  17. Brody disease: insights into biochemical features of SERCA1 and identification of a novel mutation.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vattemi, G.; Gualandi, F.; Oosterhof, A.; Marini, M.; Tonin, P.; Rimessi, P.; Neri, M.; Guglielmi, V.; Russignan, A.; Poli, C.; Kuppevelt, A.H.M.S.M. van; Ferlini, A.; Tomelleri, G.

    2010-01-01

    Brody disease is an inherited disorder of skeletal muscle function characterized by increasing impairment of relaxation during exercise. The autosomal recessive form can be caused by mutations in the ATP2A1 gene, which encodes for the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase 1 (SERCA1) protein.

  18. MicroRNAs and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-2 in human myocardial infarction: expression and bioinformatic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boštjančič, Emanuela; Zidar, Nina; Glavač, Damjan

    2012-10-15

    Cardiac sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-2 (SERCA2) plays one of the central roles in myocardial contractility. Both, SERCA2 mRNA and protein are reduced in myocardial infarction (MI), but the correlation has not been always observed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act by targeting 3'-UTR mRNA, causing translational repression in physiological and pathological conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. One of the aims of our study was to identify miRNAs that could influence SERCA2 expression in human MI. The protein SERCA2 was decreased and 43 miRNAs were deregulated in infarcted myocardium compared to corresponding remote myocardium, analyzed by western blot and microRNA microarrays, respectively. All the samples were stored as FFPE tissue and in RNAlater. miRNAs binding prediction to SERCA2 including four prediction algorithms (TargetScan, PicTar, miRanda and mirTarget2) identified 213 putative miRNAs. TAM and miRNApath annotation of deregulated miRNAs identified 18 functional and 21 diseased states related to heart diseases, and association of the half of the deregulated miRNAs to SERCA2. Free-energy of binding and flanking regions (RNA22, RNAfold) was calculated for 10 up-regulated miRNAs from microarray analysis (miR-122, miR-320a/b/c/d, miR-574-3p/-5p, miR-199a, miR-140, and miR-483), and nine miRNAs deregulated from microarray analysis were used for validation with qPCR (miR-21, miR-122, miR-126, miR-1, miR-133, miR-125a/b, and miR-98). Based on qPCR results, the comparison between FFPE and RNAlater stored tissue samples, between Sybr Green and TaqMan approaches, as well as between different reference genes were also performed. Combing all the results, we identified certain miRNAs as potential regulators of SERCA2; however, further functional studies are needed for verification. Using qPCR, we confirmed deregulation of nine miRNAs in human MI, and show that qPCR normalization strategy is important for the outcome of miRNA expression analysis in human MI.

  19. Amyloglucosidase enzymatic reactivity inside lipid vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Jin-Woo

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Efficient functioning of enzymes inside liposomes would open new avenues for applications in biocatalysis and bioanalytical tools. In this study, the entrapment of amyloglucosidase (AMG (EC 3.2.1.3 from Aspergillus niger into dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC multilamellar vesicles (MLVs and large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs was investigated. Negative-stain, freeze-fracture, and cryo-transmission electron microscopy images verified vesicle formation in the presence of AMG. Vesicles with entrapped AMG were isolated from the solution by centrifugation, and vesicle lamellarity was identified using fluorescence laser confocal microscopy. The kinetics of starch hydrolysis by AMG was modeled for two different systems, free enzyme in aqueous solution and entrapped enzyme within vesicles in aqueous suspension. For the free enzyme system, intrinsic kinetics were described by a Michaelis-Menten kinetic model with product inhibition. The kinetic constants, Vmax and Km, were determined by initial velocity measurements, and Ki was obtained by fitting the model to experimental data of glucose concentration-time curves. Predicted concentration-time curves using these kinetic constants were in good agreement with experimental measurements. In the case of the vesicles, the time-dependence of product (glucose formation was experimentally determined and simulated by considering the kinetic behavior of the enzyme and the permeation of substrate into the vesicle. Experimental results demonstrated that entrapped enzymes were much more stable than free enyzme. The entrapped enzyme could be recycled with retention of 60% activity after 3 cycles. These methodologies can be useful in evaluating other liposomal catalysis operations.

  20. Optogenetic acidification of synaptic vesicles and lysosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rost, Benjamin R; Schneider, Franziska; Grauel, M Katharina; Wozny, Christian; Bentz, Claudia; Blessing, Anja; Rosenmund, Tanja; Jentsch, Thomas J; Schmitz, Dietmar; Hegemann, Peter; Rosenmund, Christian

    2015-12-01

    Acidification is required for the function of many intracellular organelles, but methods to acutely manipulate their intraluminal pH have not been available. Here we present a targeting strategy to selectively express the light-driven proton pump Arch3 on synaptic vesicles. Our new tool, pHoenix, can functionally replace endogenous proton pumps, enabling optogenetic control of vesicular acidification and neurotransmitter accumulation. Under physiological conditions, glutamatergic vesicles are nearly full, as additional vesicle acidification with pHoenix only slightly increased the quantal size. By contrast, we found that incompletely filled vesicles exhibited a lower release probability than full vesicles, suggesting preferential exocytosis of vesicles with high transmitter content. Our subcellular targeting approach can be transferred to other organelles, as demonstrated for a pHoenix variant that allows light-activated acidification of lysosomes.

  1. Ca2+ handling abnormalities in early-onset muscle diseases: Novel concepts and perspectives.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Treves, S.; Jungbluth, H.; Voermans, N.C.; Muntoni, F.; Zorzato, F.

    2017-01-01

    The physiological process by which Ca2+ is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum is called excitation-contraction coupling; it is initiated by an action potential which travels deep into the muscle fiber where it is sensed by the dihydropyridine receptor, a voltage sensing L-type Ca2+channel

  2. Trafficking of astrocytic vesicles in hippocampal slices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potokar, Maja; Kreft, Marko; Lee, So-Young; Takano, Hajime; Haydon, Philip G.; Zorec, Robert

    2009-01-01

    The increasingly appreciated role of astrocytes in neurophysiology dictates a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying the communication between astrocytes and neurons. In particular, the uptake and release of signaling substances into/from astrocytes is considered as crucial. The release of different gliotransmitters involves regulated exocytosis, consisting of the fusion between the vesicle and the plasma membranes. After fusion with the plasma membrane vesicles may be retrieved into the cytoplasm and may continue to recycle. To study the mobility implicated in the retrieval of secretory vesicles, these structures have been previously efficiently and specifically labeled in cultured astrocytes, by exposing live cells to primary and secondary antibodies. Since the vesicle labeling and the vesicle mobility properties may be an artifact of cell culture conditions, we here asked whether the retrieving exocytotic vesicles can be labeled in brain tissue slices and whether their mobility differs to that observed in cell cultures. We labeled astrocytic vesicles and recorded their mobility with two-photon microscopy in hippocampal slices from transgenic mice with fluorescently tagged astrocytes (GFP mice) and in wild-type mice with astrocytes labeled by Fluo4 fluorescence indicator. Glutamatergic vesicles and peptidergic granules were labeled by the anti-vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGlut1) and anti-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) antibodies, respectively. We report that the vesicle mobility parameters (velocity, maximal displacement and track length) recorded in astrocytes from tissue slices are similar to those reported previously in cultured astrocytes.

  3. On the Computing Potential of Intracellular Vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayne, Richard; Adamatzky, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Collision-based computing (CBC) is a form of unconventional computing in which travelling localisations represent data and conditional routing of signals determines the output state; collisions between localisations represent logical operations. We investigated patterns of Ca2+-containing vesicle distribution within a live organism, slime mould Physarum polycephalum, with confocal microscopy and observed them colliding regularly. Vesicles travel down cytoskeletal 'circuitry' and their collisions may result in reflection, fusion or annihilation. We demonstrate through experimental observations that naturally-occurring vesicle dynamics may be characterised as a computationally-universal set of Boolean logical operations and present a 'vesicle modification' of the archetypal CBC 'billiard ball model' of computation. We proceed to discuss the viability of intracellular vesicles as an unconventional computing substrate in which we delineate practical considerations for reliable vesicle 'programming' in both in vivo and in vitro vesicle computing architectures and present optimised designs for both single logical gates and combinatorial logic circuits based on cytoskeletal network conformations. The results presented here demonstrate the first characterisation of intracelluar phenomena as collision-based computing and hence the viability of biological substrates for computing.

  4. [3H]Azidodantrolene photoaffinity labeling, synthetic domain peptides and monoclonal antibody reactivity identify the dantrolene binding sequence on RyR1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paul-Pletzer, Kalanethee; Yamamoto, Takeshi; Bhat, Manju B.; Ma, Jianjie; Ikemoto, Noriaki; Jimenez, Leslie S.; Morimoto, Hiromi; Williams, Philip G.; Parness, Jerome

    2002-06-14

    Dantrolene is a drug that suppresses intracellular Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum in normal skeletal muscle and is used as a therapeutic agent in individuals susceptible to malignant hyperthermia. Though its precise mechanism of action has not been elucidated, we have identified the N-terminal region (amino acids 1-1400) of the skeletal muscle isoform of the ryanodine receptor (RyR1), the primary Ca2+ release channel in sarcoplasmic reticulum, as a molecular target for dantrolene using the photoaffinity analog [3H]azidodantrolene(1). Here, we demonstrate that heterologously expressed RyR1 retains its capacity to be specifically labeled with [3H]azidodantrolene,indicating that muscle specific factors are not required for this ligand-receptor interaction. Synthetic domain peptides of RyR1, previously shown to affect RyR1 function in vitro and in vivo, were exploited as potential drug binding site mimics and used in photoaffinity labeling experiments. Only DP1 and DP1-2, peptide s containing the amino acid sequence corresponding to RyR1 residues 590-609, were specifically labeled by [3H]azidodantrolene. A monoclonal anti-RyR1 antibody which recognizes RyR1 and its 1400 amino acid N-terminal fragment, recognizes DP1 and DP1-2 in both Western blots and immunoprecipitation assays, and specifically inhibits [3H]azidodantrolene photolabeling of RyR1 and its N-terminal fragment in sarcoplasmic reticulum. Our results indicate that synthetic domain peptides can mimic a native, ligand binding conformation in vitro, and that the dantrolene binding site and the epitope for the monoclonal antibody on RyR1 are equivalent and composed of amino-acids 590-609.

  5. Thermodynamics and kinetics of vesicles formation processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guida, Vincenzo

    2010-12-15

    Vesicles are hollow aggregates, composed of bilayers of amphiphilic molecules, dispersed into and filled with a liquid solvent. These aggregates can be formed either as equilibrium or as out of equilibrium meta-stable structures and they exhibit a rich variety of different morphologies. The surprising richness of structures, the vast range of industrial applications and the presence of vesicles in a number of biological systems have attracted the interest of numerous researchers and scientists. In this article, we review both the thermodynamics and the kinetics aspects of the phenomena of formation of vesicles. We start presenting the thermodynamics of bilayer membranes formation and deformation, with the aim of deriving the conditions for the existence of equilibrium vesicles. Specifically, we use the results from continuum thermodynamics to discuss the possibility of formation of stable equilibrium vesicles, from both mixed amphiphiles and single component systems. We also link the bilayer membrane properties to the molecular structure of the starting amphiphiles. In the second part of this article, we focus on the dynamics and kinetics of vesiculation. We review the process of vesicles formation both from planar lamellar phase under shear and from isotropic micelles. In order to clarify the physical mechanisms of vesicles formation, we continuously draw a parallel between emulsification and vesiculation processes. Specifically, we compare the experimental results, the driving forces and the relative scaling laws identified for the two processes. Describing the dynamics of vesicles formation, we also discuss why non equilibrium vesicles can be formed by kinetics control and why they are meta-stable. Understanding how to control the properties, the stability and the formation process of vesicles is of fundamental importance for a vast number of industrial applications. Copyright © 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. The role of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response following cerebral ischemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadley, Gina; Neuhaus, Ain A; Couch, Yvonne; Beard, Daniel J; Adriaanse, Bryan A; Vekrellis, Kostas; DeLuca, Gabriele C; Papadakis, Michalis; Sutherland, Brad A; Buchan, Alastair M

    2018-06-01

    Background Cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) hippocampal neurons are resistant to global ischemia, whereas cornu ammonis (CA1) 1 neurons are vulnerable. Hamartin expression in CA3 neurons mediates this endogenous resistance via productive autophagy. Neurons lacking hamartin demonstrate exacerbated endoplasmic reticulum stress and increased cell death. We investigated endoplasmic reticulum stress responses in CA1 and CA3 regions following global cerebral ischemia, and whether pharmacological modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress or autophagy altered neuronal viability . Methods In vivo: male Wistar rats underwent sham or 10 min of transient global cerebral ischemia. CA1 and CA3 areas were microdissected and endoplasmic reticulum stress protein expression quantified at 3 h and 12 h of reperfusion. In vitro: primary neuronal cultures (E18 Wistar rat embryos) were exposed to 2 h of oxygen and glucose deprivation or normoxia in the presence of an endoplasmic reticulum stress inducer (thapsigargin or tunicamycin), an endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor (salubrinal or 4-phenylbutyric acid), an autophagy inducer ([4'-(N-diethylamino) butyl]-2-chlorophenoxazine (10-NCP)) or autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine). Results In vivo, decreased endoplasmic reticulum stress protein expression (phospho-eIF2α and ATF4) was observed at 3 h of reperfusion in CA3 neurons following ischemia, and increased in CA1 neurons at 12 h of reperfusion. In vitro, endoplasmic reticulum stress inducers and high doses of the endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitors also increased cell death. Both induction and inhibition of autophagy also increased cell death. Conclusion Endoplasmic reticulum stress is associated with neuronal cell death following ischemia. Neither reduction of endoplasmic reticulum stress nor induction of autophagy demonstrated neuroprotection in vitro, highlighting their complex role in neuronal biology following ischemia.

  7. A novel heterozygous mutation of the WFS1 gene leading to constitutive endoplasmic reticulum stress is the cause of Wolfram syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morikawa, Shuntaro; Tajima, Toshihiro; Nakamura, Akie; Ishizu, Katsura; Ariga, Tadashi

    2017-12-01

    Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a disorder characterized by the association of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetes insipidus, deafness, and optic nerve atrophy. WS is caused by WFS1 mutations encoding WFS1 protein expressed in endoplasmic reticulum (ER). During ER protein synthesis, misfolded and unfolded proteins accumulate, known as "ER stress". This is attenuated by the unfolded protein response (UPR), which recovers and maintains ER functions. Because WFS1 is a UPR component, mutant WFS1 might cause unresolvable ER stress conditions and cell apoptosis, the major causes underlying WS symptoms. We encountered an 11-month-old Japanese female WS patient with insulin-dependent DM, congenital cataract and severe bilateral hearing loss. Analyze the WFS1 and functional consequence of the patient WFS1 in vitro. The patient WFS1 contained a heterozygous 4 amino acid in-frame deletion (p.N325_I328del). Her mutant WFS1 increased GRP78 and ATF6α promoter activities in the absence of thapsigargin, indicating constitutive ER stress and nuclear factor of activated T-cell reporter activity, reflecting elevated cytosolic Ca 2+ signals. Mutant transfection into cells reduced mRNA expression levels of sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ transport ATPase 2b (SERCA2b) compared with wild type. Because SERCA2b is required for ER and cytoplasmic Ca 2+ homeostasis, decreased SERCA2b expression might affect ER Ca 2+ efflux, causing cell apoptosis. A novel heterozygous mutation of WFS1 induced constitutive ER stress through ATF6α activation and ER Ca 2+ efflux, resulting in cell apoptosis. These results provide new insights into the roles of WFS1 in UPR and mechanism of monogenic DM. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Cargo Release from Polymeric Vesicles under Shear

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yingying Guo

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we study the release of cargo from polymeric nano-carriers under shear. Vesicles formed by two star block polymers— A 12 B 6 C 2 ( A B C and A 12 B 6 A 2 ( A B A —and one linear block copolymer— A 14 B 6 ( A B , are investigated using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD simulations. A - and C -blocks are solvophobic and B -block is solvophilic. The three polymers form vesicles of different structures. The vesicles are subjected to shear both in bulk and between solvophobic walls. In bulk shear, the mechanisms of cargo release are similar for all vesicles, with cargo travelling through vesicle membrane with no preferential release location. When sheared between walls, high cargo release rate is only observed with A B C vesicle after it touches the wall. For A B C vesicle, the critical condition for high cargo release rate is the formation of wall-polymersome interface after which the effect of shear rate in promoting cargo release is secondary. High release rate is achieved by the formation of solvophilic pathway allowing cargo to travel from the vesicle cavity to the vesicle exterior. The results in this paper show that well controlled target cargo release using polymersomes can be achieved with polymers of suitable design and can potentially be very useful for engineering applications. As an example, polymersomes can be used as carriers for surface active friction reducing additives which are only released at rubbing surfaces where the additives are needed most.

  9. Mobilization of Ca2+ by Cyclic ADP-Ribose from the Endoplasmic Reticulum of Cauliflower Florets1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navazio, Lorella; Mariani, Paola; Sanders, Dale

    2001-01-01

    The NAD+ metabolite cADP-Rib (cADPR) elevates cytosolic free Ca2+ in plants and thereby plays a central role in signal transduction pathways evoked by the drought and stress hormone abscisic acid. cADPR is known to mobilize Ca2+ from the large vacuole of mature cells. To determine whether additional sites for cADPR-gated Ca2+ release reside in plant cells, microsomes from cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) inflorescences were subfractionated on sucrose density gradients, and the distribution of cADPR-elicited Ca2+ release was monitored. cADPR-gated Ca2+ release was detected in the heavy-density fractions associated with rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER). cADPR-dependent Ca2+ release co-migrated with two ER markers, calnexin and antimycin A-insensitive NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity. To investigate the possibility that contaminating plasma membrane in the ER-rich fractions was responsible for the observed release, plasma membrane vesicles were purified by aqueous two-phase partitioning, everted with Brij-58, and loaded with Ca2+: These vesicles failed to respond to cADPR. Ca2+ release evoked by cADPR at the ER was fully inhibited by ruthenium red and 8-NH2-cADPR, a specific antagonist of cADPR-gated Ca2+ release in animal cells. The presence of a Ca2+ release pathway activated by cADPR at higher plant ER reinforces the notion that, alongside the vacuole, the ER participates in Ca2+ signaling. PMID:11299392

  10. Are calcifying matrix vesicles in atherosclerotic lesions of cellular origin?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobryshev, Yuri V; Killingsworth, Murray C; Huynh, Thuan G; Lord, Reginald S A; Grabs, Anthony J; Valenzuela, Stella M

    2007-03-01

    Over recent years, the role of matrix vesicles in the initial stages of arterial calcification has been recognized. Matrix calcifying vesicles have been isolated from atherosclerotic arteries and the biochemical composition of calcified vesicles has been studied. No studies have yet been carried out to examine the fine structure of matrix vesicles in order to visualize the features of the consequent stages of their calcification in arteries. In the present work, a high resolution ultrastructural analysis has been employed and the study revealed that matrix vesicles in human atherosclerotic lesions are heterogeneous with two main types which we classified. Type I calcified vesicles were presented by vesicles surrounded by two electron-dense layers and these vesicles were found to be resistant to the calcification process in atherosclerotic lesions in situ. Type II matrix vesicles were presented by vesicles surrounded by several electron-dense layers and these vesicles were found to represent calcifying vesicles in atherosclerotic lesions. To test the hypothesis that calcification of matrix vesicles surrounded by multilayer sheets may occur simply as a physicochemical process, independently from the cell regulation, we produced multilamellar liposomes and induced their calcification in vitro in a manner similar to that occurring in matrix vesicles in atherosclerotic lesions in situ.

  11. Location matters: the endoplasmic reticulum and protein trafficking in dendrites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omar A Ramírez

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Neurons are highly polarized, but the trafficking mechanisms that operate in these cells and the topological organization of their secretory organelles are still poorly understood. Particularly incipient is our knowledge of the role of the neuronal endoplasmic reticulum. Here we review the current understanding of the endoplasmic reticulum in neurons, its structure, composition, dendritic distribution and dynamics. We also focus on the trafficking of proteins through the dendritic endoplasmic reticulum, emphasizing the relevance of transport, retention, assembly of multi-subunit protein complexes and export. We additionally discuss the roles of the dendritic endoplasmic reticulum in synaptic plasticity.

  12. Morphological and Biochemical Characterization of Bovine Congenital Psudomyotonia

    OpenAIRE

    Dorotea, Tiziano

    2015-01-01

    The Ca2+-ATPase of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum (SERCA) is a protein of about 110 kDa member of the P-type ATPases family. SERCA pumps utilize the energy derived from the hydrolysis of a molecule of ATP to transport two Ca2+ ions across the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR) membrane to decrease the Ca2+ concentration in the cytosol. SERCA isoform 1a (SERCA1a) is the mainly expressed isoform in adult fast-twitch muscle fibre and it is both structurally and functionally the best characterized member ...

  13. Vesicles Are Persistent Features of Different Plastids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindquist, Emelie; Solymosi, Katalin; Aronsson, Henrik

    2016-10-01

    Peripheral vesicles in plastids have been observed repeatedly, primarily in proplastids and developing chloroplasts, in which they are suggested to function in thylakoid biogenesis. Previous observations of vesicles in mature chloroplasts have mainly concerned low temperature pretreated plants occasionally treated with inhibitors blocking vesicle fusion. Here, we show that such vesicle-like structures occur not only in chloroplasts and proplastids, but also in etioplasts, etio-chloroplasts, leucoplasts, chromoplasts and even transforming desiccoplasts without any specific pretreatment. Observations are made both in C3 and C4 species, in different cell types (meristematic, epidermis, mesophyll, bundle sheath and secretory cells) and different organs (roots, stems, leaves, floral parts and fruits). Until recently not much focus has been given to the idea that vesicle transport in chloroplasts could be mediated by proteins, but recent data suggest that the vesicle system of chloroplasts has similarities with the cytosolic coat protein complex II system. All current data taken together support the idea of an ongoing, active and protein-mediated vesicle transport not only in chloroplasts but also in other plastids, obviously occurring regardless of chemical modifications, temperature and plastid developmental stage. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Pannexin2 oligomers localize in the membranes of endosomal vesicles in mammalian cells while Pannexin1 channels traffic to the plasma membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boassa, Daniela; Nguyen, Phuong; Hu, Junru; Ellisman, Mark H; Sosinsky, Gina E

    2014-01-01

    Pannexin2 (Panx2) is the largest of three members of the pannexin proteins. Pannexins are topologically related to connexins and innexins, but serve different functional roles than forming gap junctions. We previously showed that pannexins form oligomeric channels but unlike connexins and innexins, they form only single membrane channels. High levels of Panx2 mRNA and protein in the Central Nervous System (CNS) have been documented. Whereas Pannexin1 (Panx1) is fairly ubiquitous and Pannexin3 (Panx3) is found in skin and connective tissue, both are fully glycosylated, traffic to the plasma membrane and have functions correlated with extracellular ATP release. Here, we describe trafficking and subcellular localizations of exogenous Panx2 and Panx1 protein expression in MDCK, HeLa, and HEK 293T cells as well as endogenous Panx1 and Panx2 patterns in the CNS. Panx2 was found in intracellular localizations, was partially N-glycosylated, and localizations were non-overlapping with Panx1. Confocal images of hippocampal sections immunolabeled for the astrocytic protein GFAP, Panx1 and Panx2 demonstrated that the two isoforms, Panx1 and Panx2, localized at different subcellular compartments in both astrocytes and neurons. Using recombinant fusions of Panx2 with appended genetic tags developed for correlated light and electron microscopy and then expressed in different cell lines, we determined that Panx2 is localized in the membrane of intracellular vesicles and not in the endoplasmic reticulum as initially indicated by calnexin colocalization experiments. Dual immunofluorescence imaging with protein markers for specific vesicle compartments showed that Panx2 vesicles are early endosomal in origin. In electron tomographic volumes, cross-sections of these vesicles displayed fine structural details and close proximity to actin filaments. Thus, pannexins expressed at different subcellular compartments likely exert distinct functional roles, particularly in the nervous system.

  15. Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Different Model Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quan Gan

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Neurotransmission in complex animals depends on a choir of functionally distinct synapses releasing neurotransmitters in a highly coordinated manner. During synaptic signaling, vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane to release their contents. The rate of vesicle fusion is high and can exceed the rate at which synaptic vesicles can be re-supplied by distant sources. Thus, local compensatory endocytosis is needed to replenish the synaptic vesicle pools. Over the last four decades, various experimental methods and model systems have been used to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic vesicle cycle. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is thought to be the predominant mechanism for synaptic vesicle recycling. However, recent studies suggest significant contribution from other modes of endocytosis, including fast compensatory endocytosis, activity-dependent bulk endocytosis, ultrafast endocytosis, as well as kiss-and-run. Currently, it is not clear whether a universal model of vesicle recycling exist for all types of synapses. It is possible that each synapse type employs a particular mode of endocytosis. Alternatively, multiple modes of endocytosis operate at the same synapse, and the synapse toggles between different modes depending on its activity level. Here we compile review and research articles based on well-characterized model systems: frog neuromuscular junctions, C. elegans neuromuscular junctions, Drosophila neuromuscular junctions, lamprey reticulospinal giant axons, goldfish retinal ribbon synapses, the calyx of Held, and rodent hippocampal synapses. We will compare these systems in terms of their known modes and kinetics of synaptic vesicle endocytosis, as well as the underlying molecular machineries. We will also provide the future development of this field.

  16. Additive effects on the energy barrier for synaptic vesicle fusion cause supralinear effects on the vesicle fusion rate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schotten, Sebastiaan; Meijer, Marieke; Walter, Alexander Matthias

    2015-01-01

    supralinear effects on the fusion rate. To test this prediction experimentally, we developed a method to assess the number of releasable vesicles, rate constants for vesicle priming, unpriming, and fusion, and the activation energy for fusion by fitting a vesicle state model to synaptic responses induced......-linear effects of genetic/pharmacological perturbations on synaptic transmission and a novel interpretation of the cooperative nature of Ca2+-dependent release....

  17. C[sub 10]-O[sub eq]-N-(4-azido-5-[sup 125]iodo salicyloyl)-[beta]-alanyl-[beta] alanyl ryanodine (Az-[beta]AR), a novel photo-affinity ligand for the ryanodine binding site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bidasee, K.R.; Besch, H.R. Jr.; Kwon, Sangyeol; Emmick, J.T.; Besch, K.T.; Gerzon, Koert; Humerickhouse, R.A. (Indiana Univ., Indianapolis, IN (United States). School of Medicine)

    1994-01-01

    A high affinity, photoactivatable, radio-iodinated ligand for the ryanodine binding site(s) of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium-release channel, C[sub 10]-O[sub e]-N-(4-azido-5-[sup 125]iodo salicyloyl)-[beta]-alanyl-[beta]-alanyl ryanodine (Az-[beta]AR), was synthesized at a specific activity of 1400mCi/mmol. (Author).

  18. Extracellular vesicles: Exosomes, microvesicles, and friends

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Raposo, G.; Stoorvogel, W.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/074352385

    2013-01-01

    Cells release into the extracellular environment diverse types of membrane vesicles of endosomal and plasma membrane origin called exosomes and microvesicles, respectively. These extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent an important mode of intercellular communication by serving as vehicles for

  19. Slow sedimentation and deformability of charged lipid vesicles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iván Rey Suárez

    Full Text Available The study of vesicles in suspension is important to understand the complicated dynamics exhibited by cells in in vivo and in vitro. We developed a computer simulation based on the boundary-integral method to model the three dimensional gravity-driven sedimentation of charged vesicles towards a flat surface. The membrane mechanical behavior was modeled using the Helfrich Hamiltonian and near incompressibility of the membrane was enforced via a model which accounts for the thermal fluctuations of the membrane. The simulations were verified and compared to experimental data obtained using suspended vesicles labelled with a fluorescent probe, which allows visualization using fluorescence microscopy and confers the membrane with a negative surface charge. The electrostatic interaction between the vesicle and the surface was modeled using the linear Derjaguin approximation for a low ionic concentration solution. The sedimentation rate as a function of the distance of the vesicle to the surface was determined both experimentally and from the computer simulations. The gap between the vesicle and the surface, as well as the shape of the vesicle at equilibrium were also studied. It was determined that inclusion of the electrostatic interaction is fundamental to accurately predict the sedimentation rate as the vesicle approaches the surface and the size of the gap at equilibrium, we also observed that the presence of charge in the membrane increases its rigidity.

  20. Bubble-induced microstreaming: guiding and destroying lipid vesicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marmottant, Philippe; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

    2002-11-01

    Micron-sized bubbles respond with strong oscillations when submitted to ultrasound. This has led to their use as echographic contrast enhancers. The large energy and force densities generated by the collapsing bubbles also make them non-invasive mechanical tools: Recently, it has been reported that the interaction of cavitating bubbles with nearby cells can render the latter permeable to large molecules (sonoporation), suggesting prospects for drug delivery and gene transfection. We have developed a laboratory setup that allows for a controlled study of the interaction of single microbubbles with single lipid bilayer vesicles. Substituting vesicles for cell membranes is advantageous because the mechanical properties of vesicles are well-known. Microscopic observations reveal that vesicles near a bubble follow the vivid streaming motion set up by the bubble. The vesicles "bounce" off the bubble, being periodically accelerated towards and away from it, and undergo well-defined shape deformations along their trajectory in accordance with fluid-dynamical theory. Break-up of vesicles could also be observed.

  1. A conformation-specific interhelical salt bridge in the K+ binding site of gastric H,K-ATPase

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koenderink, J.B.; Swarts, H.G.P.; Willems, P.H.G.M.; Krieger, E.; Pont, J.J.H.H.M. de

    2004-01-01

    Homology modeling of gastric H, K-ATPase based on the E-2 model of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (Toyoshima, C., and Nomura, H. (2002) Nature 392, 835-839) revealed the presence of a single high-affinity binding site for K+ and an E-2 form-specific salt bridge between Glu(820) (M6) and Lys(791)

  2. A conformation-specific interhelical salt bridge in the K+ binding site of gastric H,K-ATPase.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koenderink, J.B.; Swarts, H.G.P.; Willems, P.H.G.M.; Krieger, E.; Pont, J.J.H.H.M. de

    2004-01-01

    Homology modeling of gastric H,K-ATPase based on the E2 model of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (Toyoshima, C., and Nomura, H. (2002) Nature 392, 835-839) revealed the presence of a single high-affinity binding site for K+ and an E2 form-specific salt bridge between Glu820 (M6) and Lys791 (M5).

  3. Spontaneous transfer of ganglioside GM1 between phospholipid vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, R.E.; Thompson, T.E.

    1987-01-01

    The transfer kinetics of the negatively charged glycosphingolipid II 3 -N-acetylneuraminosyl-gangliotetraosylceramide (GM 1 ) were investigated by monitoring tritiated GM 1 movement between donor and acceptor vesicles. After appropriate incubation times at 45 0 C, donor and acceptor vesicles were separated by molecular sieve chromatography. Donors were small unilamellar vesicles produced by sonication, whereas acceptors were large unilamellar vesicles produced by either fusion or ethanol injection. Initial GM 1 transfer to acceptors followed first-order kinetics with a half-time of about 40 h assuming that GM 1 is present in equal mole fractions in the exterior and interior surfaces of the donor vesicle bilayer and that no glycolipid flip-flop occurs. GM 1 net transfer was calculated relative to that of [ 14 C]cholesteryl oleate, which served as a nontransferable marker in the donor vesicles. Factors affecting the GM 1 interbilayer transfer rate included phospholipid matrix composition, initial GM 1 concentration in donor vesicles, and the GM 1 distribution in donor vesicles with respect to total lipid symmetry. The findings provide evidence that GM 1 is molecularly dispersed at low concentrations within liquid-crystalline phospholipid bilayers

  4. ABC Triblock Copolymer Vesicles with Mesh-like Morphology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wei; Russell, Thomas; Grason, Gregory

    2010-03-01

    Polymer vesicles can be made from poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-2-vinylpyridene) (PI-b-PS-b-P2VP) triblock copolymer under the confinement of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. It was found that these vesicles have well-defined, nanoscopic size and a microphase-separated hydrophobic core, comprised of PS and PI blocks. Vesicle formation was tracked using both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A mesh-like morphology formed in the core at a well-defined composition of three blocks. Confinement played an important role in generating these vesicles with such an unusual morphology.

  5. Hybrid, Nanoscale Phospholipid/Block Copolymer Vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Liedberg

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Hybrid phospholipid/block copolymer vesicles, in which the polymeric membrane is blended with phospholipids, display interesting self-assembly behavior, incorporating the robustness and chemical versatility of polymersomes with the softness and biocompatibility of liposomes. Such structures can be conveniently characterized by preparing giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs via electroformation. Here, we are interested in exploring the self-assembly and properties of the analogous nanoscale hybrid vesicles (ca. 100 nm in diameter of the same composition prepared by film-hydration and extrusion. We show that the self-assembly and content-release behavior of nanoscale polybutadiene-b-poly(ethylene oxide (PB-PEO/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC hybrid phospholipid/block copolymer vesicles can be tuned by the mixing ratio of the amphiphiles. In brief, these hybrids may provide alternative tools for drug delivery purposes and molecular imaging/sensing applications and clearly open up new avenues for further investigation.

  6. Genetically Controlled Fusion, Exocytosis and Fission of Artificial Vesicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bönzli, Eva; Hadorn, Maik; De Lucrezia, Davide

    if a special class of viral proteins, termed fusogenic peptides, were added to the external medium. In the present work, we intend to develop genetically controlled fusion, fission and exocytosis of vesicles by the synthesis of peptides within vesicles. First, we enclosed synthesized peptides in vesicles...... to induce in a next step fusion of adjacent vesicles, fission and exocytosis of nested vesicles. Second, we will replace the peptides by an enclosed cell-free expression system to internally synthesize fusion peptides. To control the gene expression, different mechanisms are available, e.g. addition...... fusion, fission and exocytosis....

  7. Primary vesicles, vesicle-rich segregation structures and recognition of primary and secondary porosities in lava flows from the Paraná igneous province, southern Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barreto, Carla Joana S.; de Lima, Evandro F.; Goldberg, Karin

    2017-04-01

    This study focuses on a volcanic succession of pāhoehoe to rubbly lavas of the Paraná-Etendeka Province exposed in a single road profile in southernmost Brazil. This work provides an integrated approach for examining primary vesicles and vesicle-rich segregation structures at the mesoscopic scale. In addition, this study provides a quantitative analysis of pore types in thin section. We documented distinct distribution patterns of vesicle and vesicle-rich segregation structures according to lava thickness. In compound pāhoehoe lavas, the cooling allows only vesicles (pipe vesicles to be frozen into place. In inflated pāhoehoe lavas, vesicles of different sizes are common, including pipe vesicles, and also segregation structures such as proto-cylinders, cylinders, cylinder sheets, vesicle sheets, and pods. In rubbly lavas, only vesicles of varying sizes occur. Gas release from melt caused the formation of primary porosity, while hydrothermal alteration and tectonic fracturing are the main processes that generated secondary porosity. Although several forms of porosity were created in the basaltic lava flows, the precipitation of secondary minerals within the pores has tended to reduce the original porosities. Late-stage fractures could create efficient channel networks for possible hydrocarbon/groundwater migration and entrapment owing to their ability to connect single pores. Quantitative permeability data should be gathered in future studies to confirm the potential of these lavas for store hydrocarbons or groundwater.

  8. Synaptic vesicle distribution by conveyor belt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moughamian, Armen J; Holzbaur, Erika L F

    2012-03-02

    The equal distribution of synaptic vesicles among synapses along the axon is critical for robust neurotransmission. Wong et al. show that the continuous circulation of synaptic vesicles throughout the axon driven by molecular motors ultimately yields this even distribution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. A scenario for a genetically controlled fission of artificial vesicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bönzli, Eva; Hadorn, Maik; Jørgensen, Mikkel Girke

    2011-01-01

    to vesicles (Hanczyc et al. 2003). In the present work, we developed a scenario how a genetically controlled fission of vesicles may be achieved by the synthesis of a special class of viral proteins within artificial vesicles. Because the authors already have a lot of experience in the water-in-oil emulsion...... be incorporated into vesicles, and therefore allow the synthesis of a large number of proteins (Noireaux et al. 2005). However, vesicle fission remains one of the upcoming challenges in the artificial cell project (Noireaux et al. 2011). So far, vesicle fission is implemented by applying mechanical stress...

  10. Molecular characterization of exosome-like vesicles from breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruger, Stefan; Elmageed, Zakaria Y Abd; Hawke, David H; Wörner, Philipp M; Jansen, David A; Abdel-Mageed, Asim B; Alt, Eckhard U; Izadpanah, Reza

    2014-01-01

    Membrane vesicles released by neoplastic cells into extracellular medium contain potential of carrying arrays of oncogenic molecules including proteins and microRNAs (miRNA). Extracellular (exosome-like) vesicles play a major role in cell-to-cell communication. Thus, the characterization of proteins and miRNAs of exosome-like vesicles is imperative in clarifying intercellular signaling as well as identifying disease markers. Exosome-like vesicles were isolated using gradient centrifugation from MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 cultures. Proteomic profiling of vesicles using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed different protein profiles of exosome-like vesicles derived from MCF-7 cells (MCF-Exo) than those from MDA-MB 231 cells (MDA-Exo). The protein database search has identified 88 proteins in MDA-Exo and 59 proteins from MCF-Exo. Analysis showed that among all, 27 proteins were common between the two exosome-like vesicle types. Additionally, MDA-Exo contains a higher amount of matrix-metalloproteinases, which might be linked to the enhanced metastatic property of MDA-MB 231 cells. In addition, microarray analysis identified several oncogenic miRNA between the two types vesicles. Identification of the oncogenic factors in exosome-like vesicles is important since such vesicles could convey signals to non-malignant cells and could have an implication in tumor progression and metastasis

  11. Astrocytic Vesicle Mobility in Health and Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Zorec

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Astrocytes are no longer considered subservient to neurons, and are, instead, now understood to play an active role in brain signaling. The intercellular communication of astrocytes with neurons and other non-neuronal cells involves the exchange of molecules by exocytotic and endocytotic processes through the trafficking of intracellular vesicles. Recent studies of single vesicle mobility in astrocytes have prompted new views of how astrocytes contribute to information processing in nervous tissue. Here, we review the trafficking of several types of membrane-bound vesicles that are specifically involved in the processes of (i intercellular communication by gliotransmitters (glutamate, adenosine 5'-triphosphate, atrial natriuretic peptide, (ii plasma membrane exchange of transporters and receptors (EAAT2, MHC-II, and (iii the involvement of vesicle mobility carrying aquaporins (AQP4 in water homeostasis. The properties of vesicle traffic in astrocytes are discussed in respect to networking with neighboring cells in physiologic and pathologic conditions, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and states in which astrocytes contribute to neuroinflammatory conditions.

  12. EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES: CLASSIFICATION, FUNCTIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Oberemko

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This review presents a generalized definition of vesicles as bilayer extracellular organelles of all celular forms of life: not only eu-, but also prokaryotic. The structure and composition of extracellular vesicles, history of research, nomenclature, their impact on life processes in health and disease are discussed. Moreover, vesicles may be useful as clinical instruments for biomarkers, and they are promising as biotechnological drug. However, many questions in this area are still unresolved and need to be addressed in the future. The most interesting from the point of view of practical health care represents a direction to study the effect of exosomes and microvesicles in the development and progression of a particular disease, the possibility of adjusting the pathological process by means of extracellular vesicles of a particular type, acting as an active ingredient. Relevant is the further elucidation of the role and importance of exosomes to the surrounding cells, tissues and organs at the molecular level, the prospects for the use of non-cellular vesicles as biomarkers of disease.

  13. Hierarchical unilamellar vesicles of controlled compositional heterogeneity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maik Hadorn

    Full Text Available Eukaryotic life contains hierarchical vesicular architectures (i.e. organelles that are crucial for material production and trafficking, information storage and access, as well as energy production. In order to perform specific tasks, these compartments differ among each other in their membrane composition and their internal cargo and also differ from the cell membrane and the cytosol. Man-made structures that reproduce this nested architecture not only offer a deeper understanding of the functionalities and evolution of organelle-bearing eukaryotic life but also allow the engineering of novel biomimetic technologies. Here, we show the newly developed vesicle-in-water-in-oil emulsion transfer preparation technique to result in giant unilamellar vesicles internally compartmentalized by unilamellar vesicles of different membrane composition and internal cargo, i.e. hierarchical unilamellar vesicles of controlled compositional heterogeneity. The compartmentalized giant unilamellar vesicles were subsequently isolated by a separation step exploiting the heterogeneity of the membrane composition and the encapsulated cargo. Due to the controlled, efficient, and technically straightforward character of the new preparation technique, this study allows the hierarchical fabrication of compartmentalized giant unilamellar vesicles of controlled compositional heterogeneity and will ease the development of eukaryotic cell mimics that resemble their natural templates as well as the fabrication of novel multi-agent drug delivery systems for combination therapies and complex artificial microreactors.

  14. Ganglioside GM1 spontaneous transfer between phospholipid vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, R.E.; Sugar, I.P.; Thompson, T.E.

    1986-01-01

    The transfer kinetics of the monosiaylated glycosphingolipid, GM 1 , between different size phospholipid vesicles was measured using molecular sieve chromatography. At desired time intervals, small unilamellar donor vesicles were separated from large unilamellar acceptor vesicles by elution from a Sephacryl S-500 column [ 3 H]-GM 1 net transfer was calculated relative to [ 14 C]-cholesteryl oleate, which served as a nontransferable marker in the donor vesicles. The initial GM 1 transfer rate between 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles at 45 0 C deviated slightly from first order kinetics and possessed a half time of 3.6 days. This transfer half time is an order of magnitude shorter than that observed from the desiaylated derivative of GM 1 . The transfer kinetics are consistent with the authors recent electron microscopic results suggesting a molecular distribution of GM 1 in liquid-crystalline phosphatidylcholine bilayers

  15. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance studies of sarcoplasmic oxygenation in the red cell-perfused rat heart

    OpenAIRE

    Jelicks, L.A.; Wittenberg, B.A.

    1995-01-01

    The proximal histidine N delta H proton of deoxymyoglobin experiences a large hyperfine shift resulting in its 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal appearing at approximately 76 ppm (at 35 degrees C), downfield of the diamagnetic spectral region. 1H NMR of this proton is used to monitor sarcoplasmic oxygen pressure in isolated perfused rat heart. This method monitors intracellular oxygenation in the whole heart and does not reflect oxygenation in a limited region. The deoxymyoglobin res...

  16. Low-resolution simulations of vesicle suspensions in 2D

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kabacaoğlu, Gökberk; Quaife, Bryan; Biros, George

    2018-03-01

    Vesicle suspensions appear in many biological and industrial applications. These suspensions are characterized by rich and complex dynamics of vesicles due to their interaction with the bulk fluid, and their large deformations and nonlinear elastic properties. Many existing state-of-the-art numerical schemes can resolve such complex vesicle flows. However, even when using provably optimal algorithms, these simulations can be computationally expensive, especially for suspensions with a large number of vesicles. These high computational costs can limit the use of simulations for parameter exploration, optimization, or uncertainty quantification. One way to reduce the cost is to use low-resolution discretizations in space and time. However, it is well-known that simply reducing the resolution results in vesicle collisions, numerical instabilities, and often in erroneous results. In this paper, we investigate the effect of a number of algorithmic empirical fixes (which are commonly used by many groups) in an attempt to make low-resolution simulations more stable and more predictive. Based on our empirical studies for a number of flow configurations, we propose a scheme that attempts to integrate these fixes in a systematic way. This low-resolution scheme is an extension of our previous work [51,53]. Our low-resolution correction algorithms (LRCA) include anti-aliasing and membrane reparametrization for avoiding spurious oscillations in vesicles' membranes, adaptive time stepping and a repulsion force for handling vesicle collisions and, correction of vesicles' area and arc-length for maintaining physical vesicle shapes. We perform a systematic error analysis by comparing the low-resolution simulations of dilute and dense suspensions with their high-fidelity, fully resolved, counterparts. We observe that the LRCA enables both efficient and statistically accurate low-resolution simulations of vesicle suspensions, while it can be 10× to 100× faster.

  17. Seminal vesicle intrafraction motion analysed with cinematic magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gill, Suki; Dang, Kim; Fox, Chris; Bressel, Mathias; Kron, Tomas; Bergen, Noelene; Ferris, Nick; Owen, Rebecca; Chander, Sarat; Tai, Keen Hun; Foroudi, Farshad

    2014-01-01

    This study analyses seminal vesicle displacement relative to the prostate and in relation to treatment time. A group of eleven patients undergoing prostate cancer radiotherapy were imaged with a continuous 3 T cine-MRI in the standard treatment setup position. Four images were recorded every 4 seconds for 15 minutes in the sagittal plane and every 6.5 seconds for 12 minutes in the coronal plane. The prostate gland and seminal vesicles were contoured on each MRI image. The coordinates of the centroid of the prostate and seminal vesicles on each image was analysed for displacement against time. Displacements between the 2.5 percentile and 97.5 percentile (i.e. the 2.5% trimmed range) for prostate and seminal vesicle centroid displacements were measured for 3, 5, 10 and 15 minutes time intervals in the anterior-posterior (AP), left-right (LR) and superior-inferior (SI) directions. Real time prostate and seminal vesicle displacement was compared for individual patients. The 2.5% trimmed range for 3, 5, 10 and 15 minutes for the seminal vesicle centroids in the SI direction measured 4.7 mm; 5.8 mm; 6.5 mm and 7.2 mm respectively. In the AP direction, it was 4.0 mm, 4.5 mm, 6.5 mm, and 7.0 mm. In the LR direction for 3, 5 and 10 minutes; for the left seminal vesicle, it was 2.7 mm, 2.8 mm, 3.4 mm and for the right seminal vesicle, it was 3.4 mm, 3.3 mm, and 3.4 mm. The correlation between the real-time prostate and seminal vesicle displacement varied substantially between patients indicating that the relationship between prostate displacement and seminal vesicles displacement is patient specific with the majority of the patients not having a strong relationship. Our study shows that seminal vesicle motion increases with treatment time, and that the prostate and seminal vesicle centroids do not move in unison in real time, and that an additional margin is required for independent seminal vesicle motion if treatment localisation is to the prostate

  18. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles launches the first massive open online course on extracellular vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lässer, Cecilia; Théry, Clotilde; Buzás, Edit I; Mathivanan, Suresh; Zhao, Weian; Gho, Yong Song; Lötvall, Jan

    2016-01-01

    The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) has organised its first educational online course for students and beginners in the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs). This course, "Basics of Extracellular Vesicles," uses recorded lectures from experts in the field and will be open for an unlimited number of participants. The course is divided into 5 modules and can be accessed at www.coursera.org/learn/extracellular-vesicles. The first module is an introduction to the field covering the nomenclature and history of EVs. Module 2 focuses on the biogenesis and uptake mechanisms of EVs, as well as their RNA, protein and lipid cargo. Module 3 covers the collection and processing of cell culture media and body fluids such as blood, breast milk, cerebrospinal fluid and urine prior to isolation of EVs. Modules 4 and 5 present different isolation methods and characterisation techniques utilised in the EV field. Here, differential ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion chromatography, density gradient centrifugation, kit-based precipitation, electron microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, flow cytometry, atomic-force microscopy and nanoparticle-tracking analysis are covered. This first massive open online course (MOOC) on EVs was launched on 15 August 2016 at the platform "Coursera" and is free of charge.

  19. Ca2+-dependent mobility of vesicles capturing anti-VGLUT1 antibodies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stenovec, Matjaz; Kreft, Marko; Grilc, Sonja; Potokar, Maja; Kreft, Mateja Erdani; Pangrsic, Tina; Zorec, Robert

    2007-01-01

    Several aspects of secretory vesicle cycle have been studied in the past, but vesicle trafficking in relation to the fusion site is less well understood. In particular, the mobility of recaptured vesicles that traffic back toward the central cytoplasm is still poorly defined. We exposed astrocytes to antibodies against the vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1), a marker of glutamatergic vesicles, to fluorescently label vesicles undergoing Ca 2+ -dependent exocytosis and examined their number, fluorescence intensity, and mobility by confocal microscopy. In nonstimulated cells, immunolabeling revealed discrete fluorescent puncta, indicating that VGLUT1 vesicles, which are approximately 50 nm in diameter, cycle slowly between the plasma membrane and the cytoplasm. When the cytosolic Ca 2+ level was raised with ionomycin, the number and fluorescence intensity of the puncta increased, likely because the VGLUT1 epitopes were more accessible to the extracellularly applied antibodies following Ca 2+ -triggered exocytosis. In nonstimulated cells, the mobility of labeled vesicles was limited. In stimulated cells, many vesicles exhibited directional mobility that was abolished by cytoskeleton-disrupting agents, indicating dependence on intact cytoskeleton. Our findings show that postfusion vesicle mobility is regulated and may likely play a role in synaptic vesicle cycle, and also more generally in the genesis and removal of endocytic vesicles

  20. Minimal experimental requirements for definition of extracellular vesicles and their functions: a position statement from the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lötvall, Jan; Hill, Andrew F; Hochberg, Fred; Buzás, Edit I; Di Vizio, Dolores; Gardiner, Christopher; Gho, Yong Song; Kurochkin, Igor V; Mathivanan, Suresh; Quesenberry, Peter; Sahoo, Susmita; Tahara, Hidetoshi; Wauben, Marca H; Witwer, Kenneth W; Théry, Clotilde

    2014-01-01

    Secreted membrane-enclosed vesicles, collectively called extracellular vesicles (EVs), which include exosomes, ectosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, apoptotic bodies and other EV subsets, encompass a very rapidly growing scientific field in biology and medicine. Importantly, it is currently technically challenging to obtain a totally pure EV fraction free from non-vesicular components for functional studies, and therefore there is a need to establish guidelines for analyses of these vesicles and reporting of scientific studies on EV biology. Here, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) provides researchers with a minimal set of biochemical, biophysical and functional standards that should be used to attribute any specific biological cargo or functions to EVs.

  1. Calmodulin stimulation of calcium transport in carrot microsomal vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pierce, W.S.; Sze, H.

    1987-01-01

    ATP-dependent 45 Ca 2+ uptake into microsomal vesicles isolated from cultured carrot cells (Daucus carota Danvers) was stimulated 2-3 fold by 5 ug/ml calmodulin (CaM). Microsomal vesicles separated with a linear sucrose gradient showed two peaks with CaM-stimulated Ca 2+ uptake activities. One peak (at 1.12 g/cc) comigrated with the activity of the antimycin A-insensitive NADH-dependent cytochrome c reductase. This transport activity was enhanced 10-20 fold by 10 mM oxalate and appeared to be associates with vesicles derived primarily from the ER. The other peak of CaM-stimulated Ca 2+ uptake (at 1.17 g/cc) was not affected by oxalate. These vesicles are probably derived from the plasma membrane. Preliminary experiments with the low-density vesicles (ER) vesicles, indicate that inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate caused a transient reduction in intravesicular Ca 2+ . These results are consistent with the ER being an important site of intracellular Ca 2+ regulation

  2. Prediction of endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins using fragmented amino acid composition and support vector machine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravindra Kumar

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background The endoplasmic reticulum plays an important role in many cellular processes, which includes protein synthesis, folding and post-translational processing of newly synthesized proteins. It is also the site for quality control of misfolded proteins and entry point of extracellular proteins to the secretory pathway. Hence at any given point of time, endoplasmic reticulum contains two different cohorts of proteins, (i proteins involved in endoplasmic reticulum-specific function, which reside in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum, called as endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins and (ii proteins which are in process of moving to the extracellular space. Thus, endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins must somehow be distinguished from newly synthesized secretory proteins, which pass through the endoplasmic reticulum on their way out of the cell. Approximately only 50% of the proteins used in this study as training data had endoplasmic reticulum retention signal, which shows that these signals are not essentially present in all endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins. This also strongly indicates the role of additional factors in retention of endoplasmic reticulum-specific proteins inside the endoplasmic reticulum. Methods This is a support vector machine based method, where we had used different forms of protein features as inputs for support vector machine to develop the prediction models. During training leave-one-out approach of cross-validation was used. Maximum performance was obtained with a combination of amino acid compositions of different part of proteins. Results In this study, we have reported a novel support vector machine based method for predicting endoplasmic reticulum resident proteins, named as ERPred. During training we achieved a maximum accuracy of 81.42% with leave-one-out approach of cross-validation. When evaluated on independent dataset, ERPred did prediction with sensitivity of 72.31% and specificity of 83

  3. Cardiac function improved by sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase overexpression in a heart failure model induced by chronic myocardial ischemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei XIN

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective Chronic myocardial ischemia(CMI has become an important cause of heart failure(HF.The aim of present study was to examine the effects of Sarco-endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase(SERCA2a gene transfer in HF model in large animal induced by CMI.Methods HF was reproduced in minipigs by ligating the initial segment of proximal left anterior descending(LAD coronary artery with an ameroid constrictor to produce progressive vessel occlusion and ischemia.After confirmation of myocardial perfusion defect and cardiac function impairment by SPECT and echocardiography in the model,animals were divided into 4 groups: HF group;HF+enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP group;HF+SERCA2a group;and sham operation group as control.rAAV1-EGFP and rAAV1-SERCA2a(1×1012 vg for each animal were directly and intramyocardially injected to the animals of HF+EGFP and HF+SERCA2a groups.Sixty days after the gene transfer,the expression of SERCA2a at the protein level was examined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry,the changes in cardiac function were determined by echocardiographic and hemodynamic analysis,and the changes in serum inflammatory and neuro-hormonal factors(including BNP,TNF-a,IL-6,ET-1 and Ang II were determined by radioimmunoassay.Results Sixty days after gene transfer,LVEF,Ev/Av and ±dp/dtmax increased significantly(P < 0.05,along with an increase of SERCA2a protein expression in the ischemic myocardium(PP < 0.05,accompanied by a significant decrease of inflammatory and neural-hormonal factors(PP < 0.05 in HF+SERCA2a group as compared with HF/HF+EGFP group.Conclusions Overexpression of SERCA2a may significantly improve the cardiac function of the ischemic myocardium of HF model induced by CMI and reverse the activation of neural-hormonal factors,implying that it has a potential therapeutic significance in CMI related heart failure.

  4. Deformation of phospholipid vesicles in an optical stretcher

    OpenAIRE

    Delabre , Ulysse; Feld , Kasper; Crespo , Eleonore; Whyte , Graeme; Sykes , Cecile; Seifert , Udo; Guck , Jochen

    2015-01-01

    International audience; Phospholipid vesicles are common model systems for cell membranes. Important aspects of the membrane function relate to its mechanical properties. Here we have investigated the deformation behaviour of phospholipid vesicles in a dual-beam laser trap, also called an optical stretcher. This study explicitly makes use of the inherent heating present in such traps to investigate the dependence of vesicle deformation on temperature. By using lasers with different wavelength...

  5. Single-vesicle detection and analysis of peptide-induced membrane permeabilization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Kasper; Ehrlich, Nicky; Henriksen, Jonas Rosager

    2015-01-01

    The capability of membrane-active peptides to disrupt phospholipid membranes is often studied by investigating peptide-induced leakage of quenched fluorescent molecules from large unilamellar lipid vesicles. In this article, we explore two fluorescence microscopy-based single-vesicle detection...... methods as alternatives to the quenching-based assays for studying peptide-induced leakage from large unilamellar lipid vesicles. Specifically, we use fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to study the leakage of fluorescent molecules of different sizes from large unilamellar lipid vesicles...... dispersed in aqueous solution, and we use confocal imaging of surface-immobilized large unilamellar lipid vesicles to investigate whether there are heterogeneities in leakage between individual vesicles. Of importance, we design an experimental protocol that allows us to quantitatively correlate the results...

  6. Plasma membrane aquaporins mediates vesicle stability in broccoli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Del Carmen Martínez-Ballesta

    Full Text Available The use of in vitro membrane vesicles is attractive because of possible applications in therapies. Here we aimed to compare the stability and functionality of plasma membrane vesicles extracted from control and salt-treated broccoli. The impact of the amount of aquaporins was related to plasma membrane osmotic water permeability and the stability of protein secondary structure. Here, we describe for first time an increase in plant aquaporins acetylation under high salinity. Higher osmotic water permeability in NaCl vesicles has been related to higher acetylation, upregulation of aquaporins, and a more stable environment to thermal denaturation. Based on our findings, we propose that aquaporins play an important role in vesicle stability.

  7. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies of the secondary structure and thermal denaturation of CaATPase from rabbit skeletal muscle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaworsky, Mark; Brauner, Joseph W.; Mendelsohn, Richard

    Fourier transform i.r. spectroscopy has been used to monitor structural alterations induced by thermal denaturation of the intrinsic membrane protein CaATPase in aqueous media. The protein has been isolated, purified and studied in five forms: (i) In its native lipid environment after isolation from rabbit sarcoplasmic reticulum, both in H 2O and D 2O suspensions. (ii) After both mild and extensive tryptic digestion has cleaved those residues external to the membrane bilayer. (iii) Reconstituted in vesicle form with bovine brain sphingomyelin. Fourier deconvolution techniques have been used to enhance the resolution of the intrinsically overlapped Amide I and Amide II spectral regions. Large spectral alterations apparent in the deconvoluted spectra occur in these regions upon thermal denaturation of the protein which are consistent with the formation of a large proportion of β-antiparallel sheet form. The alteration parallels the loss in ATPase activity. A mild tryptic digestion increases slightly the proportion of α-helix and/or random coil secondary structure. A thermal transition to a form containing a high proportion of β structure is still evident. Extensive tryptic digestion nearly abolishes the alpha helical plus random coil secondary structure, while producing a high proportion of β form which is resistant to further thermally induced structural alterations. Studies of CaATPase reconstituted into vesicles with bovine brain sphingomyelin reveal a higher proportion of β structure than the native enzyme, with further introduction of β structure on thermal denaturation. Both the utility of deconvolution techniques and the necessity for caution in their application are apparent from the current experiments.

  8. Active elastohydrodynamics of vesicles in narrow blind constrictions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fai, T. G.; Kusters, R.; Harting, J.; Rycroft, C. H.; Mahadevan, L.

    2017-11-01

    Fluid-resistance limited transport of vesicles through narrow constrictions is a recurring theme in many biological and engineering applications. Inspired by the motor-driven movement of soft membrane-bound vesicles into closed neuronal dendritic spines, here we study this problem using a combination of passive three-dimensional simulations and a simplified semianalytical theory for the active transport of vesicles forced through constrictions by molecular motors. We show that the motion of these objects is characterized by two dimensionless quantities related to the geometry and to the strength of forcing relative to the vesicle elasticity. We use numerical simulations to characterize the transit time for a vesicle forced by fluid pressure through a constriction in a channel and find that relative to an open channel, transport into a blind end leads to the formation of a smaller forward-flowing lubrication layer that strongly impedes motion. When the fluid pressure forcing is complemented by forces due to molecular motors that are responsible for vesicle trafficking into dendritic spines, we find that the competition between motor forcing and fluid drag results in multistable dynamics reminiscent of the real system. Our study highlights the role of nonlocal hydrodynamic effects in determining the kinetics of vesicular transport in constricted geometries.

  9. Minimal experimental requirements for definition of extracellular vesicles and their functions: a position statement from the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Lötvall

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Secreted membrane-enclosed vesicles, collectively called extracellular vesicles (EVs, which include exosomes, ectosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, apoptotic bodies and other EV subsets, encompass a very rapidly growing scientific field in biology and medicine. Importantly, it is currently technically challenging to obtain a totally pure EV fraction free from non-vesicular components for functional studies, and therefore there is a need to establish guidelines for analyses of these vesicles and reporting of scientific studies on EV biology. Here, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV provides researchers with a minimal set of biochemical, biophysical and functional standards that should be used to attribute any specific biological cargo or functions to EVs.

  10. Membrane Protrusion Coarsening and Nanotubulation within Giant Unilamellar Vesicles

    KAUST Repository

    Węgrzyn, Ilona

    2011-11-16

    Hydrophobic side groups on a stimuli-responsive polymer, encapsulated within a single giant unilamellar vesicle, enable membrane attachment during compartment formation at elevated temperatures. We thermally modulated the vesicle through implementation of an IR laser via an optical fiber, enabling localized directed heating. Polymer-membrane interactions were monitored using confocal imaging techniques as subsequent membrane protrusions occurred and lipid nanotubes formed in response to the polymer hydrogel contraction. These nanotubes, bridging the vesicle membrane to the contracting hydrogel, were retained on the surface of the polymer compartment, where they were transformed into smaller vesicles in a process reminiscent of cellular endocytosis. This development of a synthetic vesicle system containing a stimuli-responsive polymer could lead to a new platform for studying inter/intramembrane transport through lipid nanotubes. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

  11. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles launches the first massive open online course on extracellular vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia Lässer

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV has organised its first educational online course for students and beginners in the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs. This course, “Basics of Extracellular Vesicles,” uses recorded lectures from experts in the field and will be open for an unlimited number of participants. The course is divided into 5 modules and can be accessed at www.coursera.org/learn/extracellular-vesicles. The first module is an introduction to the field covering the nomenclature and history of EVs. Module 2 focuses on the biogenesis and uptake mechanisms of EVs, as well as their RNA, protein and lipid cargo. Module 3 covers the collection and processing of cell culture media and body fluids such as blood, breast milk, cerebrospinal fluid and urine prior to isolation of EVs. Modules 4 and 5 present different isolation methods and characterisation techniques utilised in the EV field. Here, differential ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion chromatography, density gradient centrifugation, kit-based precipitation, electron microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, flow cytometry, atomic-force microscopy and nanoparticle-tracking analysis are covered. This first massive open online course (MOOC on EVs was launched on 15 August 2016 at the platform “Coursera” and is free of charge.

  12. ABC triblock copolymer vesicles with mesh-like morphology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wei; Chen, Dian; Hu, Yunxia; Grason, Gregory M; Russell, Thomas P

    2011-01-25

    Polymer vesicles made from poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine) (PI-b-PS-b-P2VP) triblock copolymer confined within the nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane are studied. It was found that these vesicles have well-defined, nanoscopic size, and complex microphase-separated hydrophobic membranes, comprised of the PS and PI blocks, while the coronas are formed by the P2VP block. Vesicle formation was tracked using both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A mesh-like morphology formed in the membrane at a well-defined composition of the three blocks that can be tuned by changing the copolymer composition. The nanoscale confinement, copolymer composition, and subtle molecular interactions contribute to the generation of these vesicles with such unusual morphologies.

  13. Vesicle interactions with polyamino acids and antibody: in vitro and in vivo studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunnick, J.K.; McDougall, I.R.; Aragon, S.; Goris, M.L.; Kriss, J.P.

    1975-01-01

    Artificial spherules or vesicles of 900 A in diameter formed from phosphatidylcholine and gangliosides and enclosing /sup 99m/TcO 4 - (standard preparation) survive intact in the circulation of the mouse. Polyamino acids and protein have been incorporated into and onto the vesicles; such vesicles remain intact as determined by diffusion dialysis studies and by electron paramagnetic resonance studies of vesicles enclosing spin label. In studying the distribution of polyamino acid-vesicles and protein vesicles in vivo, it was found that the latter distribute differently from standard vesicles or free protein alone whereas aromatic polyamino acid-vesicles concentrate in the liver and spleen to a greater extent than standard vesicles. The permeability and stability characteristics of vesicles may be preserved when they are modified by the addition of protein or polyamino acids and that such modification of vesicles may be associated with an alteration of their fate in vivo. The potential exists to use vesicles as carriers of radiopharmaceuticals and other drugs and to direct the vesicles preferentially to tissue targets in vivo. (U.S.)

  14. Host cell interactions of outer membrane vesicle-associated virulence factors of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157: Intracellular delivery, trafficking and mechanisms of cell injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greune, Lilo; Jarosch, Kevin-André; Steil, Daniel; Zhang, Wenlan; He, Xiaohua; Lloubes, Roland; Fruth, Angelika; Kim, Kwang Sik; Schmidt, M. Alexander; Dobrindt, Ulrich; Mellmann, Alexander; Karch, Helge

    2017-01-01

    Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are important tools in bacterial virulence but their role in the pathogenesis of infections caused by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157, the leading cause of life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome, is poorly understood. Using proteomics, electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy, immunoblotting, and bioassays, we investigated OMVs secreted by EHEC O157 clinical isolates for virulence factors cargoes, interactions with pathogenetically relevant human cells, and mechanisms of cell injury. We demonstrate that O157 OMVs carry a cocktail of key virulence factors of EHEC O157 including Shiga toxin 2a (Stx2a), cytolethal distending toxin V (CdtV), EHEC hemolysin, and flagellin. The toxins are internalized by cells via dynamin-dependent endocytosis of OMVs and differentially separate from vesicles during intracellular trafficking. Stx2a and CdtV-B, the DNase-like CdtV subunit, separate from OMVs in early endosomes. Stx2a is trafficked, in association with its receptor globotriaosylceramide within detergent-resistant membranes, to the Golgi complex and the endoplasmic reticulum from where the catalytic Stx2a A1 fragment is translocated to the cytosol. CdtV-B is, after its retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum, translocated to the nucleus to reach DNA. CdtV-A and CdtV-C subunits remain OMV-associated and are sorted with OMVs to lysosomes. EHEC hemolysin separates from OMVs in lysosomes and targets mitochondria. The OMV-delivered CdtV-B causes cellular DNA damage, which activates DNA damage responses leading to G2 cell cycle arrest. The arrested cells ultimately die of apoptosis induced by Stx2a and CdtV via caspase-9 activation. By demonstrating that naturally secreted EHEC O157 OMVs carry and deliver into cells a cocktail of biologically active virulence factors, thereby causing cell death, and by performing first comprehensive analysis of intracellular trafficking of OMVs and OMV-delivered virulence factors

  15. Calcium release-dependent inactivation precedes formation of the tubular system in developing rat cardiac myocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macková, Katarina; Zahradníková, Alexandra; Hoťka, Matej; Hoffmannová, Barbora; Zahradník, Ivan; Zahradníková, Alexandra

    2017-12-01

    Developing cardiac myocytes undergo substantial structural and functional changes transforming the mechanism of excitation-contraction coupling from the embryonic form, based on calcium influx through sarcolemmal DHPR calcium channels, to the adult form, relying on local calcium release through RYR calcium channels of sarcoplasmic reticulum stimulated by calcium influx. We characterized day-by-day the postnatal development of the structure of sarcolemma, using techniques of confocal fluorescence microscopy, and the development of the calcium current, measured by the whole-cell patch-clamp in isolated rat ventricular myocytes. We characterized the appearance and expansion of the t-tubule system and compared it with the appearance and progress of the calcium current inactivation induced by the release of calcium ions from sarcoplasmic reticulum as structural and functional measures of direct DHPR-RYR interaction. The release-dependent inactivation of calcium current preceded the development of the t-tubular system by several days, indicating formation of the first DHPR-RYR couplons at the surface sarcolemma and their later spreading close to contractile myofibrils with the growing t-tubules. Large variability of both of the measured parameters among individual myocytes indicates uneven maturation of myocytes within the growing myocardium.

  16. Vesicle dynamics in shear and capillary flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noguchi, Hiroshi; Gompper, Gerhard

    2005-01-01

    The deformation of vesicles in flow is studied by a mesoscopic simulation technique, which combines multi-particle collision dynamics for the solvent with a dynamically triangulated surface model for the membrane. Shape transitions are investigated both in simple shear flows and in cylindrical capillary flows. We focus on reduced volumes, where the discocyte shape of fluid vesicles is stable, and the prolate shape is metastable. In simple shear flow at low membrane viscosity, the shear induces a transformation from discocyte to prolate with increasing shear rate, while at high membrane viscosity, the shear induces a transformation from prolate to discocyte, or tumbling motion accompanied by oscillations between these two morphologies. In capillary flow, at small flow velocities the symmetry axis of the discocyte is found not to be oriented perpendicular to the cylinder axis. With increasing flow velocity, a transition to a prolate shape occurs for fluid vesicles, while vesicles with shear-elastic membranes (like red blood cells) transform into a coaxial parachute-like shape

  17. Sugar-based gemini surfactant with a vesicle-to-micelle transition at acidic pH and a reversible vesicle flocculation near neutral pH

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Johnsson, M; Wagenaar, A; Engberts, JBFN

    2003-01-01

    A sugar-based (reduced glucose) gemini surfactant forms vesicles in dilute aqueous solution near neutral pH. At lower pH, there is a vesicle-to-micelle transition within a narrow pH region (pH 6.0-5.6). The vesicles are transformed into large cylindrical micelles that in turn are transformed into

  18. Pulsed-laser polymerization in compartmentalized liquids. 1. Polymerization in vesicles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jung, M.; Casteren, van I.A.; Monteiro, M.J.; Herk, van A.M.; German, A.L.

    2000-01-01

    Polymerization in vesicles is a novel type of polymerization in heterogeneous media, leading to parachute-like vesicle-polymer hybrid morphologies. To explore the kinetics of vesicle polymerizations and to learn more about the actual locus of polymerization we applied the pulsed-laser polymerization

  19. Frequency-dependent electrodeformation of giant phospholipid vesicles in AC electric field

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    A model of vesicle electrodeformation is described which obtains a parametrized vesicle shape by minimizing the sum of the membrane bending energy and the energy due to the electric field. Both the vesicle membrane and the aqueous media inside and outside the vesicle are treated as leaky dielectrics, and the vesicle itself is modeled as a nearly spherical shape enclosed within a thin membrane. It is demonstrated (a) that the model achieves a good quantitative agreement with the experimentally determined prolate-to-oblate transition frequencies in the kilohertz range and (b) that the model can explain a phase diagram of shapes of giant phospholipid vesicles with respect to two parameters: the frequency of the applied alternating current electric field and the ratio of the electrical conductivities of the aqueous media inside and outside the vesicle, explored in a recent paper (S. Aranda et al., Biophys J 95:L19–L21, 2008). A possible use of the frequency-dependent shape transitions of phospholipid vesicles in conductometry of microliter samples is discussed. PMID:21886342

  20. Development and characterization of nanopore system for nano-vesicle analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Gaurav

    Nano-vesicles have recently attracted a lot of attention in research and medical communities and are very promising next-generation drug delivery vehicles. This is due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and their ability to protect drug cargo and deliver it to site-specific locations, while maintaining the desired pharmacokinetic profile. The interaction of these drug loaded vesicles with the recipient cells via adsorption, endocytosis or receptor mediated internalization involve significant bending and deformation and is governed by mechanical properties of the nano-vesicles. Currently, the mechanical characteristics of nano-vesicles are left unexplored because of the difficulties associated with vesicle analysis at sub-100 nm length scale. The need for a complete understanding of nano-vesicle interaction with each other and the recipient cells warrants development of an analytical tool capable of mechanical investigation of individual vesicles at sub-100 nm scale. This dissertation presents investigation of nano-vesicle deformability using resistive pulse sensing and solid-state nanopore devices. The dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the motivation, specific aims and presents an overview of nanoparticle characterization techniques, resistive pulse sensing background and principles, techniques for fabricating solid-state nanopores, as well the deformation behavior of giant vesicles when placed in electric field. Chapter 2 is dedicated to understanding of the scientific principles governing transport of sub-100 nm particles in dilute solutions. We investigated the translocation of rigid nanoparticles through nanopores at salt concentrations exosomes derived from human breast cancer cell line. Exosomes also exhibit co-translocational deformation behavior; however, they appear to be less affected by the deforming force inside the nanopore compared to the DOPC liposomes. We believe, the results of this research will bring about a

  1. Isolation and characterization of urinary extracellular vesicles: implications for biomarker discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merchant, Michael L; Rood, Ilse M; Deegens, Jeroen K J; Klein, Jon B

    2017-12-01

    Urine is a valuable diagnostic medium and, with the discovery of urinary extracellular vesicles, is viewed as a dynamic bioactive fluid. Extracellular vesicles are lipid-enclosed structures that can be classified into three categories: exosomes, microvesicles (or ectosomes) and apoptotic bodies. This classification is based on the mechanisms by which membrane vesicles are formed: fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasma membranes (exosomes), budding of vesicles directly from the plasma membrane (microvesicles) or those shed from dying cells (apoptotic bodies). During their formation, urinary extracellular vesicles incorporate various cell-specific components (proteins, lipids and nucleic acids) that can be transferred to target cells. The rigour needed for comparative studies has fueled the search for optimal approaches for their isolation, purification, and characterization. RNA, the newest extracellular vesicle component to be discovered, has received substantial attention as an extracellular vesicle therapeutic, and compelling evidence suggests that ex vivo manipulation of microRNA composition may have uses in the treatment of kidney disorders. The results of these studies are building the case that urinary extracellular vesicles act as mediators of renal pathophysiology. As the field of extracellular vesicle studies is burgeoning, this Review focuses on primary data obtained from studies of human urine rather than on data from studies of laboratory animals or cultured immortalized cells.

  2. ISEV position paper: extracellular vesicle RNA analysis and bioinformatics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew F. Hill

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Extracellular vesicles (EVs are the collective term for the various vesicles that are released by cells into the extracellular space. Such vesicles include exosomes and microvesicles, which vary by their size and/or protein and genetic cargo. With the discovery that EVs contain genetic material in the form of RNA (evRNA has come the increased interest in these vesicles for their potential use as sources of disease biomarkers and potential therapeutic agents. Rapid developments in the availability of deep sequencing technologies have enabled the study of EV-related RNA in detail. In October 2012, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV held a workshop on “evRNA analysis and bioinformatics.” Here, we report the conclusions of one of the roundtable discussions where we discussed evRNA analysis technologies and provide some guidelines to researchers in the field to consider when performing such analysis.

  3. Extracellular vesicles: fundamentals and clinical relevance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wael Nassar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available All types of cells of eukaryotic organisms produce and release small nanovesicles into their extracellular environment. Early studies have described these vesicles as ′garbage bags′ only to remove obsolete cellular molecules. Valadi and colleagues, in 2007, were the first to discover the capability of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs to horizontally transfer functioning gene information between cells. These extracellular vesicles express components responsible for angiogenesis promotion, stromal remodeling, chemoresistance, genetic exchange, and signaling pathway activation through growth factor/receptor transfer. EVs represent an important mode of intercellular communication by serving as vehicles for transfer between cells of membrane and cytosolic proteins, lipids, signaling proteins, and RNAs. They contribute to physiology and pathology, and they have a myriad of potential clinical applications in health and disease. Moreover, vesicles can pass the blood-brain barrier and may perhaps even be considered as naturally occurring liposomes. These cell-derived EVs not only represent a central mediator of the disease microenvironment, but their presence in the peripheral circulation may serve as a surrogate for disease biopsies, enabling real-time diagnosis and disease monitoring. In this review, we′ll be addressing the characteristics of different types of extracellular EVs, as well as their clinical relevance and potential as diagnostic markers, and also define therapeutic options.

  4. The Bretherton Problem for a Vesicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barakat, Joseph; Spann, Andrew; Shaqfeh, Eric

    2016-11-01

    The motion of a lipid bilayer vesicle through a circular tube is investigated by singular perturbation theory in the limit of vanishing clearance. The vesicle is treated as a sac of fluid enclosed by a thin, elastic sheet that admits a bending stiffness. It is assumed that the vesicle is axisymmetric and swollen to a near-critical volume such that the clearance "e" between the membrane and the tube wall is very small. In this limit, bending resistance is of negligible importance compared to the isotropic tension, allowing the vesicle to be treated as a "no-slip bubble." The effective membrane tension is found to scale inversely with "e" raised to the 3/2 power with a comparatively weak Marangoni gradient. The extra pressure drop is found to have a leading contribution due to the cylindrical midsection, which scales inversely with "e," as well as a correction due to the end caps, which scales inversely with the square root of "e." The apparent viscosity is predicted as a unique function of the geometry. The theory exhibits excellent agreement with a simplified, "quasi-parallel" theory and with direct numerical simulations using the boundary element method. The results of this work are compared to those for bubbles, rigid particles, and red blood cells in confined flows.

  5. Inhibition of sarcoplasmic Ca2+-ATPase increases caffeine- and halothane-induced contractures in muscle bundles of malignant hyperthermia susceptible and healthy individuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roewer Norbert

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Malignant hyperthermia (MH is triggered by halogenated anaesthetics and depolarising muscle relaxants, leading to an uncontrolled hypermetabolic state of skeletal muscle. An uncontrolled sarcoplasmic Ca2+ release is mediated via the ryanodine receptor. A compensatory mechanism of increased sarcoplasmic Ca2+-ATPase activity was described in pigs and in transfected cell lines. We hypothesized that inhibition of Ca2+ reuptake via the sarcoplasmic Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA enhances halothane- and caffeine-induced muscle contractures in MH susceptible more than in non-susceptible skeletal muscle. Methods With informed consent, surplus muscle bundles of 7 MHS (susceptible, 7 MHE (equivocal and 16 MHN (non-susceptible classified patients were mounted to an isometric force transducer, electrically stimulated, preloaded and equilibrated. Following 15 min incubation with cyclopiazonic acid (CPA 25 μM, the European MH standard in-vitro-contracture test protocol with caffeine (0.5; 1; 1.5; 2; 3; 4 mM and halothane (0.11; 0.22; 0.44; 0.66 mM was performed. Data as median and quartiles; Friedman- and Wilcoxon-test for differences with and without CPA; p Results Initial length, weight, maximum twitch height, predrug resting tension and predrug twitch height of muscle bundles did not differ between groups. CPA increased halothane- and caffeine-induced contractures significantly. This increase was more pronounced in MHS and MHE than in MHN muscle bundles. Conclusion Inhibition of the SERCA activity by CPA enhances halothane- and caffeine-induced contractures especially in MHS and MHE skeletal muscle and may help for the diagnostic assignment of MH susceptibility. The status of SERCA activity may play a significant but so far unknown role in the genesis of malignant hyperthermia.

  6. Functionalization of Block Copolymer Vesicle Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolfgang Meier

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In dilute aqueous solutions certain amphiphilic block copolymers self-assemble into vesicles that enclose a small pool of water with a membrane. Such polymersomes have promising applications ranging from targeted drug-delivery devices, to biosensors, and nanoreactors. Interactions between block copolymer membranes and their surroundings are important factors that determine their potential biomedical applications. Such interactions are influenced predominantly by the membrane surface. We review methods to functionalize block copolymer vesicle surfaces by chemical means with ligands such as antibodies, adhesion moieties, enzymes, carbohydrates and fluorophores. Furthermore, surface-functionalization can be achieved by self-assembly of polymers that carry ligands at their chain ends or in their hydrophilic blocks. While this review focuses on the strategies to functionalize vesicle surfaces, the applications realized by, and envisioned for, such functional polymersomes are also highlighted.

  7. Genetically controlled fusion, exocytosis and fission of artificial vesicles-a roadmap

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bönzli, Eva; Hadorn, Maik; de Lucrezia, Davide

    2011-01-01

    were shown to fuse if a special class of viral proteins, termed fusogenic peptides, were added to the external medium (Nomura et al. 2004). In the present work, we intend to develop genetically controlled fusion, fission and exocytosis of vesicles by the synthesis of peptides within vesicles. First, we...... enclosed synthesized peptides in vesicles to induce in a next step fusion of adjacent vesicles, fission and exocytosis of nested vesicles. Second, we will replace the peptides by an enclosed cell-free expression system to internally synthesize fusion peptides. To control the gene expression, different...

  8. Endoplasmic reticulum protein targeting of phospholamban: a common role for an N-terminal di-arginine motif in ER retention?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parveen Sharma

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Phospholamban (PLN is an effective inhibitor of the sarco(endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+-ATPase, which transports Ca(2+ into the SR lumen, leading to muscle relaxation. A mutation of PLN in which one of the di-arginine residues at positions 13 and 14 was deleted led to a severe, early onset dilated cardiomyopathy. Here we were interested in determining the cellular mechanisms involved in this disease-causing mutation.Mutations deleting codons for either or both Arg13 or Arg14 resulted in the mislocalization of PLN from the ER. Our data show that PLN is recycled via the retrograde Golgi to ER membrane traffic pathway involving COP-I vesicles, since co-immunoprecipitation assays determined that COP I interactions are dependent on an intact di-arginine motif as PLN RDelta14 did not co-precipitate with COP I containing vesicles. Bioinformatic analysis determined that the di-arginine motif is present in the first 25 residues in a large number of all ER/SR Gene Ontology (GO annotated proteins. Mutations in the di-arginine motif of the Sigma 1-type opioid receptor, the beta-subunit of the signal recognition particle receptor, and Sterol-O-acyltransferase, three proteins identified in our bioinformatic screen also caused mislocalization of these known ER-resident proteins.We conclude that PLN is enriched in the ER due to COP I-mediated transport that is dependent on its intact di-arginine motif and that the N-terminal di-arginine motif may act as a general ER retrieval sequence.

  9. Neuronal Depolarization Drives Increased Dopamine Synaptic Vesicle Loading via VGLUT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar, Jenny I; Dunn, Matthew; Mingote, Susana; Karam, Caline S; Farino, Zachary J; Sonders, Mark S; Choi, Se Joon; Grygoruk, Anna; Zhang, Yuchao; Cela, Carolina; Choi, Ben Jiwon; Flores, Jorge; Freyberg, Robin J; McCabe, Brian D; Mosharov, Eugene V; Krantz, David E; Javitch, Jonathan A; Sulzer, David; Sames, Dalibor; Rayport, Stephen; Freyberg, Zachary

    2017-08-30

    The ability of presynaptic dopamine terminals to tune neurotransmitter release to meet the demands of neuronal activity is critical to neurotransmission. Although vesicle content has been assumed to be static, in vitro data increasingly suggest that cell activity modulates vesicle content. Here, we use a coordinated genetic, pharmacological, and imaging approach in Drosophila to study the presynaptic machinery responsible for these vesicular processes in vivo. We show that cell depolarization increases synaptic vesicle dopamine content prior to release via vesicular hyperacidification. This depolarization-induced hyperacidification is mediated by the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT). Remarkably, both depolarization-induced dopamine vesicle hyperacidification and its dependence on VGLUT2 are seen in ventral midbrain dopamine neurons in the mouse. Together, these data suggest that in response to depolarization, dopamine vesicles utilize a cascade of vesicular transporters to dynamically increase the vesicular pH gradient, thereby increasing dopamine vesicle content. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Overall energy conversion efficiency of a photosynthetic vesicle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sener, Melih [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States; Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States; Strumpfer, Johan [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States; Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States; Singharoy, Abhishek [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States; Hunter, C. Neil [Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Schulten, Klaus [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States; Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States; Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States

    2016-08-26

    The chromatophore of purple bacteria is an intracellular spherical vesicle that exists in numerous copies in the cell and that efficiently converts sunlight into ATP synthesis, operating typically under low light conditions. Building on an atomic-level structural model of a low-light-adapted chromatophore vesicle from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we investigate the cooperation between more than a hundred protein complexes in the vesicle. The steady-state ATP production rate as a function of incident light intensity is determined after identifying quinol turnover at the cytochrome bc1 complex (cytbc1) as rate limiting and assuming that the quinone/quinol pool of about 900 molecules acts in a quasi-stationary state. For an illumination condition equivalent to 1% of full sunlight, the vesicle exhibits an ATP production rate of 82 ATP molecules/s. The energy conversion efficiency of ATP synthesis at illuminations corresponding to 1%–5% of full sunlight is calculated to be 0.12-0.04, respectively. The vesicle stoichiometry, evolutionarily adapted to the low light intensities in the habitat of purple bacteria, is suboptimal for steady-state ATP turnover for the benefit of protection against over-illumination.

  11. Assembly of cells and vesicles for organ engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taguchi, Tetsushi

    2011-01-01

    The development of materials and technologies for the assembly of cells and/or vesicles is a key for the next generation of tissue engineering. Since the introduction of the tissue engineering concept in 1993, various types of scaffolds have been developed for the regeneration of connective tissues in vitro and in vivo. Cartilage, bone and skin have been successfully regenerated in vitro, and these regenerated tissues have been applied clinically. However, organs such as the liver and pancreas constitute numerous cell types, contain small amounts of extracellular matrix, and are highly vascularized. Therefore, organ engineering will require the assembly of cells and/or vesicles. In particular, adhesion between cells/vesicles will be required for regeneration of organs in vitro. This review introduces and discusses the key technologies and materials for the assembly of cells/vesicles for organ regeneration. (topical review)

  12. Arabinogalactan Proteins Are Involved in Salt-Adaptation and Vesicle Trafficking in Tobacco by-2 Cell Cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olmos, Enrique; García De La Garma, Jesús; Gomez-Jimenez, Maria C; Fernandez-Garcia, Nieves

    2017-01-01

    Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are a highly diverse family of glycoproteins that are commonly found in most plant species. However, little is known about the physiological and molecular mechanisms of their function. AGPs are involved in different biological processes such as cell differentiation, cell expansion, tissue development and somatic embryogenesis. AGPs are also involved in abiotic stress response such as salinity modulating cell wall expansion. In this study, we describe how salt-adaptation in tobacco BY-2 cell cultures induces important changes in arabinogalactan proteins distribution and contents. Using the immuno-dot blot technique with different anti-AGP antibodies (JIM13, JIM15, and others), we observed that AGPs were highly accumulated in the culture medium of salt-adapted tobacco cells, probably due to the action of phospholipases. We located these AGP epitopes using immunogold labeling in the cytoplasm associated to the endoplasmic reticulum, the golgi apparatus, and vesicles, plasma membrane and tonoplast. Our results show that salt-adaptation induced a significant reduction of the cytoplasm, plasma membrane and tonoplast content of these epitopes. Yariv reagent was added to the control and salt-adapted tobacco cell cultures, leading to cell death induction in control cells but not in salt-adapted cells. Ultrastructural and immunogold labeling revealed that cell death induced by Yariv reagent in control cells was due to the interaction of Yariv reagent with the AGPs linked to the plasma membranes. Finally, we propose a new function of AGPs as a possible sodium carrier through the mechanism of vesicle trafficking from the apoplast to the vacuoles in salt-adapted tobacco BY-2 cells. This mechanism may contribute to sodium homeostasis during salt-adaptation to high saline concentrations.

  13. Interaction of a potyviral VPg with anionic phospholipid vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rantalainen, Kimmo I.; Christensen, Peter A.; Hafren, Anders; Otzen, Daniel E.; Kalkkinen, Nisse; Maekinen, Kristiina

    2009-01-01

    The viral genome-linked protein (VPg) of Potato virus A (PVA) is a multifunctional protein that belongs to a class of intrinsically disordered proteins. Typically, this type of protein gains a more stable structure upon interactions or posttranslational modifications. In a membrane lipid strip overlay binding assay, PVA VPg was found to bind phosphatidylserine (PS), but not phosphatidylcholine (PC). According to circular dichroism spectroscopy, the secondary structure of PVA VPg was stabilized upon interactions with PS and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), but not with PC vesicles. It is possible that this stabilization favored the formation of α-helical structures. Limited tryptic digestion showed that the interaction with anionic vesicles protected certain, otherwise accessible, trypsin cleavage sites. An electron microscopy study revealed that interaction with VPg substantially increased the vesicle diameter and caused the formation of pore or plaque-like electron dense spots on the vesicle surface, which gradually led to disruption of the vesicles.

  14. Spin State As a Probe of Vesicle Self-Assembly

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Sanghoon; Bellouard, Christine; Eastoe, Julian; Canilho, Nadia; Rogers, Sarah E; Ihiawakrim, Dris; Ersen, Ovidiu; Pasc, Andreea

    2016-01-01

    A novel system of paramagnetic vesicles was designed using ion pairs of iron-containing surfactants. Unilamellar vesicles (diameter ≈ 200 nm) formed spontaneously and were characterized by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and light and small-angle neutron scattering. Moreover, for the first time, it is shown that magnetization measurements can be used to investigate self-assembly of such functionalized systems, giving information on the vesicle compo...

  15. Vesicle fusion with bilayer lipid membrane controlled by electrostatic interaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azusa Oshima

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The fusion of proteoliposomes is a promising approach for incorporating membrane proteins in artificial lipid membranes. In this study, we employed an electrostatic interaction between vesicles and supported bilayer lipid membranes (s-BLMs to control the fusion process. We combined large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs containing anionic lipids, which we used instead of proteoliposomes, and s-BLMs containing cationic lipids to control electrostatic interaction. Anionic LUVs were never adsorbed or ruptured on the SiO2 substrate with a slight negative charge, and selectively fused with cationic s-BLMs. The LUVs can be fused effectively to the target position. Furthermore, as the vesicle fusion proceeds and some of the positive charges are neutralized, the attractive interaction weakens and finally the vesicle fusion saturates. In other words, we can control the number of LUVs fused with s-BLMs by controlling the concentration of the cationic lipids in the s-BLMs. The fluidity of the s-BLMs after vesicle fusion was confirmed to be sufficiently high. This indicates that the LUVs attached to the s-BLMs were almost completely fused, and there were few intermediate state vesicles in the fusion process. We could control the position and amount of vesicle fusion with the s-BLMs by employing an electrostatic interaction.

  16. The cyclic nucleotide gated cation channel AtCNGC10 traffics from the ER via Golgi vesicles to the plasma membrane of Arabidopsis root and leaf cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andres Marilou A

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels (CNGCs maintain cation homeostasis essential for a wide range of physiological processes in plant cells. However, the precise subcellular locations and trafficking of these membrane proteins are poorly understood. This is further complicated by a general deficiency of information about targeting pathways of membrane proteins in plants. To investigate CNGC trafficking and localization, we have measured Atcngc5 and Atcngc10 expression in roots and leaves, analyzed AtCNGC10-GFP fusions transiently expressed in protoplasts, and conducted immunofluorescence labeling of protoplasts and immunoelectron microscopic analysis of high pressure frozen leaves and roots. Results AtCNGC10 mRNA and protein levels were 2.5-fold higher in roots than leaves, while AtCNGC5 mRNA and protein levels were nearly equal in these tissues. The AtCNGC10-EGFP fusion was targeted to the plasma membrane in leaf protoplasts, and lightly labeled several intracellular structures. Immunofluorescence microscopy with affinity purified CNGC-specific antisera indicated that AtCNGC5 and AtCNGC10 are present in the plasma membrane of protoplasts. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that AtCNGC10 was associated with the plasma membrane of mesophyll, palisade parenchyma and epidermal cells of leaves, and the meristem, columella and cap cells of roots. AtCNCG10 was also observed in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi cisternae and vesicles of 50–150 nm in size. Patch clamp assays of an AtCNGC10-GFP fusion expressed in HEK293 cells measured significant cation currents. Conclusion AtCNGC5 and AtCNGC10 are plasma membrane proteins. We postulate that AtCNGC10 traffics from the endoplasmic reticulum via the Golgi apparatus and associated vesicles to the plasma membrane. The presence of the cation channel, AtCNGC10, in root cap meristem cells, cell plate, and gravity-sensing columella cells, combined with the previously reported

  17. Functional transferred DNA within extracellular vesicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cai, Jin [Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042 (China); Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Jiangsu Province (China); Wu, Gengze [Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042 (China); Jose, Pedro A. [Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine and Physiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States); Zeng, Chunyu, E-mail: Chunyuzeng01@163.com [Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042 (China)

    2016-11-15

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane vesicles including exosomes and shedding vesicles that mediated a cell-to-cell communication. EVs are released from almost all cell types under both physiological and pathological conditions and incorporate nuclear and cytoplasmic molecules for intercellular delivery. Besides protein, mRNA, and microRNA of these molecules, as recent studies show, specific DNA are prominently packaged into EVs. It appears likely that some of exosomes or shedding vesicles, bearing nuclear molecules are released upon bubble-like blebs. Specific interaction of EVs with susceptible recipients performs the uptake of EVs into the target cells, discharging their cargo including nuclear and cytoplasmic macromolecules into the cytosol. These findings expand the nucleic acid content of EVs to include increased levels of specific DNA. Thus, EVs contain a repertoire of genetic information available for horizontal gene transfer and potential use as blood biomarkers for cancer and atherosclerosis. In this review, the focus is on the characteristics, biological functions, and roles in diseases of DNA within EVs. - Highlights: • This review is focused on the DNA within EVs including its characteristics, biological functions, and roles in diseases. • It is clear that DNA within EVs might have important physiological and pathological roles in various diseases. • Knowledge in this area may provides us alternative methods for disease diagnosis or therapy in the future.

  18. Functional transferred DNA within extracellular vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Jin; Wu, Gengze; Jose, Pedro A.; Zeng, Chunyu

    2016-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane vesicles including exosomes and shedding vesicles that mediated a cell-to-cell communication. EVs are released from almost all cell types under both physiological and pathological conditions and incorporate nuclear and cytoplasmic molecules for intercellular delivery. Besides protein, mRNA, and microRNA of these molecules, as recent studies show, specific DNA are prominently packaged into EVs. It appears likely that some of exosomes or shedding vesicles, bearing nuclear molecules are released upon bubble-like blebs. Specific interaction of EVs with susceptible recipients performs the uptake of EVs into the target cells, discharging their cargo including nuclear and cytoplasmic macromolecules into the cytosol. These findings expand the nucleic acid content of EVs to include increased levels of specific DNA. Thus, EVs contain a repertoire of genetic information available for horizontal gene transfer and potential use as blood biomarkers for cancer and atherosclerosis. In this review, the focus is on the characteristics, biological functions, and roles in diseases of DNA within EVs. - Highlights: • This review is focused on the DNA within EVs including its characteristics, biological functions, and roles in diseases. • It is clear that DNA within EVs might have important physiological and pathological roles in various diseases. • Knowledge in this area may provides us alternative methods for disease diagnosis or therapy in the future.

  19. Compartmentalization and Transport in Synthetic Vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine eSchmitt

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Nano-scale vesicles have become a popular tool in life sciences. Besides liposomes that are generated from phospholipids of natural origin, polymersomes fabricated of synthetic block copolymers enjoy increasing popularity, as they represent more versatile membrane building blocks that can be selected based on their specific physicochemical properties, like permeability, stability or chemical reactivity.In this review, we focus on the application of simple and nested artificial vesicles in synthetic biology. First, we provide an introduction into the utilization of multi-compartmented vesosomes as compartmentalized nano-scale bioreactors. In the bottom-up development of protocells from vesicular nano-reactors, the specific exchange of pathway intermediates across compartment boundaries represents a bottleneck for future studies. To date, most compartmented bioreactors rely on unspecific exchange of substrates and products. This is either based on changes in permeability of the coblock polymer shell by physicochemical triggers or by the incorporation of unspecific porin proteins into the vesicle membrane. Since the incorporation of membrane transport proteins into simple and nested artificial vesicles offers the potential for specific exchange of substances between subcompartments, it opens new vistas in the design of protocells. Therefore we devote the main part of the review to summarize the technical advances in the use of phospholipids and block copolymers for the reconstitution of membrane proteins.

  20. Chromatic response of polydiacetylene vesicle induced by the permeation of methotrexate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Min Jae; Kim, Ye Jin; Kim, Jong-Duk

    2015-07-07

    The noble vesicular system of polydiacetylene showed a red shift using two types of detecting systems. One of the systems involves the absorption of target materials from the outer side of the vesicle, and the other system involves the permeation through the vesicular layers from within the vesicle. The chromatic mixed vesicles of N-(2-aminoethyl)pentacosa-10,12-diynamide (AEPCDA) and dimethyldioctadecylammonium chloride (DODAC) were fabricated by sonication, followed by polymerization by UV irradiation. The stability of monomeric vesicles was observed to increase with the polymerization of the vesicles. Methotrexate was used as a target material. The polymerized mixed vesicles having a blue color were exposed to a concentration gradient of methotrexate, and a red shift was observed indicating the adsorption of methotrexate on the polydiacetylene bilayer. In order to check the chromatic change by the permeation of methotrexate, we separated the vesicle portion, which contained methotrexate inside the vesicle, and checked chromatic change during the permeation of methotrexate through the vesicle. The red shift apparently indicates the disturbance in the bilayer induced by the permeation of methotrexate. The maximum contrast of color appeared at the equal molar ratio of AEPCDA and DODAC, indicating that the formation of flexible and deformable vesicular layers is important for red shift. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the system can be applicable for the chromatic detection of the permeation of methotrexate through the polydiacetylene layer.

  1. Effect of Gamma Radiation on Amino Acid Based Vesicle Carrying Radiosensitizer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nur Ratasha Alia Mohd Rosli; Faizal Mohamed; Muhammad Amir Syafiq Mohd Sah; Irman Abdul Rahman

    2014-01-01

    Vesicles has been developed and studied to be used as a medium to transport radiosensitizer in treating cancer cells by increasing its sensitivity effectively towards the radiation given during radiotherapy. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on amino acid-based vesicle carrying radiosensitizer. Amino acid based vesicles carrying radiosensitizer were synthesized using sonication method with sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate hydrate and decanol being the primary surfactant, while hydrogen peroxide and sodium hyaluronate as the encapsulated radiosensitizer. The synthesized vesicle was then irradiated at radiation doses equivalent to those given during radiotherapy. Irradiated vesicle carrying radiosensitizer were then characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Polarized Light Microscope. Results obtained shows that there were no significant changes in morphology and molecular conformation of the synthesized vesicle after irradiation. Even at higher radiation dose of 100 Gray and 200 Gray, the results remained unchanged. This indicates that the synthesized vesicle carrying radiosensitizer is morphologically and spectroscopically stable even at high radiation doses. (author)

  2. Gold nanoparticles covalently assembled onto vesicle structures as possible biosensing platform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Fátima Barroso

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In this contribution a strategy is shown to covalently immobilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs onto vesicle bilayers with the aim of using this nanomaterial as platform for the future design of immunosensors. A novel methodology for the self-assembly of AuNPs onto large unilamellar vesicle structures is described. The vesicles were formed with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC and 1-undecanethiol (SH. After, the AuNPs photochemically synthesized in pure glycerol were mixed and anchored onto SH–DOPC vesicles. The data provided by voltammetry, spectrometry and microscopy techniques indicated that the AuNPs were successfully covalently anchored onto the vesicle bilayer and decorated vesicles exhibit a spherical shape with a size of 190 ± 10 nm. The developed procedure is easy, rapid and reproducible to start designing a possible immunosensor by using environmentally friendly procedures.

  3. Purification of the Membrane Compartment for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Exogenous Antigens in Cross-presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imai, Jun; Otani, Mayu; Sakai, Takahiro; Hatta, Shinichi

    2017-08-21

    Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly capable of processing and presenting internalized exogenous antigens upon major histocompatibility class (MHC) I molecules also known as cross-presentation (CP). CP plays an important role not only in the stimulation of naïve CD8 + T cells and memory CD8 + T cells for infectious and tumor immunity but also in the inactivation of self-acting naïve T cells by T cell anergy or T cell deletion. Although the critical molecular mechanism of CP remains to be elucidated, accumulating evidence indicates that exogenous antigens are processed through endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) after export from non-classical endocytic compartments. Until recently, characterizations of these endocytic compartments were limited because there were no specific molecular markers other than exogenous antigens. The method described here is a new vesicle isolation protocol, which allows for the purification of these endocytic compartments. Using this purified microsome, we reconstituted the ERAD-like transport, ubiquitination, and processing of the exogenous antigen in vitro, suggesting that the ubiquitin-proteasome system processed the exogenous antigen after export from this cellular compartment. This protocol can be further applied to other cell types to clarify the molecular mechanism of CP.

  4. Interaction and rheology of vesicle suspensions in confined shear flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Zaiyi; Farutin, Alexander; Thiébaud, Marine; Misbah, Chaouqi

    2017-10-01

    Dynamics and rheology of a confined suspension of vesicles (a model for red blood cells) are studied numerically in two dimensions by using an immersed boundary lattice Boltzmann method. We pay particular attention to the link between the spatiotemporal organization and the rheology of the suspension. Besides confinement, we analyze the effect of concentration of the suspension, ϕ (defined as the area fraction occupied by the vesicles in the simulation domain), as well as the viscosity contrast λ (defined as the ratio between the viscosity of the fluid inside the vesicles, ηint, and that of the suspending fluid, ηext). The hydrodynamic interaction between two vesicles is shown to play a key role in determining the spatial organization. For λ =1 , the pair of vesicles settles into an equilibrium state with constant interdistance, which is regulated by the confinement. The equilibrium interdistance increases with the gap between walls, following a linear relationship. However, no stable equilibrium interdistance between two tumbling vesicles is observed for λ =10 . A quite ordered suspension is observed concomitant with the existence of an equilibrium interdistance between a vesicle pair. However, a disordered suspension prevails when no pair equilibrium interdistance exists, as occurs for tumbling vesicles. We then analyze the rheology, focusing on the effective viscosity, denoted as η , as well as on normalized viscosity, defined as [η ] =(η -ηext) /(ηextϕ ) . Ordering of the suspension is accompanied by a nonmonotonic behavior of [η ] with ϕ , while η exhibits plateaus. The nonmonotonic behavior of [η ] is suppressed when a disordered pattern prevails.

  5. Biogenesis and function of Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, H

    2015-01-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis is one of the keystone pathogens associated with chronic periodontitis. All P. gingivalis strains examined thus far produce outer membrane vesicles. Recent studies have found that vesicles possess some well-known virulence factors of P. gingivalis such as adhesins, toxins and proteolytic enzymes. Carrying most of the characteristic features of their parent P. gingivalis cells, vesicles communicate with host cells and other members of microbial biofilms, resulting in the transmission of virulence factors into these host cells and the formation of pathogenic bacteria-dominated microbial communities. An in-depth understanding of both the nature and role of vesicles in the pathogenicity of P. gingivalis is both important and timely, particularly when speaking of periodontitis and its related systemic effects. PMID:26343879

  6. Adhesion signals of phospholipid vesicles at an electrified interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeNardis, Nadica Ivošević; Žutić, Vera; Svetličić, Vesna; Frkanec, Ruža

    2012-09-01

    General adhesion behavior of phospholipid vesicles was examined in a wide range of potentials at the mercury electrode by recording time-resolved adhesion signals. It was demonstrated that adhesion-based detection is sensitive to polar headgroups in phospholipid vesicles. We identified a narrow potential window around the point of zero charge of the electrode where the interaction of polar headgroups of phosphatidylcholine vesicles with the substrate is manifested in the form of bidirectional signals. The bidirectional signal is composed of the charge flow due to the nonspecific interaction of vesicle adhesion and spreading and of the charge flow due to a specific interaction of the negatively charged electrode and the most exposed positively charged choline headgroups. These signals are expected to appear only when the electrode surface charge density is less than the surface charge density of the choline groups at the contact interface. In comparison, for the negatively charged phosphatidylserine vesicles, we identified the potential window at the mercury electrode where charge compensation takes place, and bidirectional signals were not detected.

  7. v-SNAREs control exocytosis of vesicles from priming to fusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borisovska, Maria; Zhao, Ying; Tsytsyura, Yaroslav; Glyvuk, Nataliya; Takamori, Shigeo; Matti, Ulf; Rettig, Jens; Südhof, Thomas; Bruns, Dieter

    2005-06-15

    SNARE proteins (soluble NSF-attachment protein receptors) are thought to be central components of the exocytotic mechanism in neurosecretory cells, but their precise function remained unclear. Here, we show that each of the vesicle-associated SNARE proteins (v-SNARE) of a chromaffin granule, synaptobrevin II or cellubrevin, is sufficient to support Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis and to establish a pool of primed, readily releasable vesicles. In the absence of both proteins, secretion is abolished, without affecting biogenesis or docking of granules indicating that v-SNAREs are absolutely required for granule exocytosis. We find that synaptobrevin II and cellubrevin differentially control the pool of readily releasable vesicles and show that the v-SNARE's amino terminus regulates the vesicle's primed state. We demonstrate that dynamics of fusion pore dilation are regulated by v-SNAREs, indicating their action throughout exocytosis from priming to fusion of vesicles.

  8. Altered Elementary Calcium Release Events and Enhanced Calcium Release by Thymol in Rat Skeletal Muscle

    OpenAIRE

    Szentesi, Péter; Szappanos, Henrietta; Szegedi, Csaba; Gönczi, Monika; Jona, István; Cseri, Julianna; Kovács, László; Csernoch, László

    2004-01-01

    The effects of thymol on steps of excitation-contraction coupling were studied on fast-twitch muscles of rodents. Thymol was found to increase the depolarization-induced release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which could not be attributed to a decreased calcium-dependent inactivation of calcium release channels/ryanodine receptors or altered intramembrane charge movement, but rather to a more efficient coupling of depolarization to channel opening. Thymol increased ryanodine bind...

  9. Recovery of Action Potentials and Twitches after K-contractures in Frog Skeletal Muscle(Physiology)

    OpenAIRE

    Atsuko, Suzuki; Ibuki, Shirakawa; Kazunari, Noguchi; Hirohiko, Kishi; Haruo, Sugi; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University:(Present office)Department of Physical Therapy, Health Science University; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University

    2004-01-01

    To give information about intracellular Ca^ translocation during and after K-contractures in vertebrate skeletal muscle fibers, we examined recovery of action potentials and twitches after interruption and spontaneous relaxation of K-contractures at low temperature (3℃) that greatly reduced the rate of Ca^ reuptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum. On membrane repolarization interrupting K-contractures, the amplitude of both action potentials and twitches recovered quickly, while the falling pha...

  10. A protein interaction mechanism for suppressing the mechanosensitive Piezo channels

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, Tingxin; Chi, Shaopeng; Jiang, Fan; Zhao, Qiancheng; Xiao, Bailong

    2017-01-01

    Piezo proteins are bona fide mammalian mechanotransduction channels for various cell types including endothelial cells. The mouse Piezo1 of 2547 residues forms a three-bladed, propeller-like homo-trimer comprising a central pore-module and three propeller-structures that might serve as mechanotransduction-modules. However, the mechanogating and regulation of Piezo channels remain unclear. Here we identify the sarcoplasmic /endoplasmic-reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA), including the widely expres...

  11. Intact deposition of cationic vesicles on anionic cellulose fibers: Role of vesicle size, polydispersity, and substrate roughness studied via streaming potential measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Abhijeet; Gilson, Laurent; Henrich, Franziska; Dahl, Verena; Kleinen, Jochen; Gambaryan-Roisman, Tatiana; Venzmer, Joachim

    2016-07-01

    Understanding the mechanism of intact vesicle deposition on solid surfaces is important for effective utilization of vesicles as active ingredient carriers in applications such as drug delivery and fabric softening. In this study, the deposition of large (davg=12μm) and small (davg=0.27μm) cationic vesicles of ditallowethylester dimethylammonium chloride (DEEDMAC) on smooth and rough anionic cellulose fibers is investigated. The deposition process is studied quantitatively using streaming potential measurements and spectrophotometric determination of DEEDMAC concentrations. Natural and regenerated cellulose fibers, namely cotton and viscose, having rough and smooth surfaces, respectively, are used as adsorbents. Equilibrium deposition data and profiles of substrate streaming potential variation with deposition are used to gain insights into the fate of vesicles upon deposition and the deposition mechanism. Intact deposition of DEEDMAC vesicles is ascertained based on streaming potential variation with deposition in the form of characteristic saturating profiles which symbolize particle-like deposition. The same is also confirmed by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Substrate roughness is found to considerably influence the deposition mechanism which, in a novel application of electrokinetic methods, is elucidated via streaming potential measurements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Dynamics of coarsening in multicomponent lipid vesicles with non-uniform mechanical properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funkhouser, Chloe M.; Solis, Francisco J.; Thornton, K.

    2014-04-01

    Multicomponent lipid vesicles are commonly used as a model system for the complex plasma membrane. One phenomenon that is studied using such model systems is phase separation. Vesicles composed of simple lipid mixtures can phase-separate into liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases, and since these phases can have different mechanical properties, this separation can lead to changes in the shape of the vesicle. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of phase separation in multicomponent lipid vesicles, using a model that couples composition to mechanical properties such as bending rigidity and spontaneous curvature. The model allows the vesicle surface to deform while conserving surface area and composition. For vesicles initialized as spheres, we study the effects of phase fraction and spontaneous curvature. We additionally initialize two systems with elongated, spheroidal shapes. Dynamic behavior is contrasted in systems where only one phase has a spontaneous curvature similar to the overall vesicle surface curvature and systems where the spontaneous curvatures of both phases are similar to the overall curvature. The bending energy contribution is typically found to slow the dynamics by stabilizing configurations with multiple domains. Such multiple-domain configurations are found more often in vesicles with spheroidal shapes than in nearly spherical vesicles.

  13. Getting there: vesicles en route for plant cytokinesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ozdoba, A.

    2007-01-01

    In dividing plant cells, membranous vesicles (60-80 nm in diameter) are transported to the site where a new cell wall that separates the daughter cells is formed. In this thesis the physical parameters size and stiffness that vesicles require to reach the forming cell plate were studied. Synthetic

  14. Spin State As a Probe of Vesicle Self-Assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sanghoon; Bellouard, Christine; Eastoe, Julian; Canilho, Nadia; Rogers, Sarah E; Ihiawakrim, Dris; Ersen, Ovidiu; Pasc, Andreea

    2016-03-02

    A novel system of paramagnetic vesicles was designed using ion pairs of iron-containing surfactants. Unilamellar vesicles (diameter ≈ 200 nm) formed spontaneously and were characterized by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and light and small-angle neutron scattering. Moreover, for the first time, it is shown that magnetization measurements can be used to investigate self-assembly of such functionalized systems, giving information on the vesicle compositions and distribution of surfactants between the bilayers and the aqueous bulk.

  15. Origins of microstructural transformations in charged vesicle suspensions: the crowding hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seth, Mansi; Ramachandran, Arun; Murch, Bruce P; Leal, L Gary

    2014-09-02

    It is observed that charged unilamellar vesicles in a suspension can spontaneously deflate and subsequently transition to form bilamellar vesicles, even in the absence of externally applied triggers such as salt or temperature gradients. We provide strong evidence that the driving force for this deflation-induced transition is the repulsive electrostatic pressure between charged vesicles in concentrated suspensions, above a critical effective volume fraction. We use volume fraction measurements and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy imaging to quantitatively follow both the macroscopic and microstructural time-evolution of cationic diC18:1 DEEDMAC vesicle suspensions at different surfactant and salt concentrations. A simple model is developed to estimate the extent of deflation of unilamellar vesicles caused by electrostatic interactions with neighboring vesicles. It is determined that when the effective volume fraction of the suspension exceeds a critical value, charged vesicles in a suspension can experience "crowding" due to overlap of their electrical double layers, which can result in deflation and subsequent microstructural transformations to reduce the effective volume fraction of the suspension. Ordinarily in polydisperse colloidal suspensions, particles interacting via a repulsive potential transform into a glassy state above a critical volume fraction. The behavior of charged vesicle suspensions reported in this paper thus represents a new mechanism for the relaxation of repulsive interactions in crowded situations.

  16. Integral equation methods for vesicle electrohydrodynamics in three dimensions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veerapaneni, Shravan

    2016-12-01

    In this paper, we develop a new boundary integral equation formulation that describes the coupled electro- and hydro-dynamics of a vesicle suspended in a viscous fluid and subjected to external flow and electric fields. The dynamics of the vesicle are characterized by a competition between the elastic, electric and viscous forces on its membrane. The classical Taylor-Melcher leaky-dielectric model is employed for the electric response of the vesicle and the Helfrich energy model combined with local inextensibility is employed for its elastic response. The coupled governing equations for the vesicle position and its transmembrane electric potential are solved using a numerical method that is spectrally accurate in space and first-order in time. The method uses a semi-implicit time-stepping scheme to overcome the numerical stiffness associated with the governing equations.

  17. Aggregation and retention of human urokinase type plasminogen activator in the yeast endoplasmic reticulum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smirnov Vladimir N

    2002-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Secretion of recombinant proteins in yeast can be affected by their improper folding in the endoplasmic reticulum and subsequent elimination of the misfolded molecules via the endoplasmic reticulum associated protein degradation pathway. Recombinant proteins can also be degraded by the vacuolar protease complex. Human urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA is poorly secreted by yeast but the mechanisms interfering with its secretion are largely unknown. Results We show that in Hansenula polymorpha overexpression worsens uPA secretion and stimulates its intracellular aggregation. The absence of the Golgi modifications in accumulated uPA suggests that aggregation occurs within the endoplasmic reticulum. Deletion analysis has shown that the N-terminal domains were responsible for poor uPA secretion and propensity to aggregate. Mutation abolishing N-glycosylation decreased the efficiency of uPA secretion and increased its aggregation degree. Retention of uPA in the endoplasmic reticulum stimulates its aggregation. Conclusions The data obtained demonstrate that defect of uPA secretion in yeast is related to its retention in the endoplasmic reticulum. Accumulation of uPA within the endoplasmic reticulum disturbs its proper folding and leads to formation of high molecular weight aggregates.

  18. Endoplasmic reticulum stress in pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and effect of calcium dobesilate

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yu-Min Gui; Ming Zhao; Jie Ding

    2016-01-01

    Objective:To study the mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and effect of calcium dobesilate.Methods:A total of 120 diabetic retinopathy patients treated in our hospital from January 2010 to September 2015 were enrolled in this article. The serum endoplasmic reticulum stress protein and interleukin protein expression levels were analyzed before and after calcium dobesilate treatment. A total of 55 cases of healthy subjects receiving physical examination in our hospital during the same period were taken as control group.Results:Serum endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins PERK, CHOP and IRE as well as interleukin proteins IL1, IL2, IL6 and IL10 expression significantly increased, serum MDA level significantly increased while SOD, CAT and GSHpx levels significantly decreased in diabetic retinopathy patients, and compared with control group (P<0.01); after calcium dobesilate treatment, above factors were significantly restored (P<0.01).Conclusions: Diabetic retinopathy is closely related to endoplasmic reticulum stress and calcium dobesilate treatment may improve diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress.

  19. Theory of Disk-to-Vesicle Transformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jianfeng; Shi, An-Chang

    2009-03-01

    Self-assembled membranes from amphiphilic molecules, such as lipids and block copolymers, can assume a variety of morphologies dictated by energy minimization of system. The membrane energy is characterized by a bending modulus (κ), a Gaussian modulus (κG), and the line tension (γ) of the edge. Two basic morphologies of membranes are flat disks that minimize the bending energy at the cost of the edge energy, and enclosed vesicles that minimize the edge energy at the cost of bending energy. In our work, the transition from disk to vesicle is studied theoretically using the string method, which is designed to find the minimum energy path (MEP) or the most probable transition path between two local minima of an energy landscape. Previous studies of disk-to-vesicle transition usually approximate the transitional states by a series of spherical cups, and found that the spherical cups do not correspond to stable or meta-stable states of the system. Our calculation demonstrates that the intermediate shapes along the MEP are very different from spherical cups. Furthermore, some of these transitional states can be meta-stable. The disk-to-vesicle transition pathways are governed by two scaled parameters, κG/κ and γR0/4κ, where R0 is the radius of the disk. In particular, a meta-stable intermediate state is predicted, which may correspond to the open morphologies observed in experiments and simulations.

  20. Observation of endoplasmic reticulum tubules via TOF-SIMS tandem mass spectrometry imaging of transfected cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chini, Corryn E; Fisher, Gregory L; Johnson, Ben; Tamkun, Michael M; Kraft, Mary L

    2018-02-26

    Advances in three-dimensional secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging have enabled visualizing the subcellular distributions of various lipid species within individual cells. However, the difficulty of locating organelles using SIMS limits efforts to study their lipid compositions. Here, the authors have assessed whether endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Tracker Blue White DPX ® , which is a commercially available stain for visualizing the endoplasmic reticulum using fluorescence microscopy, produces distinctive ions that can be used to locate the endoplasmic reticulum using SIMS. Time-of-flight-SIMS tandem mass spectrometry (MS 2 ) imaging was used to identify positively and negatively charged ions produced by the ER-Tracker stain. Then, these ions were used to localize the stain and thus the endoplasmic reticulum, within individual human embryonic kidney cells that contained higher numbers of endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane junctions on their surfaces. By performing MS 2 imaging of selected ions in parallel with the precursor ion (MS 1 ) imaging, the authors detected a chemical interference native to the cell at the same nominal mass as the pentafluorophenyl fragment from the ER-Tracker stain. Nonetheless, the fluorine secondary ions produced by the ER-Tracker stain provided a distinctive signal that enabled locating the endoplasmic reticulum using SIMS. This simple strategy for visualizing the endoplasmic reticulum in individual cells using SIMS could be combined with existing SIMS methodologies for imaging intracellular lipid distribution and to study the lipid composition within the endoplasmic reticulum.

  1. Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Associated ROS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hafiz Maher Ali Zeeshan

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The endoplasmic reticulum (ER is a fascinating network of tubules through which secretory and transmembrane proteins enter unfolded and exit as either folded or misfolded proteins, after which they are directed either toward other organelles or to degradation, respectively. The ER redox environment dictates the fate of entering proteins, and the level of redox signaling mediators modulates the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS. Accumulating evidence suggests the interrelation of ER stress and ROS with redox signaling mediators such as protein disulfide isomerase (PDI-endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin (ERO-1, glutathione (GSH/glutathione disuphide (GSSG, NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4, NADPH-P450 reductase (NPR, and calcium. Here, we reviewed persistent ER stress and protein misfolding-initiated ROS cascades and their significant roles in the pathogenesis of multiple human disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, inflammation, ischemia, and kidney and liver diseases.

  2. Vesicle dynamics in a confined Poiseuille flow: from steady state to chaos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aouane, Othmane; Thiébaud, Marine; Benyoussef, Abdelilah; Wagner, Christian; Misbah, Chaouqi

    2014-09-01

    Red blood cells (RBCs) are the major component of blood, and the flow of blood is dictated by that of RBCs. We employ vesicles, which consist of closed bilayer membranes enclosing a fluid, as a model system to study the behavior of RBCs under a confined Poiseuille flow. We extensively explore two main parameters: (i) the degree of confinement of vesicles within the channel and (ii) the flow strength. Rich and complex dynamics for vesicles are revealed, ranging from steady-state shapes (in the form of parachute and slipper shapes) to chaotic dynamics of shape. Chaos occurs through a cascade of multiple periodic oscillations of the vesicle shape. We summarize our results in a phase diagram in the parameter plane (degree of confinement and flow strength). This finding highlights the level of complexity of a flowing vesicle in the small Reynolds number where the flow is laminar in the absence of vesicles and can be rendered turbulent due to elasticity of vesicles.

  3. Myosin XI-dependent formation of tubular structures from endoplasmic reticulum isolated from tobacco cultured BY-2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokota, Etsuo; Ueda, Haruko; Hashimoto, Kohsuke; Orii, Hidefumi; Shimada, Tomoo; Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko; Shimmen, Teruo

    2011-05-01

    The reticular network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) consists of tubular and lamellar elements and is arranged in the cortical region of plant cells. This network constantly shows shape change and remodeling motion. Tubular ER structures were formed when GTP was added to the ER vesicles isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultured BY-2 cells expressing ER-localized green fluorescent protein. The hydrolysis of GTP during ER tubule formation was higher than that under conditions in which ER tubule formation was not induced. Furthermore, a shearing force, such as the flow of liquid, was needed for the elongation/extension of the ER tubule. The shearing force was assumed to correspond to the force generated by the actomyosin system in vivo. To confirm this hypothesis, the S12 fraction was prepared, which contained both cytosol and microsome fractions, including two classes of myosins, XI (175-kD myosin) and VIII (BY-2 myosin VIII-1), and ER-localized green fluorescent protein vesicles. The ER tubules and their mesh-like structures were arranged in the S12 fraction efficiently by the addition of ATP, GTP, and exogenous filamentous actin. The tubule formation was significantly inhibited by the depletion of 175-kD myosin from the S12 fraction but not BY-2 myosin VIII-1. Furthermore, a recombinant carboxyl-terminal tail region of 175-kD myosin also suppressed ER tubule formation. The tips of tubules moved along filamentous actin during tubule elongation. These results indicated that the motive force generated by the actomyosin system contributes to the formation of ER tubules, suggesting that myosin XI is responsible not only for the transport of ER in cytoplasm but also for the reticular organization of cortical ER.

  4. Phospholipid Vesicles in Materials Science

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Granick, Steve [Univ. of Illinois, Champaign, IL (United States)

    2016-05-11

    The objective of this research was to develop the science basis needed to deploy phospholipid vesicles as functional materials in energy contexts. Specifically, we sought to: (1) Develop an integrated molecular-level understanding of what determines their dynamical shape, spatial organization, and responsiveness to complex, time-varying environments; and (2) Develop understanding of their active transportation in crowded environments, which our preliminary measurements in cells suggest may hold design principles for targeting improved energy efficiency in new materials systems. The methods to do this largely involved fluorescence imaging and other spectroscopy involving single particles, vesicles, particles, DNA, and endosomes. An unexpected importance outcome was a new method to image light-emitting diodes during actual operation using super-resolution spectroscopy.

  5. Two Novel Rab2 Interactors Regulate Dense-core Vesicle Maturation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ailion, Michael; Hannemann, Mandy; Dalton, Susan; Pappas, Andrea; Watanabe, Shigeki; Hegermann, Jan; Liu, Qiang; Han, Hsiao-Fen; Gu, Mingyu; Goulding, Morgan Q.; Sasidharan, Nikhil; Schuske, Kim; Hullett, Patrick; Eimer, Stefan; Jorgensen, Erik M.

    2014-01-01

    Summary Peptide neuromodulators are released from a unique organelle: the dense-core vesicle. Dense-core vesicles are generated at the trans-Golgi, and then sort cargo during maturation before being secreted. To identify proteins that act in this pathway, we performed a genetic screen in Caenorhabditis elegans for mutants defective in dense-core vesicle function. We identified two conserved Rab2-binding proteins: RUND-1, a RUN domain protein, and CCCP-1, a coiled-coil protein. RUND-1 and CCCP-1 colocalize with RAB-2 at the Golgi, and rab-2, rund-1 and cccp-1 mutants have similar defects in sorting soluble and transmembrane dense-core vesicle cargos. RUND-1 also interacts with the Rab2 GAP protein TBC-8 and the BAR domain protein RIC-19, a RAB-2 effector. In summary, a new pathway of conserved proteins controls the maturation of dense-core vesicles at the trans-Golgi network. PMID:24698274

  6. Membrane defect in procine malignant hyperthermia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Brien, P.J.

    1985-01-01

    Malignant hyperthermia (MH) has been proposed to result from abnormal calcium-homeostasis in skeletal muscle. This study tested the hypothesis that calcium-sequestration or calcium-release by sarcoplasmic reticulum was abnormal in MH-susceptible swine. A heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum fraction (HSR), enriched in terminal cisternae, was isolated from MH and control muscle using differential and density-gradient centrifugation. Calcium transport was studied using 45 Ca radioisotope and Millipore filtration. Enzymatic activities, cholesterol, phospholipid, and protein composition were determined using spectrophotometric techniques and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Properties of calcium-sequestration by MH and control HSR were indistinguishable, although Ca 2+ -ATPase and calsequestrin content were 100% increased in MH HSR. However when muscle homogenate pH was decreased due to MH, calcium-uptake activity was depressed to <5% of control values. Results of this study indicate a model for the etiopathogenesis of MH, and for the inheritance and diagnosis of susceptibility to MH. Malignant hyperthermia is initiated due to a hypersensitive HSR calcium-release mechanism and propagated by a loss of calcium-sequestering function as acidosis develops. Susceptibility is inherited in an autosomal, codominant pattern and may be diagnosed most definitively and sensitively on the basis of calcium-release sensitivity-tests, performed on isolated HSR

  7. Vesicle biomechanics in a time-varying magnetic field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Hui; Curcuru, Austen

    2015-01-01

    Cells exhibit distortion when exposed to a strong electric field, suggesting that the field imposes control over cellular biomechanics. Closed pure lipid bilayer membranes (vesicles) have been widely used for the experimental and theoretical studies of cellular biomechanics under this electrodeformation. An alternative method used to generate an electric field is by electromagnetic induction with a time-varying magnetic field. References reporting the magnetic control of cellular mechanics have recently emerged. However, theoretical analysis of the cellular mechanics under a time-varying magnetic field is inadequate. We developed an analytical theory to investigate the biomechanics of a modeled vesicle under a time-varying magnetic field. Following previous publications and to simplify the calculation, this model treated the inner and suspending media as lossy dielectrics, the membrane thickness set at zero, and the electric resistance of the membrane assumed to be negligible. This work provided the first analytical solutions for the surface charges, electric field, radial pressure, overall translational forces, and rotational torques introduced on a vesicle by the time-varying magnetic field. Frequency responses of these measures were analyzed, particularly the frequency used clinically by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The induced surface charges interacted with the electric field to produce a biomechanical impact upon the vesicle. The distribution of the induced surface charges depended on the orientation of the coil and field frequency. The densities of these charges were trivial at low frequency ranges, but significant at high frequency ranges. The direction of the radial force on the vesicle was dependent on the conductivity ratio between the vesicle and the medium. At relatively low frequencies (biomechanics under a time-varying magnetic field. Biological effects of clinical TMS are not likely to occur via alteration of the biomechanics of brain

  8. Sugar-Decorated Sugar Vesicles : Lectin-Carbohydrate Recognition at the Surface of Cyclodextrin Vesicles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voskuhl, Jens; Stuart, Marc C. A.; Ravoo, Bart Jan

    2010-01-01

    An artificial glycocalix self-assembles when unilamellar bilayer vesicles of amphiphilic beta-cyclodextrins are decorated with maltose and lactose by host-guest interactions. To this end, maltose and lactose were conjugated with adamantane through a tetra(ethyleneglycol) spacer. Both

  9. Calcium transport in vesicles energized by cytochrome oxidase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosier, Randy N. [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)

    1979-01-01

    Experiments on the reconstitution of cytochrome oxidase into phospholipid vesicles were carried out using techniques of selectivity energizing the suspensions with ascorbate and cytochrome c or ascorbate, PMS, and internally trapped cytochrome c. It was found that the K+ selective ionophore valinomycin stimulated the rate of respiration of cytochrome oxidase vesicles regardless of the direction of the K+ flux across the vesicle membranes. The stimulation occurred in the presence of protonophoric uncouplers and in the complete absence of potassium or in detergent-lysed suspensions. Gramicidin had similar effects and it was determined that the ionophores acted by specific interaction with cytochrome oxidase rather than by the previously assumed collapse of membrane potentials. When hydrophobic proteins and appropriate coupling factors were incorporated into the cytochrome oxidase, vesicles phosphorylation of ADP could be coupled to the oxidation reaction of cytochrome oxidase. Relatively low P:O, representing poor coupling of the system, were problematical and precluded measurements of protonmotive force. However the system was used to study ion translocation.

  10. An AFM-based pit-measuring method for indirect measurements of cell-surface membrane vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xiaojun; Chen, Yuan; Chen, Yong

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Air drying induced the transformation of cell-surface membrane vesicles into pits. • An AFM-based pit-measuring method was developed to measure cell-surface vesicles. • Our method detected at least two populations of cell-surface membrane vesicles. - Abstract: Circulating membrane vesicles, which are shed from many cell types, have multiple functions and have been correlated with many diseases. Although circulating membrane vesicles have been extensively characterized, the status of cell-surface membrane vesicles prior to their release is less understood due to the lack of effective measurement methods. Recently, as a powerful, micro- or nano-scale imaging tool, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been applied in measuring circulating membrane vesicles. However, it seems very difficult for AFM to directly image/identify and measure cell-bound membrane vesicles due to the similarity of surface morphology between membrane vesicles and cell surfaces. Therefore, until now no AFM studies on cell-surface membrane vesicles have been reported. In this study, we found that air drying can induce the transformation of most cell-surface membrane vesicles into pits that are more readily detectable by AFM. Based on this, we developed an AFM-based pit-measuring method and, for the first time, used AFM to indirectly measure cell-surface membrane vesicles on cultured endothelial cells. Using this approach, we observed and quantitatively measured at least two populations of cell-surface membrane vesicles, a nanoscale population (<500 nm in diameter peaking at ∼250 nm) and a microscale population (from 500 nm to ∼2 μm peaking at ∼0.8 μm), whereas confocal microscopy only detected the microscale population. The AFM-based pit-measuring method is potentially useful for studying cell-surface membrane vesicles and for investigating the mechanisms of membrane vesicle formation/release

  11. Loading of Vesicles into Soft Amphiphilic Nanotubes using Osmosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Erne, Petra M.; van Bezouwen, Laura S.; Stacko, Peter; van Dtjken, Derk Jan; Chen, Jiawen; Stuart, Marc C. A.; Boekema, Eghert J.; Feringa, Ben L.

    2015-01-01

    The facile assembly of higher-order nanoarchitectures from simple building blocks is demonstrated by the loading of vesicles into soft amphiphilic nanotubes using osmosis. The nanotubes are constructed from rigid interdigitated bilayers which are capped with vesicles comprising phospholipid-based

  12. Extracellular Membrane Vesicles and Phytopathogenicity of Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladislav M. Chernov

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available For the first time, the phytopathogenicity of extracellular vesicles of Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8 (a ubiquitous mycoplasma that is one of the five common species of cell culture contaminants and is a causative agent for phytomycoplasmoses in Oryza sativa L. plants was studied. Data on the ability of extracellular vesicles of Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8 to penetrate from the nutrient medium into overground parts of Oryza sativa L. through the root system and to cause alterations in ultrastructural organization of the plants were presented. As a result of the analysis of ultrathin leaf sections of plants grown in medium with A. laidlawii PG8 vesicles, we detected significant changes in tissue ultrastructure characteristic to oxidative stress in plants as well as their cultivation along with bacterial cells. The presence of nucleotide sequences of some mycoplasma genes within extracellular vesicles of Acholeplasma laidlawii PG8 allowed a possibility to use PCR (with the following sequencing to perform differential detection of cells and bacterial vesicles in samples under study. The obtained data may suggest the ability of extracellular vesicles of the mycoplasma to display in plants the features of infection from the viewpoint of virulence criteria—invasivity, infectivity—and toxigenicity—and to favor to bacterial phytopathogenicity.

  13. Elastic vesicles for transdermal drug delivery of hydrophilic drugs: a comparison of important physicochemical characteristics of different vesicle types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ntimenou, Vassiliki; Fahr, Alfred; Antimisiaris, Sophia G

    2012-08-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of different lipid vesicular systems on the skin permeation ability of hydrophilic molecules, and understand if and which vesicle physicochemical properties may be used as predictive tools. Calcein and carboxyfluorescein were used as hydrophilic drug models. All vesicles (conventional liposomes [CLs], transfersomes [TRs] and invasomes [INVs]), were characterized for particle size distribution, zeta-potential, vesicular shape and morphology, encapsulation efficiency, integrity, colloidal stability, elasticity and finally in vitro human skin permeation. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) defined that almost all vesicles had spherical structure, low polydispersity (PI Elasticity values (measured by extrusion through membranes) were in the order INVs > TRs > CLs. Three vesicle types were selected (having different elasticity) and in vitro skin permeation experiments demonstrated that calcein permeation was minimal from an aqueous solution, slightly enhanced from CLs, and enhanced by 1.8 and 7.2 times from TRs and INVs, respectively. Permeation and elasticity values were correlated by rank order but not linearly, indicating that elasticity can be used as a crude predictive tool for enhancement of skin transport. Drug encapsulation efficiency was not found to be an important factor in the current study.

  14. Label-free tracking of single extracellular vesicles in a nano-fluidic optical fiber (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Pol, Edwin; Weidlich, Stefan; Lahini, Yoav; Coumans, Frank A. W.; Sturk, Auguste; Nieuwland, Rienk; Schmidt, Markus A.; Faez, Sanli; van Leeuwen, Ton G.

    2016-03-01

    Background: Extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, are abundantly present in human body fluids. Since the size, concentration and composition of these vesicles change during disease, vesicles have promising clinical applications, including cancer diagnosis. However, since ~70% of the vesicles have a diameter <70 nm, detection of single vesicles remains challenging. Thus far, vesicles <70 nm have only be studied by techniques that require the vesicles to be adhered to a surface. Consequently, the majority of vesicles have never been studied in their physiological environment. We present a novel label-free optical technique to track single vesicles <70 nm in suspension. Method: Urinary vesicles were contained within a single-mode light-guiding silica fiber containing a 600 nm nano-fluidic channel. Light from a diode laser (660 nm wavelength) was coupled to the fiber, resulting in a strongly confined optical mode in the nano-fluidic channel, which continuously illuminated the freely diffusing vesicles inside the channel. The elastic light scattering from the vesicles, in the direction orthogonal to the fiber axis, was collected using a microscope objective (NA=0.95) and imaged with a home-built microscope. Results: We have tracked single urinary vesicles as small as 35 nm by elastic light scattering. Please note that vesicles are low-refractive index (n<1.4) particles, which we confirmed by combining data on thermal diffusion and light scattering cross section. Conclusions: For the first time, we have studied vesicles <70 nm freely diffusing in suspension. The ease-of-use and performance of this technique support its potential for vesicle-based clinical applications.

  15. Model of separated form factors for unilamellar vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiselev, M.A.; Aksenov, V.L.; Lesieur, P.; Lombardo, D.; Kiselev, A.M.

    2001-01-01

    A new model of separated form factors is proposed for the evaluation of small-angle neutron scattering curves from large unilamellar vesicles. The validity of the model was checked via comparison with the model of a hollow sphere. The model of separated form factors and the hollow sphere model give a reasonable agreement in the evaluation of vesicle parameters

  16. Asymmetric incorporation of Na+, K+-ATPase into phospholipid vesicles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jackson, R.L.; Verkleij, A.J.; Zoelen, E.J.J. van; Lane, L.K.; Schwartz, A.; Deenen, L.L.M. van

    Purified lamb kidney Na+, K+-ATPase, consisting solely of the Mτ = 95,000 catalytic subunit and the Mτ- 44,000 glycoprotein, was solubilized with Triton X-100 and incorporated into unilamellar phospholipid vesicles. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy of the vesicles showed intramembranous particles

  17. Detection of association and fusion of giant vesicles using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunami, Takeshi; Caschera, Filippo; Morita, Yuuki; Toyota, Taro; Nishimura, Kazuya; Matsuura, Tomoaki; Suzuki, Hiroaki; Hanczyc, Martin M; Yomo, Tetsuya

    2010-10-05

    We have developed a method to evaluate the fusion process of giant vesicles using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Three fluorescent markers and FACS technology were used to evaluate the extent of association and fusion of giant vesicles. Two fluorescent markers encapsulated in different vesicle populations were used as association markers; when these vesicles associate, the two independent markers should be observed simultaneously in a single detection event. The quenched fluorescent marker and the dequencher, which were encapsulated in separate vesicle populations, were used as the fusion marker. When the internal aqueous solutions mix, the quenched marker is liberated by the dequencher and emits the third fluorescent signal. Although populations of pure POPC vesicles showed no detectable association or fusion, the same populations, oppositely charged by the exogenous addition of charged amphiphiles, showed up to 50% association and 30% fusion upon population analysis of 100,000 giant vesicles. Although a substantial fraction of the vesicles associated in response to a small amount of the charged amphiphiles (5% mole fraction compared to POPC alone), a larger amount of the charged amphiphiles (25%) was needed to induce vesicle fusion. The present methodology also revealed that the association and fusion of giant vesicles was dependent on size, with larger giant vesicles associating and fusing more frequently.

  18. Methods for the physical characterization and quantification of extracellular vesicles in biological samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupert, Déborah L M; Claudio, Virginia; Lässer, Cecilia; Bally, Marta

    2017-01-01

    Our body fluids contain a multitude of cell-derived vesicles, secreted by most cell types, commonly referred to as extracellular vesicles. They have attracted considerable attention for their function as intercellular communication vehicles in a broad range of physiological processes and pathological conditions. Extracellular vesicles and especially the smallest type, exosomes, have also generated a lot of excitement in view of their potential as disease biomarkers or as carriers for drug delivery. In this context, state-of-the-art techniques capable of comprehensively characterizing vesicles in biological fluids are urgently needed. This review presents the arsenal of techniques available for quantification and characterization of physical properties of extracellular vesicles, summarizes their working principles, discusses their advantages and limitations and further illustrates their implementation in extracellular vesicle research. The small size and physicochemical heterogeneity of extracellular vesicles make their physical characterization and quantification an extremely challenging task. Currently, structure, size, buoyant density, optical properties and zeta potential have most commonly been studied. The concentration of vesicles in suspension can be expressed in terms of biomolecular or particle content depending on the method at hand. In addition, common quantification methods may either provide a direct quantitative measurement of vesicle concentration or solely allow for relative comparison between samples. The combination of complementary methods capable of detecting, characterizing and quantifying extracellular vesicles at a single particle level promises to provide new exciting insights into their modes of action and to reveal the existence of vesicle subpopulations fulfilling key biological tasks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Understanding crumpling lipid vesicles at the gel phase transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirst, Linda; Ossowski, Adam; Fraser, Matthew

    2011-03-01

    Wrinkling and crumpling transitions in different membrane types have been studied extensively in recent years both theoretically and computationally. There has also been very interesting recent work on defects in liquid crystalline shells. Lipid bilayer vesicles, widely used in biophysical research can be considered as a single layer smectic shell in the liquid crystalline phase. On cooling the lipid vesicle a transition to the gel phase may take place in which the lipid chains tilt and assume a more ordered packing arrangement. We observe large scale morphological changes in vesicles close to this transition point using fluorescence microscopy and investigate the possible mechanisms for this transition. Confocal microscopy is used to map 3D vesicle shape and crumpling length-scales. We also employ the molecular tilt sensitive dye, Laurdan to investigate the role of tilt domain formation on macroscopic structure. Funded by NSF CAREER award (DMR - BMAT #0852791).

  20. Toxicologic and Analytical Studies with T-2 and Related Trichothecene Mycotoxins

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-08-20

    damaged myocytes, hypercontraction bands with myofibrillar, lysis or marked distension of sarcoplasmic reticulum with myofibrillar ly Is. * ’was...the increased activity of AST in both groups may suggest toxic or ischemic damage ’to visceral or muscular tissues. In the low dose group, systemic...pig. If there is a sudden change In the respiratory requirements, th? air accessory hose (Figure 3) can be used to rapidly add air to the distensible

  1. Ryanodine receptor 1 and associated pathologies

    OpenAIRE

    Fauré , Julien; Lunardi , Joël; Monnier , Nicole; Marty , Isabelle

    2014-01-01

    In skeletal muscle a rise in the cytosolic calcium concentration is the first trigger able to initiate the contraction of the sarcomere. Intracellular calcium levels are tightly controlled by channels and pumps, and it is not surprising that many inherited skeletal muscle disorders arise from mutations altering the players regulating calcium ions concentration (Betzenhauser et al., 2010). In this chapter, we will focus on the pathologies linked to the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channel-Ry...

  2. A novel isolation strategy for obtaining crude membrane vesicles from bovine skim milk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blans, Kristine; Larsen, Lotte Bach; Wiking, Lars

    Bovine milks content of phospholipid membranes have largely been explored in the cream fraction, and known as the milk fat globule membrane that surrounds fat droplets. In skim milk, the population of phospholipid membranes is reported to constitute membrane vesicles with a soluble content known...... is observed all over the gradient. The variety of the membrane vesicles is currently being investigated further by several means. Summary/conclusion: A new procedure for easy and gentle isolation of bovine milk membrane vesicles encompassing ultracentrifugation and size-exclusion chromatography has been...... established. The resulting vesicle isolate exhibits the general membrane vesicle characteristics and provides an appropriate start material from which the variety of milk vesicles can be investigated...

  3. Growth and instability of a phospholipid vesicle in a bath of fatty acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dervaux, J.; Noireaux, V.; Libchaber, A. J.

    2017-06-01

    Using a microfluidic trap, we study the behavior of individual phospholipid vesicles in contact with fatty acids. We show that spontaneous fatty acids insertion inside the bilayer is controlled by the vesicle size, osmotic pressure difference across the membrane and fatty acids concentration in the external bath. Depending on these parameters, vesicles can grow spherically or become unstable and fragment into several daughter vesicles. We establish the phase diagram for vesicle growth and we derive a simple thermodynamic model that reproduces the time evolution of the vesicle volume. Finally, we show that stable growth can be achieved on an artificial cell expressing a simple set of bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, paving the way toward artificial cell reproduction.

  4. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), an endoplasmic reticulum storage disease?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skagen, Peter Storgaard; Horn, T; Kruse, H A

    2011-01-01

    Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) fragments, cartilage and blood from four patients were used for morphological and molecular analysis. Controls included articular cartilage and blood samples from healthy individuals. Light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed abnormalities...... in chondrocytes and extracellular matrix of cartilage from OCD patients. Abnormal type II collagen heterofibrils in "bundles" and chondrocytes with abnormal accumulation of matrix proteins in distended rough endoplasmic reticulum were typical findings. Further, Von Kossa staining and TEM showed empty lacunae...... polymorphism was found within the COL2A1 gene for one patient. We suggest that OCD lesions are caused by an alteration in chondrocyte matrix synthesis causing an endoplasmic reticulum storage disease phenotype, which disturbs or abrupts endochondral ossification....

  5. Lipid vesicle shape analysis from populations using light video microscopy and computer vision.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jernej Zupanc

    Full Text Available We present a method for giant lipid vesicle shape analysis that combines manually guided large-scale video microscopy and computer vision algorithms to enable analyzing vesicle populations. The method retains the benefits of light microscopy and enables non-destructive analysis of vesicles from suspensions containing up to several thousands of lipid vesicles (1-50 µm in diameter. For each sample, image analysis was employed to extract data on vesicle quantity and size distributions of their projected diameters and isoperimetric quotients (measure of contour roundness. This process enables a comparison of samples from the same population over time, or the comparison of a treated population to a control. Although vesicles in suspensions are heterogeneous in sizes and shapes and have distinctively non-homogeneous distribution throughout the suspension, this method allows for the capture and analysis of repeatable vesicle samples that are representative of the population inspected.

  6. Replication of simulated prebiotic amphiphile vesicles controlled by experimental lipid physicochemical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, Don L; Zidovetzki, Raphael; Markovitch, Omer; Lancet, Doron

    2011-01-01

    We present a new embodiment of the graded autocatalysis replication domain (GARD) for the growth, replication and evolution of lipid vesicles based on a semi-empirical foundation using experimentally measured kinetic values of selected extant lipid species. Extensive simulations using this formalism elucidated the details of the dependence of the replication and properties of the vesicles on the physicochemical properties and concentrations of the lipids, both in the environment and in the vesicle. As expected, the overall concentration and number of amphiphilic components strongly affect average replication time. Furthermore, variations in acyl chain length and unsaturation of vesicles also influence replication rate, as do the relative concentrations of individual lipid types. Understanding of the dependence of replication rates on physicochemical parameters opens a new direction in the study of prebiotic vesicles and lays the groundwork for future studies involving the competition between lipid vesicles for available amphiphilic monomers

  7. The effect of spontaneous curvature on a two-phase vesicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cox, Geoffrey; Lowengrub, John

    2015-01-01

    Vesicles are membrane-bound structures commonly known for their roles in cellular transport and the shape of a vesicle is determined by its surrounding membrane (lipid bilayer). When the membrane is composed of different lipids, it is natural for the lipids of similar molecular structure to migrate towards one another (via spinodal decomposition), creating a multi-phase vesicle. In this article, we consider a two-phase vesicle model which is driven by nature's propensity to maintain a minimal state of elastic energy. The model assumes a continuum limit, thereby treating the membrane as a closed three-dimensional surface. The main purpose of this study is to reveal the complexity of the Helfrich two-phase vesicle model with non-zero spontaneous curvature and provide further evidence to support the relevance of spontaneous curvature as a modelling parameter. In this paper, we illustrate the complexity of the Helfrich two-phase model by providing multiple examples of undocumented solutions and energy hysteresis. We also investigate the influence of spontaneous curvature on morphological effects and membrane phenomena such as budding and fusion. (paper)

  8. Endocytic vesicle rupture is a conserved mechanism of cellular invasion by amyloid proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flavin, William P; Bousset, Luc; Green, Zachary C; Chu, Yaping; Skarpathiotis, Stratos; Chaney, Michael J; Kordower, Jeffrey H; Melki, Ronald; Campbell, Edward M

    2017-10-01

    Numerous pathological amyloid proteins spread from cell to cell during neurodegenerative disease, facilitating the propagation of cellular pathology and disease progression. Understanding the mechanism by which disease-associated amyloid protein assemblies enter target cells and induce cellular dysfunction is, therefore, key to understanding the progressive nature of such neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we utilized an imaging-based assay to monitor the ability of disease-associated amyloid assemblies to rupture intracellular vesicles following endocytosis. We observe that the ability to induce vesicle rupture is a common feature of α-synuclein (α-syn) assemblies, as assemblies derived from WT or familial disease-associated mutant α-syn all exhibited the ability to induce vesicle rupture. Similarly, different conformational strains of WT α-syn assemblies, but not monomeric or oligomeric forms, efficiently induced vesicle rupture following endocytosis. The ability to induce vesicle rupture was not specific to α-syn, as amyloid assemblies of tau and huntingtin Exon1 with pathologic polyglutamine repeats also exhibited the ability to induce vesicle rupture. We also observe that vesicles ruptured by α-syn are positive for the autophagic marker LC3 and can accumulate and fuse into large, intracellular structures resembling Lewy bodies in vitro. Finally, we show that the same markers of vesicle rupture surround Lewy bodies in brain sections from PD patients. These data underscore the importance of this conserved endocytic vesicle rupture event as a damaging mechanism of cellular invasion by amyloid assemblies of multiple neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins, and suggest that proteinaceous inclusions such as Lewy bodies form as a consequence of continued fusion of autophagic vesicles in cells unable to degrade ruptured vesicles and their amyloid contents.

  9. Ready-made chromatography columns for extracellular vesicle isolation from plasma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanne Louise Welton

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Proteomic studies of circulating vesicles are hampered by difficulties in purifying vesicles from plasma and serum. Isolations are contaminated with high-abundance blood proteins that may mask genuine vesicular-associated proteins and/or simply provide misleading data. In this brief report, we explored the potential utility of a commercially available size exclusion chromatography column for rapid vesicle purification. We evaluated the performance of the column, with cancer cell line conditioned medium or healthy donor plasma, in terms of removing non-vesicular protein and enriching for vesicles exhibiting exosome characteristics. Serial fractions revealed a peak for typical exosomal proteins (CD9, CD81 etc. that preceded the peak for highly abundant proteins, including albumin, for either sample type, and harvesting only this peak would represent elimination of >95% of protein from the sample. The columns showed good reproducibility, and streamlining the workflow would allow the exosome-relevant material to be collected in less than 10 minutes. Surprisingly, however, subsequent post-column vesicle concentration steps whilst resulting in some protein loss also lead to low vesicle recoveries, with a net effect of reducing sample purity (assessed by the particle-to-protein ratio. The columns provide a convenient, reproducible and highly effective means of eliminating >95% of non-vesicular protein from biological fluid samples such as plasma.

  10. Molecular aspects of calcium signalling at the crossroads of unikont and bikont eukaryote evolution--the ciliated protozoan Paramecium in focus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plattner, Helmut

    2015-03-01

    The ciliated protozoan, Paramecium tetraurelia has a high basic Ca(2+) leakage rate which is counteracted mainly by export through a contractile vacuole complex, based on its V-type H(+)-ATPase activity. In addition Paramecium cells dispose of P-type Ca(2+)-ATPases, i.e. a plasmamembrane and a sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (PMCA, SERCA). Antiporter systems are to be expected, as inferred from indirect evidence. Among the best known cytosolic Ca(2+)-binding proteins, calmodulin activates Ca(2+) influx channels in the somatic cell membrane, but inactivates Ca(2+) influx channels in cilia, where it, thus, ends ciliary reversal induced by depolarization via channels in the somatic cell membrane. Centrin inactivates Ca(2+) signals after stimulation by its high capacity/low affinity binding sites, whereas its high affinity sites regulate some other functions. Cortical Ca(2+) stores (alveolar sacs) are activated during stimulated trichocyst exocytosis and thereby mediate store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE). Ca(2+) release channels (CRCs) localised to alveoli and underlying SOCE are considered as Ryanodine receptor-like proteins (RyR-LPs) which are members of a CRC family with 6 subfamilies. These also encompass genuine inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) and intermediates between the two channel types. All IP3R/RyR-type CRCs possess six carboxyterminal transmembrane domains (TMD), with a pore domain between TMD 5 and 6, endowed with a characteristic selectivity filter. There are reasons to assume a common ancestor molecule for such channels and diversification further on in evolution. The distinct distribution of specific CRCs in the different vesicles undergoing intracellular trafficking suggests constitutive formation of very locally restricted Ca(2+) signals during vesicle-vesicle interaction. In summary, essential steps of Ca(2+) signalling already occur at this level of evolution, including an unexpected multitude of CRCs. For dis

  11. Brivaracetam augments short-term depression and slows vesicle recycling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiaofeng; Bognar, Joseph; He, Tianyu; Mohammed, Mouhari; Niespodziany, Isabelle; Wolff, Christian; Esguerra, Manuel; Rothman, Steven M; Dubinsky, Janet M

    2015-12-01

    Brivaracetam (BRV) decreases seizure activity in a number of epilepsy models and binds to the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) with a higher affinity than the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV). Experiments were performed to determine if BRV acted similarly to LEV to induce or augment short-term depression (STD) under high-frequency neuronal stimulation and slow synaptic vesicle recycling. Electrophysiologic field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) recordings were made from CA1 synapses in rat hippocampal slices loaded with BRV or LEV during intrinsic activity or with BRV actively loaded during hypertonic stimulation. STD was examined in response to 5 or 40 Hz stimulus trains. Presynaptic release of FM1-43 was visualized using two-photon microscopy to assess drug effects upon synaptic vesicle mobilization. When hippocampal slices were incubated in 0.1-30 μm BRV or 30 μm-1 mm LEV for 3 h, the relative CA1 field EPSPs decreased over the course of a high-frequency train of stimuli more than for control slices. This STD was frequency- and concentration-dependent, with BRV being 100-fold more potent than LEV. The extent of STD depended on the length of the incubation time for both drugs. Pretreatment with LEV occluded the effects of BRV. Repeated hypertonic sucrose treatments and train stimulation successfully unloaded BRV from recycling vesicles and reversed BRVs effects on STD, as previously reported for LEV. At their maximal concentrations, BRV slowed FM1-43 release to a greater extent than in slices loaded with LEV during prolonged stimulation. BRV, similar to LEV, entered into recycling synaptic vesicles and produced a frequency-dependent decrement of synaptic transmission at 100-fold lower concentrations than LEV. In addition, BRV slowed synaptic vesicle mobilization more effectively than LEV, suggesting that these drugs may modify multiple functions of the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A to curb synaptic transmission and limit epileptic activity

  12. Viscoelastic deformation of lipid bilayer vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shao-Hua; Sankhagowit, Shalene; Biswas, Roshni; Wu, Shuyang; Povinelli, Michelle L; Malmstadt, Noah

    2015-10-07

    Lipid bilayers form the boundaries of the cell and its organelles. Many physiological processes, such as cell movement and division, involve bending and folding of the bilayer at high curvatures. Currently, bending of the bilayer is treated as an elastic deformation, such that its stress-strain response is independent of the rate at which bending strain is applied. We present here the first direct measurement of viscoelastic response in a lipid bilayer vesicle. We used a dual-beam optical trap (DBOT) to stretch 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Upon application of a step optical force, the vesicle membrane deforms in two regimes: a fast, instantaneous area increase, followed by a much slower stretching to an eventual plateau deformation. From measurements of dozens of GUVs, the average time constant of the slower stretching response was 0.225 ± 0.033 s (standard deviation, SD). Increasing the fluid viscosity did not affect the observed time constant. We performed a set of experiments to rule out heating by laser absorption as a cause of the transient behavior. Thus, we demonstrate here that the bending deformation of lipid bilayer membranes should be treated as viscoelastic.

  13. Attachment of 99mTc to lipid vesicles containing the lipophilic chelate dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine-DTPA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahkong, Q.F.; Tilcock, C.

    1992-01-01

    The binding of 99m Tc to negatively-charged and neutral unilamellar lipid vesicles was investigated in the absence and presence of the ligand diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) covalently attached to the headgroup of phosphatidylethanolamine at the surface of the membrane. Even in the absence of DTPA on the membrane surface, 99m Tc reduced by Sn bound to the membrane surface but rapidly dissociated from the vesicles in the presence of plasma in vitro. When DTPA was present on the membrane surface, dissociation of 99m Tc from the vesicle surface in plasma was much reduced. The dissociation of 99m Tc from the surface of negatively-charged vesicles was less than for neutral vesicles in the absence of ligand but was markedly greater than for vesicles containing the ligand DTPA, suggesting that the binding of 99m Tc to vesicles with surface-attached DTPA could not be explained solely on the basis of the negative charge provided by the DTPA. In vitro experiments using 14 C-labeled lipids as well as in vivo imaging studies indicated that dissociation of 99m Tc from the surface of the vesicle did not arise predominantly because of lipid exchange with plasma components or due to cleavage of Tc-DTPA from the vesicle surface. For vesicles with surface-attached DTPA, 99m Tc dissociation from the vesicle surface in plasma was further reduced by addition of the antioxidant ascorbate. (author)

  14. Quantal basis of vesicle growth and information content, a unified approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitzany, Eyal; Hammel, Ilan; Meilijson, Isaac

    2010-09-07

    Secretory vesicles express a periodic multimodal size distribution. The successive modes are integral multiples of the smallest mode (G(1)). The vesicle content ranges from macromolecules (proteins, mucopolysaccharides and hormones) to low molecular weight molecules (neurotransmitters). A steady-state model has been developed to emulate a mechanism for the introduction of vesicles of monomer size, which grow by a unit addition mechanism, G(1)+G(n)-->G(n+1) which, at a later stage are eliminated from the system. We describe a model of growth and elimination transition rates which adequately illustrates the distributions of vesicle population size at steady-state and upon elimination. Consequently, prediction of normal behavior and pathological perturbations is feasible. Careful analysis of spontaneous secretion, as compared to short burst-induced secretion, suggests that the basic character-code for reliable communication should be within a range of only 8-10 vesicles' burst which may serve as a yes/no message. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Defined DNA-mediated assemblies of gene-expressing giant unilamellar vesicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hadorn, M.; Boenzli, E.; Sørensen, Kristian T.

    2013-01-01

    The technological aspects of artificial vesicles as prominent cell mimics are evolving toward higher-order assemblies of functional vesicles with tissuelike architectures. Here, we demonstrate the spatially controlled DNA-directed bottom-up synthesis of complex microassemblies and macroassemblies...

  16. Cystadenoma of the seminal vesicle. A case report

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lundhus, E; Bundgaard, N; Sørensen, Flemming Brandt

    1984-01-01

    Cystadenomas of the seminal vesicle are extremely rare benign tumours, which only have been reported seven times earlier in the literature. The first Danish case is reported with discussion of symptomatology, pathology and treatment.......Cystadenomas of the seminal vesicle are extremely rare benign tumours, which only have been reported seven times earlier in the literature. The first Danish case is reported with discussion of symptomatology, pathology and treatment....

  17. Packing states of multilamellar vesicles in a nonionic surfactant system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Le, T.D.; Olsson, U.; Mortensen, K.

    2001-01-01

    -alpha(*) phase using the noninvasive small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique, one while heating and the other while cooling the sample. Data from the heating and cooling cycles were used to demonstrate reversibility of the system. Three states of packing can be identified from the scattering profiles......Lyotropic lamellar phases under shear flow have been shown to form multilamellar vesicles (MLVs), an onion-like structure. The size of the vesicles is governed by the shear imposed on the sample. Previously, we studied the structural transformation from multilamellar vesicles to lamellae to sponge...... under shear. Here, we focused only in the MLV region, L-alpha(*), of a temperature sensitive surfactant system (C12E4-water) to investigate the packing of multilamellar vesicles as a function of temperature under constant shear. Two sets of temperature scan experiments were performed in the L...

  18. Vesicle fusion observed by content transfer across a tethered lipid bilayer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rawle, Robert J; van Lengerich, Bettina; Chung, Minsub; Bendix, Poul Martin; Boxer, Steven G

    2011-10-19

    Synaptic transmission is achieved by exocytosis of small, synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitters across the plasma membrane. Here, we use a DNA-tethered freestanding bilayer as a target architecture that allows observation of content transfer of individual vesicles across the tethered planar bilayer. Tethering and fusion are mediated by hybridization of complementary DNA-lipid conjugates inserted into the two membranes, and content transfer is monitored by the dequenching of an aqueous content dye. By analyzing the diffusion profile of the aqueous dye after vesicle fusion, we are able to distinguish content transfer across the tethered bilayer patch from vesicle leakage above the patch. Copyright © 2011 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Formation of Giant Protein Vesicles by a Lipid Cosolvent Method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jesper S.; Vararattanavech, Ardcharaporn; Vissing, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes a method to create giant protein vesicles (GPVs) of ≥10 μm by solvent‐driven fusion of large vesicles (0.1–0.2 μm) with reconstituted membrane proteins. We found that formation of GPVs proceeded from rotational mixing of protein‐reconstituted large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs)...... of spinach SoPIP2;1 and E. coli AqpZ aquaporins. Our findings show that hydrophobic interactions within the bilayer of formed GPVs are influenced not only by the solvent partitioning propensity, but also by lipid composition and membrane protein isoform....

  20. Generic sorting of raft lipids into secretory vesicles in yeast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Surma, Michal A; Klose, Christian; Klemm, Robin W

    2011-01-01

    Previous work has showed that ergosterol and sphingolipids become sorted to secretory vesicles immunoisolated using a chimeric, artificial raft membrane protein as bait. In this study, we have extended this analysis to three populations of secretory vesicles isolated using natural yeast plasma...... a complete lipid overview of the yeast late secretory pathway. We could show that vesicles captured with different baits carry the same cargo and have almost identical lipid compositions; being highly enriched in ergosterol and sphingolipids. This finding indicates that lipid raft sorting is a generic...

  1. Structure formation in binary mixtures of lipids and detergents: self-assembly and vesicle division.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noguchi, Hiroshi

    2013-01-14

    Self-assembly dynamics in binary surfactant mixtures and structure changes of lipid vesicles induced by detergent solution are studied using coarse-grained molecular simulations. Disk-shaped micelles, the bicelles, are stabilized by detergents surrounding the rim of a bilayer disk of lipids. The self-assembled bicelles are considerably smaller than bicelles formed from vesicle rupture, and their size is determined by the concentrations of lipids and detergents and the interactions between the two species. The detergent-adsorption induces spontaneous curvature of the vesicle bilayer and results in vesicle division into two vesicles or vesicle rupture into worm-like micelles. The division occurs mainly via the inverse pathway of the modified stalk model. For large spontaneous curvature of the monolayers of the detergents, a pore is often opened, thereby leading to vesicle division or worm-like micelle formation.

  2. Composition Effect of the Outer Layer on the Vesicle Fusion Catalyzed by Phospholipase D

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jin Won [Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-09-15

    Phospholipase D (PLD) catalyzed the generation of phosphatidic acid (PA) from phosphatidylcholine (PC) at the outer layer of the vesicles prepared through layer by layer via a double emulsion technique. The generation induced a curvature change in the vesicles, which eventually led them to fuse each other. The ratio of two-fattyacid-tail ethanolamine (PE) to one-fatty-acid-tail ethanolamine (PE) was found to acquire the condition where the mixed-phospholipid vesicles were stable identically with pure two-fatty-acid-tail PC. The effect of the outer-layer mixture on the PLD-induced vesicle fusion was investigated using the fluorescence intensity change. 8-Aminonaph- thalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid disodium salt (ANTS) and p-Xylene-bis(N-pyridinium bromide) (DPX) were encapsulated in the vesicles, respectively, for the quantification of the fusion. The fluorescence scale was calibrated with the fluorescence of a 1/1 mixture of ANTS and DPX vesicles in NaCl buffer taken as 100% fluorescence (0% fusion) and the vesicles containing both ANTS and DPX as 0% fluorescence (100% fusion), considering the leakage into the medium studied directly in a separate experiment using vesicles containing both ANTS and DPX. The fusion data for each composition were acquired with the subtraction of the leakage from the quenching. From the monitoring, the vesicle fusion caused by the PLD reaction seems dominantly to occur rather than the vesicle lysis, because the composition effect on the fusion was observed identically with that on the change in the vesicle structure. Furthermore, the diameter measurements also support the fusion dominancy.

  3. Comparative proteomic analysis of extracellular vesicles isolated by acoustic trapping or differential centrifugation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rezeli, Melinda; Gidlöf, Olof; Evander, Mikael; Bryl-Górecka, Paulina; Sathanoori, Ramasri; Gilje, Patrik; Pawlowski, Krzysztof; Horvatovich, Péter; Erlinge, David; Marko-Varga, György; Laurell, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (ECVs), including microparticles (MPs) and exosomes, are submicron membrane vesicles released by diverse cell types upon activation or stress. Circulating ECVs are potential reservoirs of disease biomarkers, and the complexity of these vesicles is significantly lower compared

  4. Dynamics of Shape Fluctuations of Quasi-spherical Vesicles Revisited

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miao, L.; Lomholt, Michael Andersen; Kleis, J.

    2002-01-01

    In this paper, the dynamics of spontaneous shape fluctuations of a single, giant quasi-spherical vesicle formed from a single lipid species is revisited theoretically. A coherent physical theory for the dynamics is developed based on a number of fundamental principles and considerations, and a sy......In this paper, the dynamics of spontaneous shape fluctuations of a single, giant quasi-spherical vesicle formed from a single lipid species is revisited theoretically. A coherent physical theory for the dynamics is developed based on a number of fundamental principles and considerations...... of the phenomenological constants in a canonical continuum description of fluid lipid-bilayer membranes and shown the consequences of this new interpretation in terms of the characteristics of the dynamics of vesicle shape fluctuations. Moreover, we have used the systematic formulation of our theory as a framework...... against which we have discussed the previously existing theories and their discrepancies. Finally, we have made a systematic prediction about the system-dependent characteristics of the relaxation dynamics of shape fluctuations of quasi-spherical vesicles with a view of experimental studies...

  5. Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yilmaz, Erkan

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, the world has seen an alarming increase in obesity and closely associated with insulin resistance which is a state of low-grade inflammation, the latter characterized by elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines in blood and tissues. A shift in energy balance alters systemic metabolic regulation and the important role that chronic inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction, and activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) play in this process.Why obesity is so closely associated with insulin resistance and inflammation is not understood well. This suggests that there are probably other causes for obesity-related insulin resistance and inflammation. One of these appears to be endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.The ER is a vast membranous network responsible for the trafficking of a wide range of proteins and plays a central role in integrating multiple metabolic signals critical in cellular homeostasis. Conditions that may trigger unfolded protein response activation include increased protein synthesis, the presence of mutant or misfolded proteins, inhibition of protein glycosylation, imbalance of ER calcium levels, glucose and energy deprivation, hypoxia, pathogens or pathogen-associated components and toxins. Thus, characterizing the mechanisms contributing to obesity and identifying potential targets for its prevention and treatment will have a great impact on the control of associated conditions, particularly T2D.

  6. Transcutol containing vesicles for topical delivery of minoxidil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mura, Simona; Manconi, Maria; Valenti, Donatella; Sinico, Chiara; Vila, Amparo Ofelia; Fadda, Anna Maria

    2011-04-01

    The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of Transcutol (Trc) to produce elastic vesicles with soy lecithin (SL) and study the influence of the obtained vesicles on in vitro (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil. To this purpose, so-called penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) were prepared using Trc aqueous solutions (5-10-20-30% v/v) as hydrophilic phase. SL liposomes, without Trc, were used as control. Prepared formulations were characterized in terms of size distribution, morphology, zeta potential, deformability, and rheological behavior. The influence of the obtained PEVs on (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil was studied by in vitro diffusion experiments through pig skin. Results showed that all prepared PEVs were able to give good entrapment efficiency (E%≈67) similar to that of conventional liposomes. Trc-containing PEVs showed to be more deformable than liposomes only when minoxidil was loaded in 5 and 10% Trc-containing vesicles. Rheological studies showed that PEVs have higher fluidity than conventional liposomes. All PEVs showed a higher stability than liposomes as shown by studying zeta potential and size distribution during three months. Results of in vitro diffusion experiments showed that Trc-containing PEVs are able to deliver minoxidil to deep skin layers without any transdermal permeation.

  7. Molecular dynamics simulations of lipid vesicle fusion in atomic detail

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Knecht, Volker; Marrink, Siewert-Jan

    The fusion of a membrane-bounded vesicle with a target membrane is a key step in intracellular trafficking, exocytosis, and drug delivery. Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to study the fusion of small unilamellar vesicles composed of a dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC)/palmitic

  8. Fusion of Sendai virus with vesicles of oligomerizable lipids: a microcalorimetric analysis of membrane fusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravoo, B J; Weringa, W D; Engberts, J B

    2000-01-01

    Sendai virus fuses efficiently with small and large unilamellar vesicles of the lipid 1,2-di-n-hexadecyloxypropyl-4- (beta-nitrostyryl) phosphate (DHPBNS) at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C, as shown by lipid mixing assays and electron microscopy. However, fusion is strongly inhibited by oligomerization of the head groups of DHPBNS in the bilayer vesicles. The enthalpy associated with fusion of Sendai virus with DHPBNS vesicles was measured by isothermal titration microcalorimetry, comparing titrations of Sendai virus into (i) solutions of DHPBNS vesicles (which fuse with the virus) and (ii) oligomerized DHPBNS vesicles (which do not fuse with the virus), respectively. The observed heat effect of fusion of Sendai virus with DHPBNS vesicles is strongly dependent on the buffer medium, reflecting a partial charge neutralization of the Sendai F and HN proteins upon insertion into the negatively-charged vesicle membrane. No buffer effect was observed for the titration of Sendai virus into oligomerized DHPBNS vesicles, indicating that inhibition of fusion is a result of inhibition of insertion of the fusion protein into the target membrane. Fusion of Sendai virus with DHPBNS vesicles is endothermic and entropy-driven. The positive enthalpy term is dominated by heat effects resulting from merging of the protein-rich viral envelope with the lipid vesicle bilayers rather than by the fusion of the viral with the vesicle bilayers per se. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  9. Dose-dependent effects of cisplatin on the severity of testicular injury in Sprague Dawley rats: reactive oxygen species and endoplasmic reticulum stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soni KK

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Kiran Kumar Soni,1 Hye Kyung Kim,2 Bo Ram Choi,1 Keshab Kumar Karna,1 Jae Hyung You,1 Jai Seong Cha,1 Yu Seob Shin,1 Sung Won Lee,3 Chul Young Kim,4 Jong Kwan Park1 1Department of Urology, Institute for Medical Sciences, Chonbuk National University Medical School – Biomedical Research and Institute and Clinical Trial Center for Medical Devices, Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, 2College of Pharmacy, Kyungsung University, Busan, 3Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University Medical School, Seoul, 4College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea Abstract: Cisplatin (CIS is used in the treatment of cancer, but its nonspecific systemic actions lead to toxic effects on other parts of the body. This study investigated the severity of CIS toxicity by increasing its dose over a constant time period. Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five treatment groups and control group with CIS (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg/kg administered intraperitoneally for 5 days. The body and organs were weighed, epididymal sperm was counted, and sperm motility and sperm apoptosis were evaluated. Blood samples were evaluated for complete blood count, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, malondialdehyde levels, and total testosterone. The testicular tissue was examined for steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and endoplasmic reticulum stress protein. Epididymal sperm was collected for CatSper Western blot. The toxic effects of different doses of CIS on the testis and kidney were compared histologically. The weights of body, testis, epididymis, prostate, seminal vesicle, and kidney; sperm count; sperm motility; steroidogenic acute regulatory protein level; and epididymal sperm count were significantly lower in the CIS-treated groups than in the control group. In contrast, sperm apoptosis, plasma reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and malondialdehyde, testosterone, red blood cell

  10. Structure of clathrin-coated vesicles from small-angle scattering experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, J.S.

    1993-01-01

    Previously published small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering data from coated vesicles, reassembled coats, and stripped vesicles have been analyzed in terms of one common model. The neutron data sets include contrast variation measurements at three different D2O solvent concentrations. The model...... used for interpreting the data has spherical symmetry and explicitly takes into account polydispersity, which is described by a Gaussian distribution. A constant thickness of the clathrin coats is assumed. The fitting of the model shows that the coated vesicles consist of a low-density outer protein....... Thus, the membrane and the high-density protein shell overlap in space, which shows that the lipid membrane contains protein. The molecular mass of the average particle is 27 x 10(6) Da. The coated vesicles consist, on average, of approximately 85% protein and 15% lipids. About 40% of the protein mass...

  11. Models for randomly distributed nanoscopic domains on spherical vesicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anghel, Vinicius N. P.; Bolmatov, Dima; Katsaras, John

    2018-06-01

    The existence of lipid domains in the plasma membrane of biological systems has proven controversial, primarily due to their nanoscopic size—a length scale difficult to interrogate with most commonly used experimental techniques. Scattering techniques have recently proven capable of studying nanoscopic lipid domains populating spherical vesicles. However, the development of analytical methods able of predicting and analyzing domain pair correlations from such experiments has not kept pace. Here, we developed models for the random distribution of monodisperse, circular nanoscopic domains averaged on the surface of a spherical vesicle. Specifically, the models take into account (i) intradomain correlations corresponding to form factors and interdomain correlations corresponding to pair distribution functions, and (ii) the analytical computation of interdomain correlations for cases of two and three domains on a spherical vesicle. In the case of more than three domains, these correlations are treated either by Monte Carlo simulations or by spherical analogs of the Ornstein-Zernike and Percus-Yevick (PY) equations. Importantly, the spherical analog of the PY equation works best in the case of nanoscopic size domains, a length scale that is mostly inaccessible by experimental approaches such as, for example, fluorescent techniques and optical microscopies. The analytical form factors and structure factors of nanoscopic domains populating a spherical vesicle provide a new and important framework for the quantitative analysis of experimental data from commonly studied phase-separated vesicles used in a wide range of biophysical studies.

  12. Endoplasmic reticulum stress in wake-active neurons progresses with aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naidoo, Nirinjini; Zhu, Jingxu; Zhu, Yan; Fenik, Polina; Lian, Jie; Galante, Ray; Veasey, Sigrid

    2011-08-01

    Fragmentation of wakefulness and sleep are expected outcomes of advanced aging. We hypothesize that wake neurons develop endoplasmic reticulum dyshomeostasis with aging, in parallel with impaired wakefulness. In this series of experiments, we sought to more fully characterize age-related changes in wakefulness and then, in relevant wake neuronal populations, explore functionality and endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis. We report that old mice show greater sleep/wake transitions in the active period with markedly shortened wake periods, shortened latencies to sleep, and less wake time in the subjective day in response to a novel social encounter. Consistent with sleep/wake instability and reduced social encounter wakefulness, orexinergic and noradrenergic wake neurons in aged mice show reduced c-fos response to wakefulness and endoplasmic reticulum dyshomeostasis with increased nuclear translocation of CHOP and GADD34. We have identified an age-related unfolded protein response injury to and dysfunction of wake neurons. It is anticipated that these changes contribute to sleep/wake fragmentation and cognitive impairment in aging. © 2011 The Authors. Aging Cell © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

  13. Molecular Recognition of Vesicles : Host-Guest Interactions Combined with Specific Dimerization of Zwitterions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voskuhl, Jens; Fenske, Tassilo; Stuart, Marc C. A.; Wibbeling, Birgit; Schmuck, Carsten; Ravoo, Bart Jan

    2010-01-01

    The aggregation of beta-cyclodextrin vesicles can be induced by an adamantyl-substituted zwitterionic guanidiniocarbonylpyrrole carboxylate guest molecule (1). Upon addition of 1 to the cyclodextrin vesicles at neutral pH, the vesicles aggregate (but do not fuse), as shown by using UV/Vis and

  14. Visualizing the effect of dynamin inhibition on annular gap vesicle formation and fission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nickel, Beth; Boller, Marie; Schneider, Kimberly; Shakespeare, Teresa; Gay, Vernon; Murray, Sandra A

    2013-06-15

    Although gap junction plaque assembly has been extensively studied, mechanisms involved in plaque disassembly are not well understood. Disassembly involves an internalization process in which annular gap junction vesicles are formed. These vesicles undergo fission, but the molecular machinery needed for these fissions has not been described. The mechanoenzyme dynamin has been previously demonstrated to play a role in gap junction plaque internalization. To investigate the role of dynamin in annular gap junction vesicle fission, immunocytochemical, time-lapse and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze SW-13 adrenocortical cells in culture. Dynamin was demonstrated to colocalize with gap junction plaques and vesicles. Dynamin inhibition, by siRNA knockdown or treatment with the dynamin GTPase inhibitor dynasore, increased the number and size of gap junction 'buds' suspended from the gap junction plaques. Buds, in control populations, were frequently released to form annular gap junction vesicles. In dynamin-inhibited populations, the buds were larger and infrequently released and thus fewer annular gap junction vesicles were formed. In addition, the number of annular gap junction vesicle fissions per hour was reduced in the dynamin-inhibited populations. We believe this to be the first report addressing the details of annular gap junction vesicle fissions and demonstrating a role of dynamin in this process. This information is crucial for elucidating the relationship between gap junctions, membrane regulation and cell behavior.

  15. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons storage by Fusarium solani in intracellular lipid vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verdin, Anthony; Lounes-Hadj Sahraoui, Anissa; Newsam, Ray; Robinson, Gary; Durand, Roger

    2005-01-01

    Accumulation and elimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied in the fungus Fusarium solani. When the fungus was grown on a synthetic medium containing benzo[a]pyrene, hyphae of F. solani contained numerous lipid vesicles which could be stained by the lipid-specific dyes: Sudan III and Rhodamine B. The fluorescence produced by Rhodamine B and PAH benzo[a]pyrene were at the same locations in the fungal hyphae, indicating that F. solani stored PAH in pre-existing lipid vesicles. A passive temperature-independent process is involved in the benzo[a]pyrene uptake and storage. Sodium azide, a cytochrome c oxidation inhibitor, and the two cytoskeleton inhibitors colchicine and cytochalasin did not prevent the transport and accumulation of PAH in lipid vesicles of F. solani hyphae. F. solani degraded a large range of PAHs at different rates. PAH intracellular storage in lipid vesicles was not necessarily accompanied by degradation and was common to numerous other fungi. - Fungi can store PAHs intracellularly in lipid vesicles independently of their PAH degradation abilities

  16. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons storage by Fusarium solani in intracellular lipid vesicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verdin, Anthony [Laboratoire de Mycologie/Phytopathologie/Environnement, Universite du Littoral-Cote d' Opale, 17 avenue Bleriot, BP 699, 62228 Calais Cedex (France); Lounes-Hadj Sahraoui, Anissa [Laboratoire de Mycologie/Phytopathologie/Environnement, Universite du Littoral-Cote d' Opale, 17 avenue Bleriot, BP 699, 62228 Calais Cedex (France)]. E-mail: lounes@univ-littoral.fr; Newsam, Ray [Department of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ (United Kingdom); Robinson, Gary [Department of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ (United Kingdom); Durand, Roger [Laboratoire de Mycologie/Phytopathologie/Environnement, Universite du Littoral-Cote d' Opale, 17 avenue Bleriot, BP 699, 62228 Calais Cedex (France)

    2005-01-01

    Accumulation and elimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied in the fungus Fusarium solani. When the fungus was grown on a synthetic medium containing benzo[a]pyrene, hyphae of F. solani contained numerous lipid vesicles which could be stained by the lipid-specific dyes: Sudan III and Rhodamine B. The fluorescence produced by Rhodamine B and PAH benzo[a]pyrene were at the same locations in the fungal hyphae, indicating that F. solani stored PAH in pre-existing lipid vesicles. A passive temperature-independent process is involved in the benzo[a]pyrene uptake and storage. Sodium azide, a cytochrome c oxidation inhibitor, and the two cytoskeleton inhibitors colchicine and cytochalasin did not prevent the transport and accumulation of PAH in lipid vesicles of F. solani hyphae. F. solani degraded a large range of PAHs at different rates. PAH intracellular storage in lipid vesicles was not necessarily accompanied by degradation and was common to numerous other fungi. - Fungi can store PAHs intracellularly in lipid vesicles independently of their PAH degradation abilities.

  17. Kadar Prostaglandin F2? pada Cairan Vesikula Seminalis dan Produk Sel Monolayer Vesikula Seminalis Sapi Bali (CONCENTRATIONS OF PROSTAGLANDIN F2? IN SEMINAL VESICLE FLUID AND PRODUCT OF SEMINAL VESICLE MONOLAYER CELLS OF BALI CATTLE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tjok Gde Oka Pemayun

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the concentration of prostaglandin F2 ? (PGF2? in seminal vesicle fluid and seminal vesicle monolayer cell cultures of Bali cattle was determined. The seminal vesicle fluid was aspirated and the epithelial cells of the seminal vesicles were cultured in tissue culture medium (TCM 199 growth medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS and 10% oestrus mares serum (EMS with a density of 1.9 x 106 cells / ml medium. Following an incubation at 38.50 C in 5% CO2 atmosphere for 6 days and the level of PGF2 ? in the original seminal vesicle fluid and in the cell culture medium were determined by radioimmunoassay techniques (RIA. The results showed that the level of PGF2 ? in the non-extracted monolayer culture of seminal vesicle (1287,50 ± 3,39 pg/ml was significantly higher than that of detected in non-extracted seminal vesicle fluid (1,23 ± 0,79 pg/ml. In contrast, after extraction the level of PGF2 ? in seminal vesicle monolayer cell cultures (218,33 ± 2,87 pg/ml significantly decreased as compared to seminal vesicle fluid (1750,83 ± 2,71 pg/ml. In conclusion the highest level of PGF2 ? was found in the extract of seminal vesicle fluid.

  18. Penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) as carriers for cutaneous delivery of minoxidil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mura, Simona; Manconi, Maria; Sinico, Chiara; Valenti, Donatella; Fadda, Anna Maria

    2009-10-01

    The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of a few different penetration enhancers to produce elastic vesicles with soy lecithin and the influence of the obtained vesicles on in vitro (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil. To this purpose, so-called Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles (PEVs) were prepared as dehydrated-rehydrated vesicles by using soy lecithin and different amounts of three penetration enhancers, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethanol (Transcutol), capryl-caproyl macrogol 8-glyceride (Labrasol), and cineole. Soy lecithin liposomes, without penetration enhancers, were used as control. Prepared formulations were characterized in terms of size distribution, morphology, zeta potential, and vesicle deformability. The influence of PEVs on (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil was studied by in vitro diffusion experiments through newborn pig skin in comparison with traditional liposomes and ethanolic solutions of the drug also containing each penetration enhancer. A skin pre-treatment study using empty PEVs and conventional liposomes was also carried out. Results showed that all the used penetration enhancers were able to give more deformable vesicles than conventional liposomes with a good drug entrapment efficiency and stability. In vitro skin penetration data showed that PEVs were able to give a statistically significant improvement of minoxidil deposition in the skin in comparison with classic liposomes and penetration enhancer-containing drug ethanolic solutions without any transdermal delivery. Moreover, the most deformable PEVs, prepared with Labrasol and cineole, were also able to deliver to the skin a higher total amount of minoxidil than the PE alcoholic solutions thus suggesting that minoxidil delivery to the skin was strictly correlated to vesicle deformability, and therefore to vesicle composition.

  19. Focus on Extracellular Vesicles: Physiological Role and Signalling Properties of Extracellular Membrane Vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nunzio Iraci

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Extracellular vesicles (EVs are a heterogeneous population of secreted membrane vesicles, with distinct biogenesis routes, biophysical properties and different functions both in physiological conditions and in disease. The release of EVs is a widespread biological process, which is conserved across species. In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated that several bioactive molecules are trafficked with(in EVs, such as microRNAs, mRNAs, proteins and lipids. The understanding of their final impact on the biology of specific target cells remains matter of intense debate in the field. Also, EVs have attracted great interest as potential novel cell-free therapeutics. Here we describe the proposed physiological and pathological functions of EVs, with a particular focus on their molecular content. Also, we discuss the advances in the knowledge of the mechanisms regulating the secretion of EV-associated molecules and the specific pathways activated upon interaction with the target cell, highlighting the role of EVs in the context of the immune system and as mediators of the intercellular signalling in the brain.

  20. Differential Regulation of Synaptic Vesicle Tethering and Docking by UNC-18 and TOM-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gracheva, Elena O; Maryon, Ed B; Berthelot-Grosjean, Martine; Richmond, Janet E

    2010-01-01

    The assembly of SNARE complexes between syntaxin, SNAP-25 and synaptobrevin is required to prime synaptic vesicles for fusion. Since Munc18 and tomosyn compete for syntaxin interactions, the interplay between these proteins is predicted to be important in regulating synaptic transmission. We explored this possibility, by examining genetic interactions between C. elegans unc-18(Munc18), unc-64(syntaxin) and tom-1(tomosyn). We have previously demonstrated that unc-18 mutants have reduced synaptic transmission, whereas tom-1 mutants exhibit enhanced release. Here we show that the unc-18 mutant release defect is associated with loss of two morphologically distinct vesicle pools; those tethered within 25 nm of the plasma membrane and those docked with the plasma membrane. In contrast, priming defective unc-13 mutants accumulate tethered vesicles, while docked vesicles are greatly reduced, indicating tethering is UNC-18-dependent and occurs in the absence of priming. C. elegans unc-64 mutants phenocopy unc-18 mutants, losing both tethered and docked vesicles, whereas overexpression of open syntaxin preferentially increases vesicle docking, suggesting UNC-18/closed syntaxin interactions are responsible for vesicle tethering. Given the competition between vertebrate tomosyn and Munc18, for syntaxin binding, we hypothesized that C. elegans TOM-1 may inhibit both UNC-18-dependent vesicle targeting steps. Consistent with this hypothesis, tom-1 mutants exhibit enhanced UNC-18 plasma membrane localization and a concomitant increase in both tethered and docked synaptic vesicles. Furthermore, in tom-1;unc-18 double mutants the docked, primed vesicle pool is preferentially rescued relative to unc-18 single mutants. Together these data provide evidence for the differential regulation of two vesicle targeting steps by UNC-18 and TOM-1 through competitive interactions with syntaxin.

  1. Differential regulation of synaptic vesicle tethering and docking by UNC-18 and TOM-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena O Gracheva

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The assembly of SNARE complexes between syntaxin, SNAP-25 and synaptobrevin is required to prime synaptic vesicles for fusion. Since Munc18 and tomosyn compete for syntaxin interactions, the interplay between these proteins is predicted to be important in regulating synaptic transmission. We explored this possibility, by examining genetic interactions between C. elegans unc-18(Munc18, unc-64(syntaxin and tom-1(tomosyn. We have previously demonstrated that unc-18 mutants have reduced synaptic transmission, whereas tom-1 mutants exhibit enhanced release. Here we show that the unc-18 mutant release defect is associated with loss of two morphologically distinct vesicle pools; those tethered within 25nm of the plasma membrane and those docked with the plasma membrane. In contrast, priming defective unc-13 mutants accumulate tethered vesicles, while docked vesicles are greatly reduced, indicating tethering is UNC-18-dependent and occurs in the absence of priming. C. elegans unc-64 mutants phenocopy unc-18 mutants, losing both tethered and docked vesicles, whereas overexpression of open syntaxin preferentially increases vesicle docking, suggesting UNC-18/closed syntaxin interactions are responsible for vesicle tethering. Given the competition between vertebrate tomosyn and Munc18, for syntaxin binding, we hypothesized that C. elegans TOM-1 may inhibit both UNC-18-dependent vesicle targeting steps. Consistent with this hypothesis, tom-1 mutants exhibit enhanced UNC-18 plasma membrane localization and a concomitant increase in both tethered and docked synaptic vesicles. Furthermore, in tom-1;unc-18 double mutants the docked, primed vesicle pool is preferentially rescued relative to unc-18 single mutants. Together these data provide evidence for the differential regulation of two vesicle targeting steps by UNC-18 and TOM-1 through competitive interactions with syntaxin

  2. Vesicle Motion during Sustained Exocytosis in Chromaffin Cells: Numerical Model Based on Amperometric Measurements.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daungruthai Jarukanont

    Full Text Available Chromaffin cells release catecholamines by exocytosis, a process that includes vesicle docking, priming and fusion. Although all these steps have been intensively studied, some aspects of their mechanisms, particularly those regarding vesicle transport to the active sites situated at the membrane, are still unclear. In this work, we show that it is possible to extract information on vesicle motion in Chromaffin cells from the combination of Langevin simulations and amperometric measurements. We developed a numerical model based on Langevin simulations of vesicle motion towards the cell membrane and on the statistical analysis of vesicle arrival times. We also performed amperometric experiments in bovine-adrenal Chromaffin cells under Ba2+ stimulation to capture neurotransmitter releases during sustained exocytosis. In the sustained phase, each amperometric peak can be related to a single release from a new vesicle arriving at the active site. The amperometric signal can then be mapped into a spike-series of release events. We normalized the spike-series resulting from the current peaks using a time-rescaling transformation, thus making signals coming from different cells comparable. We discuss why the obtained spike-series may contain information about the motion of all vesicles leading to release of catecholamines. We show that the release statistics in our experiments considerably deviate from Poisson processes. Moreover, the interspike-time probability is reasonably well described by two-parameter gamma distributions. In order to interpret this result we computed the vesicles' arrival statistics from our Langevin simulations. As expected, assuming purely diffusive vesicle motion we obtain Poisson statistics. However, if we assume that all vesicles are guided toward the membrane by an attractive harmonic potential, simulations also lead to gamma distributions of the interspike-time probability, in remarkably good agreement with experiment. We

  3. Vesicle Motion during Sustained Exocytosis in Chromaffin Cells: Numerical Model Based on Amperometric Measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarukanont, Daungruthai; Bonifas Arredondo, Imelda; Femat, Ricardo; Garcia, Martin E

    2015-01-01

    Chromaffin cells release catecholamines by exocytosis, a process that includes vesicle docking, priming and fusion. Although all these steps have been intensively studied, some aspects of their mechanisms, particularly those regarding vesicle transport to the active sites situated at the membrane, are still unclear. In this work, we show that it is possible to extract information on vesicle motion in Chromaffin cells from the combination of Langevin simulations and amperometric measurements. We developed a numerical model based on Langevin simulations of vesicle motion towards the cell membrane and on the statistical analysis of vesicle arrival times. We also performed amperometric experiments in bovine-adrenal Chromaffin cells under Ba2+ stimulation to capture neurotransmitter releases during sustained exocytosis. In the sustained phase, each amperometric peak can be related to a single release from a new vesicle arriving at the active site. The amperometric signal can then be mapped into a spike-series of release events. We normalized the spike-series resulting from the current peaks using a time-rescaling transformation, thus making signals coming from different cells comparable. We discuss why the obtained spike-series may contain information about the motion of all vesicles leading to release of catecholamines. We show that the release statistics in our experiments considerably deviate from Poisson processes. Moreover, the interspike-time probability is reasonably well described by two-parameter gamma distributions. In order to interpret this result we computed the vesicles' arrival statistics from our Langevin simulations. As expected, assuming purely diffusive vesicle motion we obtain Poisson statistics. However, if we assume that all vesicles are guided toward the membrane by an attractive harmonic potential, simulations also lead to gamma distributions of the interspike-time probability, in remarkably good agreement with experiment. We also show that

  4. Placental Nano-vesicles Target to Specific Organs and Modulate Vascular Tone In Vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Mancy; Stanley, Joanna L; Chen, Q; James, Joanna L; Stone, Peter R; Chamley, Larry W

    2017-11-01

    How do nano-vesicles extruded from normal first trimester human placentae affect maternal vascular function? Placental nano-vesicles affect the ability of systemic mesenteric arteries to undergo endothelium- and nitric oxide- (NO-) dependent vasodilation in vivo in pregnant mice. Dramatic cardiovascular adaptations occur during human pregnancy, including a substantial decrease in total peripheral resistance in the first trimester. The human placenta constantly extrudes extracellular vesicles that can enter the maternal circulation and these vesicles may play an important role in feto-maternal communication. Human placental nano-vesicles were administered into CD1 mice via a tail vein and their localization and vascular effects at 30 min and 24 h post-injection were investigated. Nano-vesicles from normal first trimester human placentae were collected and administered into pregnant (D12.5) or non-pregnant female mice. After either 30 min or 24 h of exposure, all major organs were dissected for imaging (n = 7 at each time point) while uterine and mesenteric arteries were dissected for wire myography (n = 6 at each time point). Additional in vitro studies using HMEC-1 endothelial cells were also conducted to investigate the kinetics of interaction between placental nano-vesicles and endothelial cells. Nano-vesicles from first trimester human placentae localized to the lungs, liver and kidneys 24 h after injection into pregnant mice (n = 7). Exposure of pregnant mice to placental nano-vesicles for 30 min in vivo increased the vasodilatory response of mesenteric arteries to acetylcholine, while exposure for 24 h had the opposite effect (P nano-vesicles did not affect the function of uterine arteries or mesenteric arteries from non-pregnant mice. Placental nano-vesicles rapidly interacted with endothelial cells via a combination of phagocytosis, endocytosis and cell surface binding in vitro. N/A. As it is not ethical to administer labelled placental nano-vesicles to

  5. Inhibition of NAPDH Oxidase 2 (NOX2 Prevents Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Abnormalities Caused by Saturated Fat in Cardiomyocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leroy C Joseph

    Full Text Available Obesity and high saturated fat intake increase the risk of heart failure and arrhythmias. The molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. We hypothesized that physiologic levels of saturated fat could increase mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS in cardiomyocytes, leading to abnormalities of calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial function. We investigated the effect of saturated fat on mitochondrial function and calcium homeostasis in isolated ventricular myocytes. The saturated fatty acid palmitate causes a decrease in mitochondrial respiration in cardiomyocytes. Palmitate, but not the monounsaturated fatty acid oleate, causes an increase in both total cellular ROS and mitochondrial ROS. Palmitate depolarizes the mitochondrial inner membrane and causes mitochondrial calcium overload by increasing sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium leak. Inhibitors of PKC or NOX2 prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and the increase in ROS, demonstrating that PKC-NOX2 activation is also required for amplification of palmitate induced-ROS. Cardiomyocytes from mice with genetic deletion of NOX2 do not have palmitate-induced ROS or mitochondrial dysfunction. We conclude that palmitate induces mitochondrial ROS that is amplified by NOX2, causing greater mitochondrial ROS generation and partial depolarization of the mitochondrial inner membrane. The abnormal sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium leak caused by palmitate could promote arrhythmia and heart failure. NOX2 inhibition is a potential therapy for heart disease caused by diabetes or obesity.

  6. (-)-Epicatechin-induced relaxation of isolated human saphenous vein: Roles of K+ and Ca2+ channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinko, Marija; Jankovic, Goran; Nenezic, Dragoslav; Milojevic, Predrag; Stojanovic, Ivan; Kanjuh, Vladimir; Novakovic, Aleksandra

    2018-02-01

    In this study, we aimed to investigate relaxant effect of flavanol (-)-epicatechin on the isolated human saphenous vein (HSV), as a part of its cardioprotective action, and to define the mechanisms underlying this vasorelaxation. (-)-Epicatechin induced a concentration-dependent relaxation of HSV pre-contracted by phenylephrine. Among K + channel blockers, 4-aminopyridine, margatoxin, and iberiotoxin significantly inhibited relaxation of HSV, while glibenclamide considerably reduced effects of the high concentrations of (-)-epicatechin. Additionally, (-)-epicatechin relaxed contraction induced by 80 mM K + , whereas in the presence of nifedipine produced partial relaxation of HSV rings pre-contracted by phenylephrine. In Ca 2+ -free solution, (-)-epicatechin relaxed contraction induced by phenylephrine, but had no effect on contraction induced by caffeine. A sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase inhibitor, thapsigargin, significantly reduced relaxation of HSV produced by (-)-epicatechin. These results demonstrate that (-)-epicatechin produces endothelium-independent relaxation of isolated HSV rings. Vasorelaxation to (-)-epicatechin probably involves activation of 4-aminopyridine- and margatoxin-sensitive K V channels, BK Ca channels, and at least partly, K ATP channels. In addition, not only the inhibition of extracellular Ca 2+ influx, but regulation of the intracellular Ca 2+ release, via inositol-trisphosphate receptors and reuptake into sarcoplasmic reticulum, via stimulation of Ca 2+ -ATPase, as well, most likely participate in (-)-epicatechin-induced relaxation of HSV. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Size control of giant unilamellar vesicles prepared from inverted emulsion droplets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimura, Kazuya; Suzuki, Hiroaki; Toyota, Taro; Yomo, Tetsuya

    2012-06-15

    The production of giant lipid vesicles with controlled size and structure will be an important technology in the design of quantitative biological assays in cell-mimetic microcompartments. For establishing size control of giant vesicles, we investigated the vesicle formation process, in which inverted emulsion droplets are transformed into giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) when they pass through an oil/water interface. The relationship between the size of the template emulsion and the converted GUVs was studied using inverted emulsion droplets with a narrow size distribution, which were prepared by microfluidics. We successfully found an appropriate centrifugal acceleration condition to obtain GUVs that had a desired size and narrow-enough size distribution with an improved yield so that emulsion droplets can become the template for GUVs. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Statistical Modelling of Synaptic Vesicles Distribution and Analysing their Physical Characteristics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khanmohammadi, Mahdieh

    transmission electron microscopy is used to acquire images from two experimental groups of rats: 1) rats subjected to a behavioral model of stress and 2) rats subjected to sham stress as the control group. The synaptic vesicle distribution and interactions are modeled by employing a point process approach......This Ph.D. thesis deals with mathematical and statistical modeling of synaptic vesicle distribution, shape, orientation and interactions. The first major part of this thesis treats the problem of determining the effect of stress on synaptic vesicle distribution and interactions. Serial section...... on differences of statistical measures in section and the same measures in between sections. Three-dimensional (3D) datasets are reconstructed by using image registration techniques and estimated thicknesses. We distinguish the effect of stress by estimating the synaptic vesicle densities and modeling...

  9. The endoplasmic reticulum stress response in disease ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rafael Vincent M. Manalo

    2017-07-12

    Jul 12, 2017 ... Review. The endoplasmic reticulum stress response in disease pathogenesis and pathophysiology .... This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ... chain binding protein (BIP); however, ER stress permits the release, .... drugs designed to alleviate it often cause more harm long-term.

  10. Myosin XI-Dependent Formation of Tubular Structures from Endoplasmic Reticulum Isolated from Tobacco Cultured BY-2 Cells1[W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokota, Etsuo; Ueda, Haruko; Hashimoto, Kohsuke; Orii, Hidefumi; Shimada, Tomoo; Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko; Shimmen, Teruo

    2011-01-01

    The reticular network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) consists of tubular and lamellar elements and is arranged in the cortical region of plant cells. This network constantly shows shape change and remodeling motion. Tubular ER structures were formed when GTP was added to the ER vesicles isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultured BY-2 cells expressing ER-localized green fluorescent protein. The hydrolysis of GTP during ER tubule formation was higher than that under conditions in which ER tubule formation was not induced. Furthermore, a shearing force, such as the flow of liquid, was needed for the elongation/extension of the ER tubule. The shearing force was assumed to correspond to the force generated by the actomyosin system in vivo. To confirm this hypothesis, the S12 fraction was prepared, which contained both cytosol and microsome fractions, including two classes of myosins, XI (175-kD myosin) and VIII (BY-2 myosin VIII-1), and ER-localized green fluorescent protein vesicles. The ER tubules and their mesh-like structures were arranged in the S12 fraction efficiently by the addition of ATP, GTP, and exogenous filamentous actin. The tubule formation was significantly inhibited by the depletion of 175-kD myosin from the S12 fraction but not BY-2 myosin VIII-1. Furthermore, a recombinant carboxyl-terminal tail region of 175-kD myosin also suppressed ER tubule formation. The tips of tubules moved along filamentous actin during tubule elongation. These results indicated that the motive force generated by the actomyosin system contributes to the formation of ER tubules, suggesting that myosin XI is responsible not only for the transport of ER in cytoplasm but also for the reticular organization of cortical ER. PMID:21427277

  11. Thermally assisted acoustofluidic separation of extracellular vesicles from cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirtaheri, Elnaz; Dolatmoradi, Ata; Pimentel, Krystine; Bhansali, Shekhar; El-Zahab, Bilal

    2018-02-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been gaining increasing attention given their role in communicating information between cells. Composition-based isolation of EVs is particularly of high significance as the proteomic and lipidomic characterization of their cargo could provide valuable clues to the role of EVs in mediating the biology of various conditions. This has, however, proved to be challenging as EVs, despite their abundance, are very small and difficult to be differentiated from the other constituents of host media. In addition, currently available methods like ultracentrifugation and filtration are cumbersome and capable of achieving mostly size-based separations. In this work, we demonstrate the possibility of separating submicron EV-like vesicles from cancer cells using a thermally-assisted acoustophoretic device. In a system composed of MCF-7 breast cancer cells spiked with two different types of same-size vesicles, composition-based isolation of vesicles was shown to be realizable through opposite focusing of the system's components at the node and antinodes of the overlaid ultrasonic standing wave. By proper choice of temperature in the microchannel, we were able to achieve separations with purities exceeding 93%. Furthermore, cells recovered from the channel were shown to be viable after the separation.

  12. Thin film drainage between pre-inflated capsules or vesicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keh, Martin; Walter, Johann; Leal, Gary

    2013-11-01

    Capsules and vesicles are often used as vehicles to carry active ingredients or fragrance in drug delivery and consumer products and oftentimes in these applications the particles may be pre-inflated due to the existence of a small osmotic pressure difference between the interior and exterior fluid. We study the dynamics of thin film drainage between capsules and vesicles in flow as it is crucial to fusion and deposition of the particles and, therefore, the stability and effectiveness of the products. Simulations are conducted using a numerical model coupling the boundary integral method for the motion of the fluids and a finite element method for the membrane mechanics. For low capillary numbers, the drainage behavior of vesicles and capsules are approximately the same, and also similar to that of drops as the flow-independent and uniform tension due to pre-inflation dominates. The tension due to deformation caused by flow will become more important as the strength of the external flow (i.e. the capillary number) increases. In this case, the shapes of the thin film region are fundamentally different for capsules and vesicles, and the drainage behavior in both cases differs from a drop. Funded by P&G.

  13. Effect of the bendiocarb on the ultrastructure of rabbit skeletal muscle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarína Holovská

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Bendiocarb belongs to the group of carbamate insecticides that inhibit acetylcholinesterase. In agriculture, it is used to control a variety of insects, therefore it is important to examine every potential aspect of its toxicology. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of bendiocarb on the ultrastructure of the skeletal muscle in rabbits. Rabbits in all experimental groups received capsules of bendiocarb (96% Bendiocarb, Bayer, Germany per os daily at a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight. Samples of skeletal muscles were collected on days 10 and 20. On day 10 of the experiment, muscle fibres were not affected consistently. The observed changes were moderate and focal. Electron microscopy revealed dilatation of sarcoplasmic reticulum, and myofilament disorganization. On day 20 of the experiment, the ultrastructural changes in muscle fibres were more intense and more frequent. The most important alteration was the disruption of the sarcomeres due to the lysis of both thick and thin myofilaments. However, in the unchanged regions of muscle fibres a prominent mitochondrial swelling was observed. Many mitochondria lacked cristae and thus appeared as large membrane-bound cytoplasmic vesicles. The results presented in this study indicate that bendiocarb affects the ultrastructure of skeletal muscles. The intensity of damage (dissolution of myofilaments and disruption of sarcomeres was related to the duration of administration of bendiocarb.

  14. A critical comparison of the current view of Ca signaling with the novel concept of F-actin-based Ca signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Klaus; Gartzke, Joachim

    2006-01-01

    A detailed comparative survey on the current idea of Ca signaling and the alternative concept of F-actin-based Ca signaling is given. The two hypotheses differ in one central aspect - the mechanism of Ca storage. The current theory rests on the assumption of Ca-accumulating vesicles derived from the endoplasmic/ sarcoplasmic reticulum, which are equipped with an ATP-dependent Ca pump and IP3- or ryanodine-sensitive Ca-release channels/receptors. The alternative hypothesis proceeds from the idea of Ca storage at the high-affinity binding sites of F-actin subunits. Several prominent features of Ca signaling, which are not adequately described by the current concept, are inherent properties of the F-actin system and its dynamic state of treadmilling. F-actin is the only known biological Ca-binding system that has been proven by in vitro experiments to work within the physiological range of Ca concentrations and the only system that meets all necessary conditions to function as receptor-operated Ca store and as a coupling device between the Ca store and the store-operated Ca influx pathway. The most important properties of Ca signaling, such as store-channel coupling, quantal Ca release, spiking and oscillations, biphasic and "phasic" uptake kinetics, and Ca-induced Ca release, turn out to be systematic features of the new concept but remain unexplained by the classical vesicle storage hypothesis. A number of novel findings, specifically recent reports about direct effects of actin-specific toxins on Ca stores, have strengthened the new concept. The concept of F-actin-based Ca signaling combined with the notion of microvillar regulation of ion and substrate fluxes opens new aspects and far-reaching consequences, not only for cellular Ca signaling but also for various other cell functions, and represents an opportunity to connect several fields of cell physiology on the basis of a common mechanism.

  15. TRIC-B channels display labile gating: evidence from the TRIC-A knockout mouse model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venturi, Elisa; Matyjaszkiewicz, Antoni; Pitt, Samantha J; Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira; Nishi, Miyuki; Yamazaki, Daiju; Takeshima, Hiroshi; Sitsapesan, Rebecca

    2013-08-01

    Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum (SR) and nuclear membranes contain two related cation channels named TRIC-A and TRIC-B. In many tissues, both subtypes are co-expressed, making it impossible to distinguish the distinct single-channel properties of each subtype. We therefore incorporated skeletal muscle SR vesicles derived from Tric-a-knockout mice into bilayers in order to characterise the biophysical properties of native TRIC-B without possible misclassification of the channels as TRIC-A, and without potential distortion of functional properties by detergent purification protocols. The native TRIC-B channels were ideally selective for cations. In symmetrical 210 mM K(+), the maximum (full) open channel level (199 pS) was equivalent to that observed when wild-type SR vesicles were incorporated into bilayers. Analysis of TRIC-B gating revealed complex and variable behaviour. Four main sub-conductance levels were observed at approximately 80 % (161 pS), 60 % (123 pS), 46 % (93 pS), and 30 % (60 pS) of the full open state. Seventy-five percent of the channels were voltage sensitive with Po being markedly reduced at negative holding potentials. The frequent, rapid transitions between TRIC-B sub-conductance states prevented development of reliable gating models using conventional single-channel analysis. Instead, we used mean-variance plots to highlight key features of TRIC-B gating in a more accurate and visually useful manner. Our study provides the first biophysical characterisation of native TRIC-B channels and indicates that this channel would be suited to provide counter current in response to Ca(2+) release from the SR. Further experiments are required to distinguish the distinct functional properties of TRIC-A and TRIC-B and understand their individual but complementary physiological roles.

  16. Membrane Trafficking and Vesicle Fusion

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 19; Issue 5. Membrane Trafficking and Vesicle Fusion: Post-Palade Era Researchers Win the Nobel Prize. Riddhi Atul Jani Subba Rao Gangi Setty. General Article Volume 19 Issue 5 May 2014 pp 421-445 ...

  17. Spontaneous Vesicle Self-Assembly: A Mesoscopic View of Membrane Dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shillcock, J. C.

    2012-01-01

    Amphiphilic vesicles are ubiquitous in living cells and industrially interesting as drug delivery vehicles. Vesicle self-assembly proceeds rapidly from nanometer to micrometer length scales and is too fast to image experimentally but too slow for molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we use...... parallel dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to follow spontaneous vesicle self-assembly for up to 445 mu s with near-molecular resolution. The mean mass and radius of gyration of growing amphiphilic clusters obey power laws with exponents of 0.85 +/- 0.03 and 0.41 +/- 0.02, respectively. We show that DPD...... provides a computational window onto fluid dynamics on scales unreachable by other explicit-solvent simulations....

  18. Binding and Fusion of Extracellular Vesicles to the Plasma Membrane of Their Cell Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prada, Ilaria; Meldolesi, Jacopo

    2016-08-09

    Exosomes and ectosomes, extracellular vesicles of two types generated by all cells at multivesicular bodies and the plasma membrane, respectively, play critical roles in physiology and pathology. A key mechanism of their function, analogous for both types of vesicles, is the fusion of their membrane to the plasma membrane of specific target cells, followed by discharge to the cytoplasm of their luminal cargo containing proteins, RNAs, and DNA. Here we summarize the present knowledge about the interactions, binding and fusions of vesicles with the cell plasma membrane. The sequence initiates with dynamic interactions, during which vesicles roll over the plasma membrane, followed by the binding of specific membrane proteins to their cell receptors. Membrane binding is then converted rapidly into fusion by mechanisms analogous to those of retroviruses. Specifically, proteins of the extracellular vesicle membranes are structurally rearranged, and their hydrophobic sequences insert into the target cell plasma membrane which undergoes lipid reorganization, protein restructuring and membrane dimpling. Single fusions are not the only process of vesicle/cell interactions. Upon intracellular reassembly of their luminal cargoes, vesicles can be regenerated, released and fused horizontally to other target cells. Fusions of extracellular vesicles are relevant also for specific therapy processes, now intensely investigated.

  19. The freezing process of small lipid vesicles at molecular resolution

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Risselada, H. Jelger; Marrink, Siewert J.

    2009-01-01

    At present very little is known about the kinetic barriers which a small vesicle will face during the transformation from the liquid-crystalline to the gel phase, and what the structure of frozen vesicles looks like at the molecular level. The formation of gel domains in the strongly curved bilayer

  20. Plasma biomarker discovery in preeclampsia using a novel differential isolation technology for circulating extracellular vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Kok Hian; Tan, Soon Sim; Sze, Siu Kwan; Lee, Wai Kheong Ryan; Ng, Mor Jack; Lim, Sai Kiang

    2014-10-01

    To circumvent the complex protein milieu of plasma and discover robust predictive biomarkers for preeclampsia (PE), we investigate if phospholipid-binding ligands can reduce the milieu complexity by extracting plasma extracellular vesicles for biomarker discovery. Cholera toxin B chain (CTB) and annexin V (AV) which respectively binds GM1 ganglioside and phosphatidylserine were used to isolate extracellular vesicles from plasma of PE patients and healthy pregnant women. The proteins in the vesicles were identified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, antibody array, and mass spectrometry. CTB and AV were found to bind 2 distinct groups of extracellular vesicles. Antibody array and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that PE patients had elevated levels of CD105, interleukin-6, placental growth factor, tissue inhibitor of metallopeptidase 1, and atrial natriuretic peptide in cholera toxin B- but not AV-vesicles, and elevated levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, pro-calcitonin, S100b, tumor growth factor β, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1, brain natriuretic peptide, and placental growth factor in both cholera toxin B- and AV-vesicles. CD9 level was elevated in cholera toxin B-vesicles but reduced in AV vesicles of PE patients. Proteome analysis revealed that in cholera toxin B-vesicles, 87 and 222 proteins were present only in PE patients and healthy pregnant women respectively while in AV-vesicles, 104 and 157 proteins were present only in PE and healthy pregnant women, respectively. This study demonstrated for the first time that CTB and AV bind unique extracellular vesicles, and their protein cargo reflects the disease state of the patient. The successful use of these 2 ligands to isolate circulating plasma extracellular vesicles for biomarker discovery in PE represents a novel technology for biomarker discovery that can be applied to other specialties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Extracellular Vesicles in Brain Tumors and Neurodegenerative Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federica Ciregia

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Extracellular vesicles (EVs can be classified into apoptotic bodies, microvesicles (MVs, and exosomes, based on their origin or size. Exosomes are the smallest and best characterized vesicles which derived from the endosomal system. These vesicles are released from many different cell types including neuronal cells and their functions in the nervous system are investigated. They have been proposed as novel means for intercellular communication, which takes part not only to the normal neuronal physiology but also to the transmission of pathogenic proteins. Indeed, exosomes are fundamental to assemble and transport proteins during development, but they can also transfer neurotoxic misfolded proteins in pathogenesis. The present review will focus on their roles in neurological diseases, specifically brain tumors, such as glioblastoma (GBM, neuroblastoma (NB, medulloblastoma (MB, and metastatic brain tumors and chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer, Parkinson, multiple sclerosis (MS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Huntington, and Prion diseseases highlighting their involvement in spreading neurotoxicity, in therapeutics, and in pathogenesis.

  2. Folding Up of Gold Nanoparticle Strings into Plasmonic Vesicles for Enhanced Photoacoustic Imaging

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Yijing

    2015-11-11

    The stepwise self-assembly of hollow plasmonic vesicles with vesicular membranes containing strings of gold nanoparticles (NPs) is reported. The formation of chain vesicles can be controlled by tuning the density of the polymer ligands on the surface of the gold NPs. The strong absorption of the chain vesicles in the near-infrared (NIR) region leads to a much higher efficiency in photoacoustic (PA) imaging than for non-chain vesicles. The chain vesicles were further employed for the encapsulation of drugs and the NIR light triggered release of payloads. This work not only offers a new platform for controlling the hierarchical self-assembly of NPs, but also demonstrates that the physical properties of the materials can be tailored by controlling the spatial arrangement of NPs within assemblies to achieve a better performance in biomedical applications.

  3. Regulation of endoplasmic reticulum turnover by selective autophagy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Khaminets, Aliaksandr; Heinrich, Theresa; Mari, Muriel; Grumati, Paolo; Huebner, Antje K; Akutsu, Masato; Liebmann, Lutz; Stolz, Alexandra; Nietzsche, Sandor; Koch, Nicole; Mauthe, Mario; Katona, Istvan; Qualmann, Britta; Weis, Joachim; Reggiori, Fulvio; Kurth, Ingo; Hübner, Christian A; Dikic, Ivan

    2015-01-01

    The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the largest intracellular endomembrane system, enabling protein and lipid synthesis, ion homeostasis, quality control of newly synthesized proteins and organelle communication. Constant ER turnover and modulation is needed to meet different cellular requirements and

  4. Regulation of endoplasmic reticulum turnover by selective autophagy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Khaminets, Aliaksandr; Heinrich, Theresa; Mari, Muriel; Grumati, Paolo; Huebner, Antje K.; Akutsu, Masato; Liebmann, Lutz; Stolz, Alexandra; Nietzsche, Sandor; Koch, Nicole; Mauthe, Mario; Katona, Istvan; Qualmann, Britta; Weis, Joachim; Reggiori, Fulvio; Kurth, Ingo; Huebner, Christian A.; Dikic, Ivan

    2015-01-01

    The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the largest intracellular endomembrane system, enabling protein and lipid synthesis, ion homeostasis, quality control of newly synthesized proteins and organelle communication(1). Constant ER turnover and modulation is needed to meet different cellular requirements

  5. Extracellular membrane vesicles in blood products-biology and clinical relevance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emilija Krstova Krajnc

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Extracellular membrane vesicles are fragments shed from plasma membranes off all cell types that are undergoing apoptosis or are being subjected to various types of stimulation or stress.  Even in the process of programmed cell death (apoptosis, cell fall apart of varying size vesicles. They expose phosphatidylserine (PS on the outer leaflet of their membrane, and bear surface membrane antigens reflecting their cellular origin. Extracellular membrane vesicles have been isolated from many types of biological fluids, including serum, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, saliva, tears and conditioned culture medium. Flow cytometry is one of the many different methodological approaches that have been used to analyze EMVs. The method attempts to characterize the EMVs cellular origin, size, population, number, and structure. EMVs are present and accumulate in blood products (erythrocytes, platelets as well as in fresh frozen plasma during storage. The aim of this review is to highlight the importance of extracellular vesicles as a cell-to-cell communication system and the role in the pathogenesis of different diseases. Special emphasis will be given to the implication of extracellular membrane vesicles in blood products and their clinical relevance. Although our understanding of the role of  EMVs in disease is far from comprehensive, they display promise as biomarkers for different diseases in the future and also as a marker of quality and safety in the quality control of blood products.

  6. Small unilamellar vesicles as reagents: a chemically defined, quantitative assay for lectins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rando, R.R.

    1981-01-01

    Samll unilamellar vesicles containing synthetic glycolipids can be prepared. These vesicles are aggregated by the appropriate lectin (Orr et al., 1979; Rando and Bangerter, 1979; Slama and Rando, 1980). It is shown here that extent of aggregation of these vesicles as measured by light scattering at 360 nm, is, under certain conditions, linear with amount of lectin added. This forms the basis of a rapid and simple quantitative assay for lectins using the modified vesicles as a defined chemical substrate. The assay is sensitive to lectin concentrations in the low ..mu..g range. The assay is applied here to studies on concanavalin A, Ricinus communis agglutinin and the ..cap alpha..-fucosyl binding lectin from Ulex europaeus (Type I).

  7. Reactions of the hydrated electron with pyrene in lipid bilayer vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schnecke, W.; Graetzel, M.; Henglein, A.

    1977-01-01

    Pyrene and some pyrene derivatives were solubilized in bilayer vesicles of lecithin and the rates of lecithin and the rates of reaction with the hydrated electron investigated. The concentration of the vesicles was 1.3 x 10 -7 M, that of pyrene 10 -6 - 10 -4 M. The rate constant decreases with increasing pyrene concentration. The effect is explained by the highly inhomogeneous distribution of pyrene molecules in the solutions. Only those pyrene molicules are reactive that reside close to the outer surface of the vesicles. The anions of pyrene formed disappear in a second order process. It is concluded that the anions are rapidly detached from their vesicular carriers and react with each other in the aqueous phase. Fluorescence, light scattering and electron microscopic investigations were also carried out to obtain information about the properties of the vesicles used. (orig.) [de

  8. Calcium and Mitosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hepler, P.

    1983-01-01

    Although the mechanism of calcium regulation is not understood, there is evidence that calcium plays a role in mitosis. Experiments conducted show that: (1) the spindle apparatus contains a highly developed membrane system that has many characteristics of sarcoplasmic reticulum of muscle; (2) this membrane system contains calcium; and (3) there are ionic fluxes occurring during mitosis which can be seen by a variety of fluorescence probes. Whether the process of mitosis can be modulated by experimentally modulating calcium is discussed.

  9. Release of canine parvovirus from endocytic vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suikkanen, Sanna; Antila, Mia; Jaatinen, Anne; Vihinen-Ranta, Maija; Vuento, Matti

    2003-01-01

    Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a small nonenveloped virus with a single-stranded DNA genome. CPV enters cells by clathrin-mediated endocytosis and requires an acidic endosomal step for productive infection. Virion contains a potential nuclear localization signal as well as a phospholipase A 2 like domain in N-terminus of VP1. In this study we characterized the role of PLA 2 activity on CPV entry process. PLA 2 activity of CPV capsids was triggered in vitro by heat or acidic pH. PLA 2 inhibitors inhibited the viral proliferation suggesting that PLA 2 activity is needed for productive infection. The N-terminus of VP1 was exposed during the entry, suggesting that PLA 2 activity might have a role during endocytic entry. The presence of drugs modifying endocytosis (amiloride, bafilomycin A 1 , brefeldin A, and monensin) caused viral proteins to remain in endosomal/lysosomal vesicles, even though the drugs were not able to inhibit the exposure of VP1 N-terminal end. These results indicate that the exposure of N-terminus of VP1 alone is not sufficient to allow CPV to proliferate. Some other pH-dependent changes are needed for productive infection. In addition to blocking endocytic entry, amiloride was able to block some postendocytic steps. The ability of CPV to permeabilize endosomal membranes was demonstrated by feeding cells with differently sized rhodamine-conjugated dextrans together with the CPV in the presence or in the absence of amiloride, bafilomycin A 1 , brefeldin A, or monensin. Dextran with a molecular weight of 3000 was released from vesicles after 8 h of infection, while dextran with a molecular weight of 10,000 was mainly retained in vesicles. The results suggest that CPV infection does not cause disruption of endosomal vesicles. However, the permeability of endosomal membranes apparently changes during CPV infection, probably due to the PLA 2 activity of the virus. These results suggest that parvoviral PLA 2 activity is essential for productive infection and

  10. Secretory Vesicle Priming by CAPS Is Independent of Its SNARE-Binding MUN Domain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cuc Quynh Nguyen Truong

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Priming of secretory vesicles is a prerequisite for their Ca2+-dependent fusion with the plasma membrane. The key vesicle priming proteins, Munc13s and CAPSs, are thought to mediate vesicle priming by regulating the conformation of the t-SNARE syntaxin, thereby facilitating SNARE complex assembly. Munc13s execute their priming function through their MUN domain. Given that the MUN domain of Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion (CAPS also binds syntaxin, it was assumed that CAPSs prime vesicles through the same mechanism as Munc13s. We studied naturally occurring splice variants of CAPS2 in CAPS1/CAPS2-deficient cells and found that CAPS2 primes vesicles independently of its MUN domain. Instead, the pleckstrin homology domain of CAPS2 seemingly is essential for its priming function. Our findings indicate a priming mode for secretory vesicles. This process apparently requires membrane phospholipids, does not involve the binding or direct conformational regulation of syntaxin by MUN domains of CAPSs, and is therefore not redundant with Munc13 action.

  11. The Human Pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes Releases Lipoproteins as Lipoprotein-rich Membrane Vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biagini, Massimiliano; Garibaldi, Manuela; Aprea, Susanna; Pezzicoli, Alfredo; Doro, Francesco; Becherelli, Marco; Taddei, Anna Rita; Tani, Chiara; Tavarini, Simona; Mora, Marirosa; Teti, Giuseppe; D'Oro, Ugo; Nuti, Sandra; Soriani, Marco; Margarit, Immaculada; Rappuoli, Rino; Grandi, Guido; Norais, Nathalie

    2015-08-01

    Bacterial lipoproteins are attractive vaccine candidates because they represent a major class of cell surface-exposed proteins in many bacteria and are considered as potential pathogen-associated molecular patterns sensed by Toll-like receptors with built-in adjuvanticity. Although Gram-negative lipoproteins have been extensively characterized, little is known about Gram-positive lipoproteins. We isolated from Streptococcus pyogenes a large amount of lipoproteins organized in vesicles. These vesicles were obtained by weakening the bacterial cell wall with a sublethal concentration of penicillin. Lipid and proteomic analysis of the vesicles revealed that they were enriched in phosphatidylglycerol and almost exclusively composed of lipoproteins. In association with lipoproteins, a few hypothetical proteins, penicillin-binding proteins, and several members of the ExPortal, a membrane microdomain responsible for the maturation of secreted proteins, were identified. The typical lipidic moiety was apparently not necessary for lipoprotein insertion in the vesicle bilayer because they were also recovered from the isogenic diacylglyceryl transferase deletion mutant. The vesicles were not able to activate specific Toll-like receptor 2, indicating that lipoproteins organized in these vesicular structures do not act as pathogen-associated molecular patterns. In light of these findings, we propose to name these new structures Lipoprotein-rich Membrane Vesicles. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. A study of the enhanced sensitizing capacity of a contact allergen in lipid vesicle formulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsson, Carl; Madsen, Jakob Torp; Graneli, Annette

    2011-01-01

    , an indicator of a compounds sensitizing capacity, increased when RBITC was applied in lipid vesicles as compared to an ethanol:water (Et:W) solution. Micro-scale vesicles showed a slightly higher cell proliferative response compared to nano-scale vesicles. TPM imaging revealed that the vesicle formulations...... improved the skin penetration of RBITC compared to the Et:W solution. A strong fluorescent region in the stratum corneum and upper epidermis implies elevated association of RBITC to these skin layers when formulated in lipid vesicles. In conclusion, the results indicate that there could be an elevated risk...... of sensitization when haptens are delivered in vehicles containing lipid vesicles. Although the size of the vesicles seems to be of minor importance, further studies are needed before a more generalized conclusion can be drawn. It is likely that the enhanced sensitizing capacity is a consequence of the improved...

  13. Isolation and characterization of urinary extracellular vesicles: implications for biomarker discovery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Merchant, M.L.; Rood, I.M.; Deegens, J.K.J.; Klein, J.B.

    2017-01-01

    Urine is a valuable diagnostic medium and, with the discovery of urinary extracellular vesicles, is viewed as a dynamic bioactive fluid. Extracellular vesicles are lipid-enclosed structures that can be classified into three categories: exosomes, microvesicles (or ectosomes) and apoptotic bodies.

  14. Penetration and fusion of phospholipid vesicles by lysozyme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.; Kim, H.

    1989-01-01

    The lysozyme-induced fusion of phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylethanolamine vesicles as studied at a wide range of pH is found to correlate well with the binding of this protein to the vesicles. An identical 6000 molecular weight segment of lysozyme at the N-terminal region is found to be protected from tryptic digestion when initially incubated with vesicles at several pH values. Only this segment is labeled by dansyl chloride, which is partitioned into the bilayer. These results suggest the penetration of one segment of lysozyme into the bilayer. Photoactivated labeling of the membrane-penetrating segment of lysozyme with 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-([ 125 I]iodophenyl)diazirine ([ 125 I]TID) and subsequent identification of the labeled residues by Edman degradation and gamma-ray counting indicate that four amino acids from the N-terminal are located outside the hydrophobic core of the bilayer. Although treatment of the membrane-embedded segment with aminopeptidase failed to cleave any amino acids from the N-terminal, it appears that a loop of lysozyme segment near the N-terminal penetrates into the bilayer at acidic pH. A helical wheel diagram shows that the labeling is done mainly on one surface of the alpha-helix. The penetration kinetics as studied by time-dependent [ 125 I]TID labeling coincide with the fusion kinetics, strongly suggesting that the penetration of the lysozyme segment into the vesicles is the cause of the fusion

  15. Penetration and fusion of phospholipid vesicles by lysozyme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, J.; Kim, H. (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul)

    1989-10-01

    The lysozyme-induced fusion of phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylethanolamine vesicles as studied at a wide range of pH is found to correlate well with the binding of this protein to the vesicles. An identical 6000 molecular weight segment of lysozyme at the N-terminal region is found to be protected from tryptic digestion when initially incubated with vesicles at several pH values. Only this segment is labeled by dansyl chloride, which is partitioned into the bilayer. These results suggest the penetration of one segment of lysozyme into the bilayer. Photoactivated labeling of the membrane-penetrating segment of lysozyme with 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(({sup 125}I)iodophenyl)diazirine (({sup 125}I)TID) and subsequent identification of the labeled residues by Edman degradation and gamma-ray counting indicate that four amino acids from the N-terminal are located outside the hydrophobic core of the bilayer. Although treatment of the membrane-embedded segment with aminopeptidase failed to cleave any amino acids from the N-terminal, it appears that a loop of lysozyme segment near the N-terminal penetrates into the bilayer at acidic pH. A helical wheel diagram shows that the labeling is done mainly on one surface of the alpha-helix. The penetration kinetics as studied by time-dependent ({sup 125}I)TID labeling coincide with the fusion kinetics, strongly suggesting that the penetration of the lysozyme segment into the vesicles is the cause of the fusion.

  16. Selective Metal-Ion-Mediated Vesicle Adhesion Based on Dynamic Self-Organization of a Pyrene-Appended Glutamic Acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Pengyao; Wang, Yajie; Yang, Minmin; Zhang, Yimeng; Wang, Bo; Hao, Aiyou

    2016-07-13

    Vesicles with dynamic membranes provide an ideal model system for investigating biological membrane activities, whereby vesicle aggregation behaviors including adhesion, fusion, fission, and membrane contraction/extension have attracted much attention. In this work we utilize an aromatic amino acid (pyrene-appended glutamic acid, PGlu) to prepare nanovesicles that aggregate to form vesicle clusters selectively induced by Fe(3+) or Cu(2+), and the vesicles transform into irregular nano-objects when interacting with Al(3+). Vesicle clusters have better stability than pristine vesicles, which hinders the spontaneous morphological transformation from vesicles into lamellar nanosheets with long incubation period. The difference between complexation of Fe(3+) and Al(3+) with vesicles was studied by various techniques. On the basis of metal ion-vesicle interactions, this self-assembled nanovesicle system also behaves as an effective fluorescent sensor for Fe(3+) and Al(3+), which cause fluorescence quenching and enhanced excimer emission, respectively.

  17. Irregular bilayer structure in vesicles prepared from Halobacterium cutirubrum lipids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanyi, J. K.

    1974-01-01

    Fluorescent probes were used to study the structure of the cell envelope of Halobacterium cutirubrum, and, in particular, to explore the effect of the heterogeneity of the lipids in this organism on the structure of the bilayers. The fluorescence polarization of perylene was followed in vesicles of unfractionated lipids and polar lipids as a function of temperature in 3.4 M solutions of NaCl, NaNO3, and KSCN, and it was found that vesicles of unfractionated lipids were more perturbed by chaotropic agents than polar lipids. The dependence of the relaxation times of perylene on temperature was studied in cell envelopes and in vesicles prepared from polar lipids, unfractionated lipids, and mixtures of polar and neutral lipids.

  18. Seminal vesicle metastasis after partial hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong, Li; Zheng, Minwen; Li, Yanhong; Zhang, Wendong; Bu, Wangjun; Shi, Lifang; Zhang, Wei; Yan, Hong

    2011-01-01

    Metastasis to the seminal vesicle is extremely rare for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To our knowledge, it has been not reported in literature. The purpose of the present paper was to report a case of metastasis to the seminal vesicle after HCC resection, along with its histological features and immunohistochemical characteristics. A 46-year-old Chinese man was admitted to our hospital due to abdominal distension. He had a history of HCC related to hepatitis B virus infection. Moreover, left partial hepatectomy was performed in another hospital 28 months ago, and right partial hepatectomy for HCC recurrence in our hospital 4 months ago. After resection, radiofrequency ablation therapy had been performed. About 27 months after the initial operation, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the pelvic cavity revealed a mass with homogeneous enhancement in the seminal vesicle. Transrectal needle biopsy revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Therefore, seminal vesiculectomy was resected. The histological diagnosis of the removed tumor was compatible with the original HCC. Immunohistochemical examination demonstrated that the tumor cells were positive for glypican-3 (GPC3), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), hepatocyte paraffin-1 (Hep Par 1), cytokeratin 18 (CK 18), and hepatocyte antigen, which confirmed that the seminal vesicle tumor was a metastatic tumor of HCC. However, CT subsequently revealed multiple metastatic foci in the abdominal and pelvic cavities in May 2009 and August 2009, respectively. The seminal vesicle is an extremely rare metastatic site for HCC, and the prognosis is very poor. A combination of clinical and pathological features is necessary for a correct diagnosis, and primary tumor should be excluded before diagnosing metastatic foci

  19. Nanoparticle orientation to control RNA loading and ligand display on extracellular vesicles for cancer regression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pi, Fengmei; Binzel, Daniel W.; Lee, Tae Jin; Li, Zhefeng; Sun, Meiyan; Rychahou, Piotr; Li, Hui; Haque, Farzin; Wang, Shaoying; Croce, Carlo M.; Guo, Bin; Evers, B. Mark; Guo, Peixuan

    2018-01-01

    Nanotechnology offers many benefits, and here we report an advantage of applying RNA nanotechnology for directional control. The orientation of arrow-shaped RNA was altered to control ligand display on extracellular vesicle membranes for specific cell targeting, or to regulate intracellular trafficking of small interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA). Placing membrane-anchoring cholesterol at the tail of the arrow results in display of RNA aptamer or folate on the outer surface of the extracellular vesicle. In contrast, placing the cholesterol at the arrowhead results in partial loading of RNA nanoparticles into the extracellular vesicles. Taking advantage of the RNA ligand for specific targeting and extracellular vesicles for efficient membrane fusion, the resulting ligand-displaying extracellular vesicles were capable of specific delivery of siRNA to cells, and efficiently blocked tumour growth in three cancer models. Extracellular vesicles displaying an aptamer that binds to prostate-specific membrane antigen, and loaded with survivin siRNA, inhibited prostate cancer xenograft. The same extracellular vesicle instead displaying epidermal growth-factor receptor aptamer inhibited orthotopic breast cancer models. Likewise, survivin siRNA-loaded and folate-displaying extracellular vesicles inhibited patient-derived colorectal cancer xenograft.

  20. Small round blue cell tumor of seminal vesicle in a young patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriano A. De Paula

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Seminal vesicle tumor is a rare disease with unclear origin. Generally, it is presented as a pelvic mass that can be detected by sonography and digital rectal exam. The authors report a 25-year-old patient with a pelvic mass which the magnetic resonance and surgical specimen reveal a seminal vesicle tumor. Immunohistochemical findings favored a primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the seminal vesicle. Herein, the treatment, histological and histochemical findings of this entity are discussed.

  1. Interbilayer-crosslinked multilamellar vesicles as synthetic vaccines for potent humoral and cellular immune responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, James J.; Suh, Heikyung; Bershteyn, Anna; Stephan, Matthias T.; Liu, Haipeng; Huang, Bonnie; Sohail, Mashaal; Luo, Samantha; Ho Um, Soong; Khant, Htet; Goodwin, Jessica T.; Ramos, Jenelyn; Chiu, Wah; Irvine, Darrell J.

    2011-03-01

    Vaccines based on recombinant proteins avoid the toxicity and antivector immunity associated with live vaccine (for example, viral) vectors, but their immunogenicity is poor, particularly for CD8+ T-cell responses. Synthetic particles carrying antigens and adjuvant molecules have been developed to enhance subunit vaccines, but in general these materials have failed to elicit CD8+ T-cell responses comparable to those for live vectors in preclinical animal models. Here, we describe interbilayer-crosslinked multilamellar vesicles formed by crosslinking headgroups of adjacent lipid bilayers within multilamellar vesicles. Interbilayer-crosslinked vesicles stably entrapped protein antigens in the vesicle core and lipid-based immunostimulatory molecules in the vesicle walls under extracellular conditions, but exhibited rapid release in the presence of endolysosomal lipases. We found that these antigen/adjuvant-carrying vesicles form an extremely potent whole-protein vaccine, eliciting endogenous T-cell and antibody responses comparable to those for the strongest vaccine vectors. These materials should enable a range of subunit vaccines and provide new possibilities for therapeutic protein delivery.

  2. Cholesterol transfer at endosomal-organelle membrane contact sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridgway, Neale D; Zhao, Kexin

    2018-06-01

    Cholesterol is delivered to the limiting membrane of late endosomes by Niemann-Pick Type C1 and C2 proteins. This review summarizes recent evidence that cholesterol transfer from endosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum and other organelles is mediated by lipid-binding proteins that localize to membrane contact sites (MCS). LDL-cholesterol in the late endosomal/lysosomes is exported to the plasma membrane, where most cholesterol resides, and the endoplasmic reticulum, which harbors the regulatory complexes and enzymes that control the synthesis and esterification of cholesterol. A major advance in dissecting these cholesterol transport pathways was identification of frequent and dynamic MCS between endosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum, peroxisomes and plasma membrane. Positioned at these MCS are members of the oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid-transfer family of lipid transfer proteins that bridge the opposing membranes and directly or indirectly mediate cholesterol transfer. OSBP-related protein 1L (ORP1L), ORP5 and ORP6 mediate cholesterol transfer to the endoplasmic reticulum that regulates cholesterol homeostasis. ORP1L and STARD3 also move cholesterol from the endoplasmic reticulum-to-late endosomal/lysosomes under low-cholesterol conditions to facilitate intraluminal vesicle formation. Cholesterol transport also occurs at MCS with peroxisomes and possibly the plasma membrane. Frequent contacts between organelles and the endo-lysosomal vesicles are sites for bidirectional transfer of cholesterol.

  3. Unconditionally energy stable numerical schemes for phase-field vesicle membrane model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillén-González, F.; Tierra, G.

    2018-02-01

    Numerical schemes to simulate the deformation of vesicles membranes via minimizing the bending energy have been widely studied in recent times due to its connection with many biological motivated problems. In this work we propose a new unconditionally energy stable numerical scheme for a vesicle membrane model that satisfies exactly the conservation of volume constraint and penalizes the surface area constraint. Moreover, we extend these ideas to present an unconditionally energy stable splitting scheme decoupling the interaction of the vesicle with a surrounding fluid. Finally, the well behavior of the proposed schemes are illustrated through several computational experiments.

  4. Self-assembly of star micelle into vesicle in solvents of variable quality: the star micelle retains its core-shell nanostructure in the vesicle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Nijuan; He, Qun; Bu, Weifeng

    2015-03-03

    Intra- and intermolecular interactions of star polymers in dilute solutions are of fundamental importance for both theoretical interest and hierarchical self-assembly into functional nanostructures. Here, star micelles with a polystyrene corona and a small ionic core bearing platinum(II) complexes have been regarded as a model of star polymers to mimic their intra- and interstar interactions and self-assembled behaviors in solvents of weakening quality. In the chloroform/methanol mixture solvents, the star micelles can self-assemble to form vesicles, in which the star micelles shrink significantly and are homogeneously distributed on the vesicle surface. Unlike the morphological evolution of conventional amphiphiles from micellar to vesicular, during which the amphiphilic molecules are commonly reorganized, the star micelles still retain their core-shell nanostructures in the vesicles and the coronal chains of the star micelle between the ionic cores are fully interpenetrated.

  5. Two types of mineral-related matrix vesicles in the bone mineralization of zebrafish

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, L; Zhang, Y; Cui, F Z

    2007-01-01

    Two types of mineral-related matrix vesicle, multivesicular body (MVB) and monovesicle, were detected in the skeletal bone of zebrafish. Transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses of the vesicular inclusions reveal that both types of vesicles contain calcium and phosphorus, suggesting that these vesicles may be involved in mineral ion delivery for the bone mineralization of zebrafish. However, their size and substructure are quite different. Monovesicles, whose diameter ranges from 100 nm to 550 nm, are similar to the previously reported normal matrix vesicles, while MVBs have a larger size of 700-1000 nm in nominal diameter and possess a substructure that is composed of smaller vesicles with their average size around 100 nm. The presence of mineral-related MVBs, which is first identified in zebrafish bone, indicates that the mineralization-associated transportation process of mineral ions is more complicated than is ordinarily imagined

  6. Calcium transport in sealed vesicles from red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) storage tissue. II. Characterization of 45Ca2+ uptake into plasma membrane vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giannini, J.L.; Ruiz-Cristin, J.; Briskin, D.P.

    1987-01-01

    Calcium uptake was examined in sealed plasma membrane vesicles isolated from red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) storage tissue using 45 Ca 2+ . Uptake of 45 Ca 2+ by the vesicles was ATP-dependent and radiotracer accumulated by the vesicles could be released by the addition of the calcium ionophore A23187. The uptake was stimulated by gramicidin D but slightly inhibited by carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. Although the latter result might suggest some degree of indirect coupling of 45 Ca 2+ uptake to ATP utilization via ΔμH + , no evidence for a secondary H + /Ca 2+ antiport in this vesicle system could be found. Following the imposition of an acid-interior pH gradient, proton efflux from the vesicle was not enhanced by the addition of Ca 2+ and an imposed pH gradient could not drive 45 Ca 2+ uptake. Optimal uptake of 45 Ca 2+ occurred broadly between pH 7.0 and 7.5 and the transport was inhibited by orthovanadate, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and diethylstilbestrol but insensitive to nitrate and azide. The dependence of 45 Ca 2+ uptake on both calcium and Mg:ATP concentration demonstrated saturation kinetics with K/sub m/ values of 6 micromolar and 0.37 millimolar, respectively. While ATP was the preferred substrate for driving 45 Ca 2+ uptake, GTP could drive transport at about 50% of the level observed for ATP. The results of this study demonstrate the presence of a unique primary calcium transport system associated with the plasma membrane which could drive calcium efflux from the plant cell

  7. Dynamics of fatty acid vesicles in response to pH stimuli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ikari, Keita; Sakuma, Yuka; Jimbo, Takehiro

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the dynamics of decanoic acid/decanoate (DA) vesicles in response to pH stimuli. Two types of dynamic processes induced by the micro injection of NaOH solutions are sequentially observed: deformations and topological transitions. In the deformation stage, DA vesicles show a series...

  8. Myeloid extracellular vesicles: messengers from the demented brain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annamaria eNigro

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Blood-borne monocyte derived cells play a pivotal, initially unrecognized, role in most central nervous system disorders, including diseases initially classified as purely neurodegenerative (i.e. AD, PD, and ALS. Their trafficking to the brain and spinal cord has been extensively studied in classical neuroinflammatory disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Central nervous system resident myeloid cells, namely microglia and perivascular macrophages, also are in the spotlight of investigations on neurological disorders. Myeloid cells, such as infiltrating macrophages and microglia, have been described as having both protective and destructive features in neurological disorders, thus identification of their functional phenotype during disease evolution would be of paramount importance. Extracellular vesicles, namely exosomes and shed vesicles, are released by virtually any cell type and can be detected and identified in terms of cell origin in biological fluids. They therefore constitute an ideal tool to access information on cells residing in an inaccessible site such as the brain. We will review here available information on extracellular vesicles detection in neurological disorders with special emphasis on neurodegenerative diseases.

  9. Regulatory Multidimensionality of Gas Vesicle Biogenesis in Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew I. Yao

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available It is becoming clear that the regulation of gas vesicle biogenesis in Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 is multifaceted and appears to integrate environmental and metabolic cues at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. The mechanistic details underlying this process, however, remain unclear. In this manuscript, we quantify the contribution of light scattering made by both intracellular and released gas vesicles isolated from Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1, demonstrating that each form can lead to distinct features in growth curves determined by optical density measured at 600 nm (OD600. In the course of the study, we also demonstrate the sensitivity of gas vesicle accumulation in Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 on small differences in growth conditions and reevaluate published works in the context of our results to present a hypothesis regarding the roles of the general transcription factor tbpD and the TCA cycle enzyme aconitase on the regulation of gas vesicle biogenesis.

  10. Therapeutic application of extracellular vesicles in acute and chronic renal injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rovira, Jordi; Diekmann, Fritz; Campistol, Josep M; Ramírez-Bajo, María José

    A new cell-to-cell communication system was discovered in the 1990s, which involves the release of vesicles into the extracellular space. These vesicles shuttle bioactive particles, including proteins, mRNA, miRNA, metabolites, etc. This particular communication has been conserved throughout evolution, which explains why most cell types are capable of producing vesicles. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in the regulation of different physiological processes, as well as in the development and progression of several diseases. EVs have been widely studied over recent years, especially those produced by embryonic and adult stem cells, blood cells, immune system and nervous system cells, as well as tumour cells. EV analysis from bodily fluids has been used as a diagnostic tool for cancer and recently for different renal diseases. However, this review analyses the importance of EVs generated by stem cells, their function and possible clinical application in renal diseases and kidney transplantation. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

  11. Adrenomedullin increases the short-circuit current in the mouse seminal vesicle: actions on chloride secretion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, S B; Cheung, K H; O, W S; Tang, Fai

    2014-08-01

    Adrenomedullin (ADM) may regulate seminal vesicle fluid secretion, and this may affect sperm quality. In this study, we investigated the effect of ADM on chloride secretion in the mouse seminal vesicle. The presence of ADM in mouse seminal vesicle was confirmed using immunostaining, and the molecular species was determined using gel filtration chromatography coupled with enzyme-linked assay for ADM. The effects of ADM on chloride secretion were studied by short-circuit current technique in a whole-mount preparation of mouse seminal vesicle in an Ussing chamber. The effects of specific ADM and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists were investigated. Whether the ADM effect depended on the cAMP- and/or calcium-activated chloride channel was also studied using specific chloride channel blockers. The results showed that ADM was present in seminal vesicle epithelial cells. The major molecular species was precursor in the mouse seminal vesicle. ADM increased short-circuit current through the calcium-activated chloride channel in mouse seminal vesicle, and CGRP receptor was involved. We conclude that ADM may regulate chloride and fluid secretion from the seminal vesicle, which may affect the composition of the seminal plasma bathing the sperm and, hence, fertility. © 2014 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

  12. 4-Phenylbutyric Acid Reveals Good Beneficial Effects on Vital Organ Function via Anti-Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Septic Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Liangming; Wu, Huiling; Zang, JiaTao; Yang, Guangming; Zhu, Yu; Wu, Yue; Chen, Xiangyun; Lan, Dan; Li, Tao

    2016-08-01

    Sepsis and septic shock are the common complications in ICUs. Vital organ function disorder contributes a critical role in high mortality after severe sepsis or septic shock, in which endoplasmic reticulum stress plays an important role. Whether anti-endoplasmic reticulum stress with 4-phenylbutyric acid is beneficial to sepsis and the underlying mechanisms are not known. Laboratory investigation. State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury. Sprague-Dawley rats. Using cecal ligation and puncture-induced septic shock rats, lipopolysaccharide-treated vascular smooth muscle cells, and cardiomyocytes, effects of 4-phenylbutyric acid on vital organ function and the relationship with endoplasmic reticulum stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress were observed. Conventional treatment, including fluid resuscitation, vasopressin, and antibiotic, only slightly improved the hemodynamic variable, such as mean arterial blood pressure and cardiac output, and slightly improved the vital organ function and the animal survival of septic shock rats. Supplementation of 4-phenylbutyric acid (5 mg/kg; anti-endoplasmic reticulum stress), especially administered at early stage, significantly improved the hemodynamic variables, vital organ function, such as liver, renal, and intestinal barrier function, and animal survival in septic shock rats. 4-Phenylbutyric acid application inhibited the endoplasmic reticulum stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins, such as CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein in vital organs, such as heart and superior mesenteric artery after severe sepsis. Further studies showed that 4-phenylbutyric acid inhibited endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated cytokine release, apoptosis, and oxidative stress via inhibition of nuclear factor-κB, caspase-3 and caspase-9, and increasing glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase expression, respectively. Anti

  13. Polymer Vesicles as Robust Scaffolds for the Directed Assembly of Highly Crystalline Nanocrystals †

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Mingfeng

    2009-12-15

    We report the incorporation of various inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) (PbS, LaOF, LaF3, and TiO2, each capped by oleic acid, and CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs capped by trioctylphosphine oxide) into vesicles (d = 70-150 nm) formed by a sample of poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid) (PS4o4-b-PAA 62, where the subscripts refer to the degree of polymerization) in mixtures of tetrahydrofuran (THF), dioxane, and water. The block copolymer formed mixtures of crew-cut micelles and vesicles with some enhancement of the vesicle population when the NPs were present. The vesicle fraction could be isolated by selective sedimentation via centrifugation, followed by redispersion in water. The NPs appeared to be incorporated into the PAA layers on the internal and external walls of the vesicles (strongly favoring the former). NPs on the exterior surface of the vesicles could be removed completely by treating the samples with a solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) in water. The triangular nanoplatelets of LaF3 behaved differently. Stacks of these platelets were incorporated into solid colloidal entities, similar in size to the empty vesicles that accompanied them, during the coassembly as water was added to the polymer/LaF3/THF/ dioxane mixture. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  14. EVpedia: an integrated database of high-throughput data for systemic analyses of extracellular vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dae-Kyum Kim

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Secretion of extracellular vesicles is a general cellular activity that spans the range from simple unicellular organisms (e.g. archaea; Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to complex multicellular ones, suggesting that this extracellular vesicle-mediated communication is evolutionarily conserved. Extracellular vesicles are spherical bilayered proteolipids with a mean diameter of 20–1,000 nm, which are known to contain various bioactive molecules including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Here, we present EVpedia, which is an integrated database of high-throughput datasets from prokaryotic and eukaryotic extracellular vesicles. EVpedia provides high-throughput datasets of vesicular components (proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs, and lipids present on prokaryotic, non-mammalian eukaryotic, and mammalian extracellular vesicles. In addition, EVpedia also provides an array of tools, such as the search and browse of vesicular components, Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, network analysis of vesicular proteins and mRNAs, and a comparison of vesicular datasets by ortholog identification. Moreover, publications on extracellular vesicle studies are listed in the database. This free web-based database of EVpedia (http://evpedia.info might serve as a fundamental repository to stimulate the advancement of extracellular vesicle studies and to elucidate the novel functions of these complex extracellular organelles.

  15. Plane partition vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rensburg, E J Janse van; Ma, J

    2006-01-01

    We examine partitions and their natural three-dimensional generalizations, plane partitions, as models of vesicles undergoing an inflation-deflation transition. The phase diagrams of these models include a critical point corresponding to an inflation-deflation transition, and exhibits multicritical scaling in the vicinity of a multicritical point located elsewhere on the critical curve. We determine the locations of the multicritical points by analysing the generating functions using analytic and numerical means. In addition, we determine the numerical values of the multicritical scaling exponents associated with the multicritical scaling regimes in these models

  16. Transmembrane topology of the acetylcholine receptor examined in reconstituted vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCrea, P.D.

    1987-01-01

    Each of the five acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunits, α 2 β-γδ, is believed to have the same number of transmembrane crossing and to share the same general folding pattern. AChR isolated from the electric organ of electric fish is predominantly dimeric. We have used this bridge as a marker for the C-terminus of the δ subunit, and presumably that of the other subunits in addition. The disulfide's accessibility to hydrophilic reductants, principally glutathione (GSH), was tested in a reconstituted vesicle system. The reduction of the δ-δ desulfide, as evidenced by the transition of AChrR dimers to monomers, was quantitatively monitored on velocity sedimentation sucrose gradients. Alternatively, the reduction of δ 2 to δ was followed by employing non-reducing SDS-PAGE. Reductants such as GSH were able to access the bridge in intact right-side-out vesicles. No acceleration of this process was evident when the vesicles were disrupted by freeze-thaw or by detergents. Control experiments which determined the rate of reduction of entrapped diphtheria toxin, or that of 3 H-GSH efflux, demonstrated that intact reconstituted vesicles provide an adequate permeability barrier to GSH access of their intravesicular space

  17. Antibody Binding Alters the Characteristics and Contents of Extracellular Vesicles Released by Histoplasma capsulatum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baltazar, Ludmila M.; Nakayasu, Ernesto S.; Sobreira, Tiago; Choi, Hyungwon; Casadevall, Arturo; Nimrichter, Leonardo; Nosanchuk, Joshua D.

    2016-03-30

    ABSTRACT

    Histoplasma capsulatumproduces extracellular vesicles containing virulence-associated molecules capable of modulating host machinery, benefiting the pathogen. Treatment ofH. capsulatumcells with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) can change the outcome of infection in mice. We evaluated the sizes, enzymatic contents, and proteomic profiles of the vesicles released by fungal cells treated with either protective MAb 6B7 (IgG1) or nonprotective MAb 7B6 (IgG2b), both of which bindH. capsulatumheat shock protein 60 (Hsp60). Our results showed that treatment with either MAb was associated with changes in size and vesicle loading. MAb treatments reduced vesicle phosphatase and catalase activities compared to those of vesicles from untreated controls. We identified 1,125 proteins in vesicles, and 250 of these manifested differences in abundance relative to that of proteins in vesicles isolated from yeast cells exposed to Hsp60-binding MAbs, indicating that surface binding of fungal cells by MAbs modified protein loading in the vesicles. The abundance of upregulated proteins in vesicles upon MAb 7B6 treatment was 44.8% of the protein quantities in vesicles from fungal cells treated with MAb 6B7. Analysis of orthologous proteins previously identified in vesicles from other fungi showed that different ascomycete fungi have similar proteins in their extracellular milieu, many of which are associated with virulence. Our results demonstrate that antibody binding can modulate fungal cell responses, resulting in differential loading of vesicles, which could alter fungal cell susceptibility to host defenses. This finding provides additional evidence that antibody binding modulates microbial physiology and suggests a new function for specific immunoglobulins through alterations of fungal secretion.

    IMPORTANCEDiverse fungal species release extracellular vesicles, indicating that this is a

  18. Surface degassing and modifications to vesicle size distributions in active basalt flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cashman, K.V.; Mangan, M.T.; Newman, S.

    1994-01-01

    The character of the vesicle population in lava flows includes several measurable parameters that may provide important constraints on lava flow dynamics and rheology. Interpretation of vesicle size distributions (VSDs), however, requires an understanding of vesiculation processes in feeder conduits, and of post-eruption modifications to VSDs during transport and emplacement. To this end we collected samples from active basalt flows at Kilauea Volcano: (1) near the effusive Kupaianaha vent; (2) through skylights in the approximately isothermal Wahaula and Kamoamoa tube systems transporting lava to the coast; (3) from surface breakouts at different locations along the lava tubes; and (4) from different locations in a single breakout from a lava tube 1 km from the 51 vent at Pu'u 'O'o. Near-vent samples are characterized by VSDs that show exponentially decreasing numbers of vesicles with increasing vesicle size. These size distributions suggest that nucleation and growth of bubbles were continuous during ascent in the conduit, with minor associated bubble coalescence resulting from differential bubble rise. The entire vesicle population can be attributed to shallow exsolution of H2O-dominated gases at rates consistent with those predicted by simple diffusion models. Measurements of H2O, CO2 and S in the matrix glass show that the melt equilibrated rapidly at atmospheric pressure. Down-tube samples maintain similar VSD forms but show a progressive decrease in both overall vesicularity and mean vesicle size. We attribute this change to open system, "passive" rise and escape of larger bubbles to the surface. Such gas loss from the tube system results in the output of 1.2 ?? 106 g/day SO2, an output representing an addition of approximately 1% to overall volatile budget calculations. A steady increase in bubble number density with downstream distance is best explained by continued bubble nucleation at rates of 7-8/cm3s. Rates are ???25% of those estimated from the vent

  19. Magnetic resonance of seminal vesicles: a noninvasive study of seminal way

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ocantos, J.A.; Rey Valzacchi, G.; Sinclair, M.E.; Loor Guadamud, G.

    2010-01-01

    The magnetic resonance without endorectal coil is an excellent diagnostic tool for studying the entire route of seminal non-invasive way in a single step diagnosis. We call magnetic resonance of seminal vesicles, but includes both the study of the seminal vesicles as the channels of the seminal way. [es

  20. Intracellular vesicles as reproduction elements in cell wall-deficient L-form bacteria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yves Briers

    Full Text Available Cell wall-deficient bacteria, or L-forms, represent an extreme example of bacterial plasticity. Stable L-forms can multiply and propagate indefinitely in the absence of a cell wall. Data presented here are consistent with the model that intracellular vesicles in Listeria monocytogenes L-form cells represent the actual viable reproductive elements. First, small intracellular vesicles are formed along the mother cell cytoplasmic membrane, originating from local phospholipid accumulation. During growth, daughter vesicles incorporate a small volume of the cellular cytoplasm, and accumulate within volume-expanding mother cells. Confocal Raman microspectroscopy demonstrated the presence of nucleic acids and proteins in all intracellular vesicles, but only a fraction of which reveals metabolic activity. Following collapse of the mother cell and release of the daughter vesicles, they can establish their own membrane potential required for respiratory and metabolic processes. Premature depolarization of the surrounding membrane promotes activation of daughter cell metabolism prior to release. Based on genome resequencing of L-forms and comparison to the parental strain, we found no evidence for predisposing mutations that might be required for L-form transition. Further investigations revealed that propagation by intracellular budding not only occurs in Listeria species, but also in L-form cells generated from different Enterococcus species. From a more general viewpoint, this type of multiplication mechanism seems reminiscent of the physicochemical self-reproducing properties of abiotic lipid vesicles used to study the primordial reproduction pathways of putative prokaryotic precursor cells.

  1. Intracellular vesicles as reproduction elements in cell wall-deficient L-form bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briers, Yves; Staubli, Titu; Schmid, Markus C; Wagner, Michael; Schuppler, Markus; Loessner, Martin J

    2012-01-01

    Cell wall-deficient bacteria, or L-forms, represent an extreme example of bacterial plasticity. Stable L-forms can multiply and propagate indefinitely in the absence of a cell wall. Data presented here are consistent with the model that intracellular vesicles in Listeria monocytogenes L-form cells represent the actual viable reproductive elements. First, small intracellular vesicles are formed along the mother cell cytoplasmic membrane, originating from local phospholipid accumulation. During growth, daughter vesicles incorporate a small volume of the cellular cytoplasm, and accumulate within volume-expanding mother cells. Confocal Raman microspectroscopy demonstrated the presence of nucleic acids and proteins in all intracellular vesicles, but only a fraction of which reveals metabolic activity. Following collapse of the mother cell and release of the daughter vesicles, they can establish their own membrane potential required for respiratory and metabolic processes. Premature depolarization of the surrounding membrane promotes activation of daughter cell metabolism prior to release. Based on genome resequencing of L-forms and comparison to the parental strain, we found no evidence for predisposing mutations that might be required for L-form transition. Further investigations revealed that propagation by intracellular budding not only occurs in Listeria species, but also in L-form cells generated from different Enterococcus species. From a more general viewpoint, this type of multiplication mechanism seems reminiscent of the physicochemical self-reproducing properties of abiotic lipid vesicles used to study the primordial reproduction pathways of putative prokaryotic precursor cells.

  2. Residual urinary extracellular vesicles in ultracentrifugation supernatants after hydrostatic filtration dialysis enrichment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musante, Luca; Tataruch-Weinert, Dorota; Kerjaschki, Dontscho; Henry, Michael; Meleady, Paula; Holthofer, Harry

    2017-01-01

    Urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) appear an ideal source of biomarkers for kidney and urogenital diseases. The majority of protocols designed for their isolation are based on differential centrifugation steps. However, little is still known of the type and amount of vesicles left in the supernatant. Here we used an isolation protocol for UEVs which uses hydrostatic filtration dialysis as first pre-enrichment step, followed by differential centrifugation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), mass spectrometry (MS), western blot, ELISA assays and tuneable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) were used to characterise and quantify UEVs in the ultracentrifugation supernatant. TEM showed the presence of a variety of small size vesicles in the supernatant while protein identification by MS matched accurately with the protein list available in Vesiclepedia. Screening and relative quantification for specific vesicle markers showed that the supernatant was preferentially positive for CD9 and TSG101. ELISA tests for quantification of exosome revealed that 14%, was left in the supernatant with a particle diameter of 110 nm and concentration of 1.54 × 10 10 /ml. Here we show a comprehensive characterisation of exosomes and other small size urinary vesicles which the conventional differential centrifugation protocol may lose.

  3. A simplified method to recover urinary vesicles for clinical applications, and sample banking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musante, Luca; Tataruch, Dorota; Gu, Dongfeng; Benito-Martin, Alberto; Calzaferri, Giulio; Aherne, Sinead; Holthofer, Harry

    2014-12-23

    Urinary extracellular vesicles provide a novel source for valuable biomarkers for kidney and urogenital diseases: Current isolation protocols include laborious, sequential centrifugation steps which hampers their widespread research and clinical use. Furthermore, large individual urine sample volumes or sizable target cohorts are to be processed (e.g. for biobanking), the storage capacity is an additional problem. Thus, alternative methods are necessary to overcome such limitations. We have developed a practical vesicle isolation technique to yield easily manageable sample volumes in an exceptionally cost efficient way to facilitate their full utilization in less privileged environments and maximize the benefit of biobanking. Urinary vesicles were isolated by hydrostatic dialysis with minimal interference of soluble proteins or vesicle loss. Large volumes of urine were concentrated up to 1/100 of original volume and the dialysis step allowed equalization of urine physico-chemical characteristics. Vesicle fractions were found suitable to any applications, including RNA analysis. In the yield, our hydrostatic filtration dialysis system outperforms the conventional ultracentrifugation-based methods and the labour intensive and potentially hazardous step of ultracentrifugations are eliminated. Likewise, the need for trained laboratory personnel and heavy initial investment is avoided. Thus, our method qualifies as a method for laboratories working with urinary vesicles and biobanking.

  4. The Function of Gas Vesicles in Halophilic Archaeaand Bacteria: Theories and Experimental Evidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oren, Aharon

    2012-01-01

    A few extremely halophilic Archaea (Halobacterium salinarum, Haloquadratum walsbyi, Haloferax mediterranei, Halorubrum vacuolatum, Halogeometricum borinquense, Haloplanus spp.) possess gas vesicles that bestow buoyancy on the cells. Gas vesicles are also produced by the anaerobic endospore-forming halophilic Bacteria Sporohalobacter lortetii and Orenia sivashensis. We have extensive information on the properties of gas vesicles in Hbt. salinarum and Hfx. mediterranei and the regulation of their formation. Different functions were suggested for gas vesicle synthesis: buoying cells towards oxygen-rich surface layers in hypersaline water bodies to prevent oxygen limitation, reaching higher light intensities for the light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin, positioning the cells optimally for light absorption, light shielding, reducing the cytoplasmic volume leading to a higher surface-area-to-volume ratio (for the Archaea) and dispersal of endospores (for the anaerobic spore-forming Bacteria). Except for Hqr. walsbyi which abounds in saltern crystallizer brines, gas-vacuolate halophiles are not among the dominant life forms in hypersaline environments. There only has been little research on gas vesicles in natural communities of halophilic microorganisms, and the few existing studies failed to provide clear evidence for their possible function. This paper summarizes the current status of the different theories why gas vesicles may provide a selective advantage to some halophilic microorganisms. PMID:25371329

  5. Electrogenic Na+-independent Pi transport in canine renal basolateral membrane vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwab, S.J.; Hammerman, M.R.

    1986-01-01

    To define the mechanism by which Pi exists from the renal proximal tubular cell across the basolateral membrane, we measured 32Pi uptake in basolateral membrane vesicles from dog kidney in the absence of Na+. Preloading of basolateral vesicles with 2 mM Pi transstimulated 32Pi uptake, which is consistent with counterflow. We used measurements of transstimulation to quantitate the transport component of 32Pi uptake. Transstimulation of 32Pi uptake was inhibited less than 30% by concentrations of probenecid as high as 50 mM. In contrast, transstimulation of 35SO4(2-) uptake by intravesicular SO4(2-) was inhibited 92% by 5 mM probenecid. Preloading basolateral vesicles with SO4(2-) did not result in transstimulation of 32Pi uptake. Accumulation of 32Pi in basolateral vesicles above steady state was driven by a membrane potential (intravesicular positive), consistent with Na+-independent Pi transport being accompanied by the net transfer of negative charge across the membrane. We conclude that carrier-mediated, electrogenic Na+-independent 32Pi transport can be demonstrated in basolateral vesicles from dog kidney. This process appears to be mediated, at least in part, via a mechanism different from that by which SO4(2-) is transported. Electrogenic Na+-independent Pi transport may reflect one means by which Pi reabsorbed across the luminal membrane exists from the proximal tubular cell down an electrochemical gradient

  6. A study of the enhanced sensitizing capacity of a contact allergen in lipid vesicle formulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simonsson, Carl; Madsen, Jakob Torp; Graneli, Annette; Andersen, Klaus E.; Karlberg, Ann-Therese; Jonsson, Charlotte A.; Ericson, Marica B.

    2011-01-01

    The growing focus on nanotechnology and the increased use of nano-sized structures, e.g. vesicles, in topical formulations has led to safety concerns. We have investigated the sensitizing capacity and penetration properties of a fluorescent model compound, rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RBITC), when administered in micro- and nano-scale vesicle formulations. The sensitizing capacity of RBITC was studied using the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) and the skin penetration properties were compared using diffusion cells in combination with two-photon microscopy (TPM). The lymph node cell proliferation, an indicator of a compounds sensitizing capacity, increased when RBITC was applied in lipid vesicles as compared to an ethanol:water (Et:W) solution. Micro-scale vesicles showed a slightly higher cell proliferative response compared to nano-scale vesicles. TPM imaging revealed that the vesicle formulations improved the skin penetration of RBITC compared to the Et:W solution. A strong fluorescent region in the stratum corneum and upper epidermis implies elevated association of RBITC to these skin layers when formulated in lipid vesicles. In conclusion, the results indicate that there could be an elevated risk of sensitization when haptens are delivered in vehicles containing lipid vesicles. Although the size of the vesicles seems to be of minor importance, further studies are needed before a more generalized conclusion can be drawn. It is likely that the enhanced sensitizing capacity is a consequence of the improved penetration and increased formation of hapten-protein complexes in epidermis when RBITC is delivered in ethosomal formulations. - Graphical Abstract: Display Omitted

  7. The Influence of Vesicle Shape and Medium Conductivity on Possible Electrofusion under a Pulsed Electric Field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Linying; Mao, Zheng; Zhang, Jianhua; Liu, Na; Liu, Qing Huo

    2016-01-01

    The effects of electric field on lipid membrane and cells have been extensively studied in the last decades. The phenomena of electroporation and electrofusion are of particular interest due to their wide use in cell biology and biotechnology. However, numerical studies on the electrofusion of cells (or vesicles) with different deformed shapes are still rare. Vesicle, being of cell size, can be treated as a simple model of cell to investigate the behaviors of cell in electric field. Based on the finite element method, we investigate the effect of vesicle shape on electrofusion of contact vesicles in various medium conditions. The transmembrane voltage (TMV) and pore density induced by a pulsed field are examined to analyze the possibility of vesicle fusion. In two different medium conditions, the prolate shape is observed to have selective electroporation at the contact area of vesicles when the exterior conductivity is smaller than the interior one; selective electroporation is more inclined to be found at the poles of the oblate vesicles when the exterior conductivity is larger than the interior one. Furthermore, we find that when the exterior conductivity is lower than the internal conductivity, the pulse can induce a selective electroporation at the contact area between two vesicles regardless of the vesicle shape. Both of these two findings have important practical applications in guiding electrofusion experiments.

  8. Porphyromonas gingivalis Outer Membrane Vesicles Mediate Coaggregation and Piggybacking of Treponema denticola and Lachnoanaerobaculum saburreum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Grenier

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Porphyromonas gingivalis sheds outer membrane vesicles that contain several virulence factors, including adhesins. In this study, we investigated the ability of P. gingivalis outer membrane vesicles to mediate the coaggregation and piggybacking of Treponema denticola and Lachnoanaerobaculum saburreum. Marked coaggregation between T. denticola and L. saburreum occurred in the presence of P. gingivalis outer membrane vesicles. Sucrose was an effective chemoattractant for the motile species T. denticola. The addition of outer membrane vesicles to a mixture of T. denticola and L. saburreum significantly increased the number of nonmotile bacteria that migrated into a sucrose-filled capillary tube immersed in the bacterial mixture. Under optimal conditions, the number of nonmotile L. saburreum in the capillary tube increased approximately 5-fold, whereas no increase occurred when boiled vesicles were used. This study showed that P. gingivalis outer membrane vesicles mediate coaggregation between T. denticola and L. saburreum and that nonmotile bacteria can be translocated by piggybacking on spirochetes.

  9. A practical guide to giant vesicles. Probing the membrane nanoregime via optical microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dimova, Rumiana; Aranda, Said; Bezlyepkina, Natalya; Nikolov, Vesselin; Riske, Karin A; Lipowsky, Reinhard

    2006-01-01

    Research on giant vesicles is becoming increasingly popular. Giant vesicles provide model biomembrane systems for systematic measurements of mechanical and rheological properties of bilayers as a function of membrane composition and temperature, as well as hydrodynamic interactions. Membrane response to external factors (for example electric fields, ions and amphiphilic molecules) can be directly visualized under the microscope. In this paper we review our current understanding of lipid bilayers as obtained from studies on giant unilamellar vesicles. Because research on giant vesicles increasingly attracts the interest of scientists from various backgrounds, we also try to provide a concise introduction for newcomers in the field. Finally, we summarize some recent developments on curvature effects induced by polymers, domain formation in membranes and shape transitions induced by electric fields

  10. Onsager's variational principle for the dynamics of a vesicle in a Poiseuille flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oya, Yutaka; Kawakatsu, Toshihiro

    2018-03-01

    We propose a systematic formulation of the migration behaviors of a vesicle in a Poiseuille flow based on Onsager's variational principle, which can be used to determine the most stable steady state. Our model is described by a combination of the phase field theory for the vesicle and the hydrodynamics for the flow field. The dynamics is governed by the bending elastic energy and the dissipation functional, the latter being composed of viscous dissipation of the flow field, dissipation of the bending energy of the vesicle, and the friction between the vesicle and the flow field. We performed a series of simulations on 2-dimensional systems by changing the bending elasticity of the membrane and observed 3 types of steady states, i.e., those with slipper shape, bullet shape, and snaking motion, and a quasi-steady state with zig-zag motion. We show that the transitions among these steady states can be quantitatively explained by evaluating the dissipation functional, which is determined by the competition between the friction on the vesicle surface and the viscous dissipation in the bulk flow.

  11. In Vivo and In Silico Investigation Into Mechanisms of Frequency Dependence of Repolarization Alternans in Human Ventricular Cardiomyocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xin; Bueno-Orovio, Alfonso; Orini, Michele; Hanson, Ben; Hayward, Martin; Taggart, Peter; Lambiase, Pier D; Burrage, Kevin; Rodriguez, Blanca

    2016-01-22

    Repolarization alternans (RA) are associated with arrhythmogenesis. Animal studies have revealed potential mechanisms, but human-focused studies are needed. RA generation and frequency dependence may be determined by cell-to-cell variability in protein expression, which is regulated by genetic and external factors. To characterize in vivo RA in human and to investigate in silico using human models, the ionic mechanisms underlying the frequency-dependent differences in RA behavior identified in vivo. In vivo electrograms were acquired at 240 sites covering the epicardium of 41 patients at 6 cycle lengths (600-350 ms). In silico investigations were conducted using a population of biophysically detailed human models incorporating variability in protein expression and calibrated using in vivo recordings. Both in silico and in vivo, 2 types of RA were identified, with Fork- and Eye-type restitution curves, based on RA persistence or disappearance, respectively, at fast pacing rates. In silico simulations show that RA are strongly correlated with fluctuations in sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium, because of strong release and weak reuptake. Large L-type calcium current conductance is responsible for RA disappearance at fast frequencies in Eye-type (30% larger in Eye-type versus Fork-type; Psilico, 2 types of RA are identified, with RA persistence/disappearance as frequency increases. In silico, L-type calcium current and Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger current determine RA human cell-to-cell differences through intracellular and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium regulation. © 2015 The Authors.

  12. Effects of chronic administration of clenbuterol on contractile properties and calcium homeostasis in rat extensor digitorum longus muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sirvent, Pascal; Douillard, Aymerick; Galbes, Olivier; Ramonatxo, Christelle; Py, Guillaume; Candau, Robin; Lacampagne, Alain

    2014-01-01

    Clenbuterol, a β2-agonist, induces skeletal muscle hypertrophy and a shift from slow-oxidative to fast-glycolytic muscle fiber type profile. However, the cellular mechanisms of the effects of chronic clenbuterol administration on skeletal muscle are not completely understood. As the intracellular Ca2+ concentration must be finely regulated in many cellular processes, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic clenbuterol treatment on force, fatigue, intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis and Ca2+-dependent proteolysis in fast-twitch skeletal muscles (the extensor digitorum longus, EDL, muscle), as they are more sensitive to clenbuterol-induced hypertrophy. Male Wistar rats were chronically treated with 4 mg.kg-1 clenbuterol or saline vehicle (controls) for 21 days. Confocal microscopy was used to evaluate sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load, Ca2+-transient amplitude and Ca2+ spark properties. EDL muscles from clenbuterol-treated animals displayed hypertrophy, a shift from slow to fast fiber type profile and increased absolute force, while the relative force remained unchanged and resistance to fatigue decreased compared to control muscles from rats treated with saline vehicle. Compared to control animals, clenbuterol treatment decreased Ca2+-transient amplitude, Ca2+ spark amplitude and frequency and the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load was markedly reduced. Conversely, calpain activity was increased by clenbuterol chronic treatment. These results indicate that chronic treatment with clenbuterol impairs Ca2+ homeostasis and this could contribute to the remodeling and functional impairment of fast-twitch skeletal muscle.

  13. Effects of ginger extract on smooth muscle activity of sheep reticulum and rumen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amin Mamaghani

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Reticulorumen hypomotility leads to the impaired physiologic functions of the digestive tract. Prokinetic action of ginger has been demonstrated in the laboratory animals and human. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of ginger on contraction and motility of reticulum and rumen of ruminants. Collected samples of reticulum and rumen from eight sheep were investigated in vitro. The extract at the concentration of 0.1 and 1.0 mg L-1 had no effect on any preparations. Contraction of reticulum and rumen preparations was occurred at 10.0 and 100 mg L-1 concentrations (p < 0.05. Concentration of 1000 mg L-1 caused a relaxation in preparations contracted with 10.0 and 100 mg L-1. Likewise, the concentration of 1000 mg L-1 significantly (p < 0.05 inhibited ACh-induced contraction in both tissues. Six sheep were involved in electromyographic study. Administration of 40 mg kg-1 of the extract increased the overall frequency of contractions of the reticulum and rumen at the subsequent three days with the prominent increase at the second day (p < 0.05. Results of in vitro study indicated that hydroalcoholic extract of ginger contained spasmogenic and spasmolytic constituents. The results in vivo study represented evidences that the extract may have stimulant effect on reticulorumen motility in 40 mg kg-1 concentration.

  14. Endoplasmic reticulum stress and diabetic retinopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toshiyuki Oshitari

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Toshiyuki Oshitari1,2, Natsuyo Hata1, Shuichi Yamamoto11Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Kimitsu Central Hospital, Kisarazu City, Chiba, JapanAbstract: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases including Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. Many recent studies have shown that ER stress is related to the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus, and with the death of pancreatic β-cells, insulin resistance, and the death of the vascular cells in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy is a major complication of diabetes and results in death of both neural and vascular cells. Because the death of the neurons directly affects visual function, the precise mechanism causing the death of neurons in early diabetic retinopathy must be determined. The ideal therapy for preventing the onset and the progression of diabetic retinopathy would be to treat the factors involved with both the vascular and neuronal abnormalities in diabetic retinopathy. In this review, we present evidence that ER stress is involved in the death of both retinal neurons and vascular cells in diabetic eyes, and thus reducing or blocking ER stress may be a potential therapy for preventing the onset and the progression of diabetic retinopathy.Keywords: endoplasmic reticulum stress, diabetic retinopathy, vascular cell death, neuronal cell death

  15. G protein betagamma-subunits activated by serotonin mediate presynaptic inhibition by regulating vesicle fusion properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Photowala, Huzefa; Blackmer, Trillium; Schwartz, Eric; Hamm, Heidi E; Alford, Simon

    2006-03-14

    Neurotransmitters are thought to be released as quanta, where synaptic vesicles deliver packets of neurotransmitter to the synaptic cleft by fusion with the plasma membrane. However, synaptic vesicles may undergo incomplete fusion. We provide evidence that G protein-coupled receptors inhibit release by causing such incomplete fusion. 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor signaling potently inhibits excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) between lamprey reticulospinal axons and their postsynaptic targets by a direct action on the vesicle fusion machinery. We show that 5-HT receptor-mediated presynaptic inhibition, at this synapse, involves a reduction in EPSC quantal size. Quantal size was measured directly by comparing unitary quantal amplitudes of paired EPSCs before and during 5-HT application and indirectly by determining the effect of 5-HT on the relationship between mean-evoked EPSC amplitude and variance. Results from FM dye-labeling experiments indicate that 5-HT prevents full fusion of vesicles. 5-HT reduces FM1-43 staining of vesicles with a similar efficacy to its effect on the EPSC. However, destaining of FM1-43-labeled vesicles is abolished by lower concentrations of 5-HT that leave a substantial EPSC. The use of a water-soluble membrane impermeant quenching agent in the extracellular space reduced FM1-43 fluorescence during stimulation in 5-HT. Thus vesicles contact the extracellular space during inhibition of synaptic transmission by 5-HT. We conclude that 5-HT, via free Gbetagamma, prevents the collapse of synaptic vesicles into the presynaptic membrane.

  16. miR-200–containing extracellular vesicles promote breast cancer cell metastasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Minh T.N.; Hamar, Peter; Guo, Changying; Basar, Emre; Perdigão-Henriques, Ricardo; Balaj, Leonora; Lieberman, Judy

    2014-01-01

    Metastasis is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Not all cancer cells within a tumor are capable of metastasizing. The microRNA-200 (miR-200) family, which regulates the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, is enriched in the serum of patients with metastatic cancers. Ectopic expression of miR-200 can confer metastatic ability to poorly metastatic tumor cells in some settings. Here, we investigated whether metastatic capability could be transferred between metastatic and nonmetastatic cancer cells via extracellular vesicles. miR-200 was secreted in extracellular vesicles from metastatic murine and human breast cancer cell lines, and miR-200 levels were increased in sera of mice bearing metastatic tumors. In culture, murine and human metastatic breast cancer cell extracellular vesicles transferred miR-200 microRNAs to nonmetastatic cells, altering gene expression and promoting mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. In murine cancer and human xenograft models, miR-200–expressing tumors and extracellular vesicles from these tumors promoted metastasis of otherwise weakly metastatic cells either nearby or at distant sites and conferred to these cells the ability to colonize distant tissues in a miR-200–dependent manner. Together, our results demonstrate that metastatic capability can be transferred by the uptake of extracellular vesicles. PMID:25401471

  17. The BAR Domain Protein PICK1 Controls Vesicle Number and Size in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    da Silva Pinheiro, Paulo César; Jansen, Anna M; de Wit, Heidi

    2014-01-01

    , a marker for immature granules. In chromaffin cells isolated from a PICK1 knockout (KO) mouse the amount of exocytosis was reduced, while release kinetics and Ca(2+) sensitivity were unaffected. Vesicle-fusion events had a reduced frequency and released lower amounts of transmitter per vesicle (i...... in vesicle number and size, whereas the fusion competence of generated vesicles was unaffected by the absence of PICK1. Viral rescue experiments demonstrated that long-term re-expression of PICK1 is necessary to restore normal vesicular content and secretion, while short-term overexpression is ineffective...

  18. Polymerization of styrene in DODAB vesicles : a small-angle neutron scattering study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jung, M.; Robinson, B.H.; Steytler, D.C.; German, A.L.; Heenan, R.K.

    2002-01-01

    The polymerization of styrene, located in the bilayer of dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) vesicles, gives rise to phase separation between the growing polymer and the bilayer. The result is a small (20-30 nm) bead of polymer located in the bilayer of each vesicle giving them a

  19. Tributyltin induces apoptotic signaling in hepatocytes through pathways involving the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grondin, Melanie; Marion, Michel; Denizeau, Francine; Averill-Bates, Diana A.

    2007-01-01

    Tri-n-butyltin is a widespread environmental toxicant, which accumulates in the liver. This study investigates whether tri-n-butyltin induces pro-apoptotic signaling in rat liver hepatocytes through pathways involving the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Tri-n-butyltin activated the endoplasmic reticulum pathway of apoptosis, which was demonstrated by the activation of the protease calpain, its translocation to the plasma membrane, followed by cleavage of the calpain substrates, cytoskeletal protein vinculin, and caspase-12. Caspase-12 is localized to the cytoplasmic side of the endoplasmic reticulum and is involved in apoptosis mediated by the endoplasmic reticulum. Tri-n-butyltin also caused translocation of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bad from the cytosol to mitochondria, as well as changes in mitochondrial membrane permeability, events which can activate the mitochondrial death pathway. Tri-n-butyltin induced downstream apoptotic events in rat hepatocytes at the nuclear level, detected by chromatin condensation and by confocal microscopy using acridine orange. We investigated whether the tri-n-butyltin-induced pro-apoptotic events in hepatocytes could be linked to perturbation of intracellular calcium homeostasis, using confocal microscopy. Tri-n-butyltin caused changes in intracellular calcium distribution, which were similar to those induced by thapsigargin. Calcium was released from a subcellular compartment, which is likely to be the endoplasmic reticulum, into the cytosol. Cytosolic acidification, which is known to trigger apoptosis, also occurred and involved the Cl - /HCO 3 - exchanger. Pro-apoptotic events in hepatocytes were inhibited by the calcium chelator, Bapta-AM, and by a calpain inhibitor, which suggests that changes in intracellular calcium homeostasis are involved in tri-n-butyltin-induced apoptotic signaling in rat hepatocytes

  20. Intracellular signalling pathways in the vasoconstrictor response of mouse afferent arterioles to adenosine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Pernille B. Lærkegaard; Friis, Ulla Glenert; Uhrenholt, Torben Rene

    2007-01-01

    of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), stimulated presumably by IP(3), is involved in the adenosine contraction mechanism of the afferent arteriole. In agreement with this notion is the observation that 2 aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (100 microM) blocked the adenosine-induced constriction whereas...... was abolished by IAA-94. Furthermore, the vasoconstriction caused by adenosine was significantly inhibited by 5 microM nifedipine (control 8.3 +/- 0.2 microM, ado 3.6 +/- 0.6 microM, ado + nifedipine 6.8 +/- 0.2 microM) suggesting involvement of voltage-dependent calcium channels. CONCLUSION: We conclude...

  1. Localization and in-vivo characterization of thapsia garganica CYP76AE2 indicates a role in thapsigargin biosynthesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Trine Bundgaard; Martinez-Swatson, Karen Agatha; Rasmussen, Silas Anselm

    2017-01-01

    The Mediterranean plant Thapsia garganica (dicot, Apiaceae), also known as deadly carrot, produces the highly toxic compound thapsigargin. This compound is a potent inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase calcium pump in mammals and is of industrial importance as the active...... in Nicotiana benthamiana, converts epikunzeaol into epidihydrocostunolide. Furthermore, we show that thapsigargin is likely to be stored in secretory ducts in the roots. Transcripts from TgTPS2 (epikunzeaol synthase) and TgCYP76AE2 in roots were found only in the epithelial cells lining these secretory ducts...

  2. Relaxant mechanisms of 3, 5, 7, 30, 40-pentamethoxyflavone on isolated human cavernosum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jansakul, Chaweewan; Tachanaparuksa, Kuldej; Mulvany, Michael J.

    2012-01-01

    We have investigated effects and mechanisms responsible for the activity of 3, 5, 7, 30, 40-pentamethoxyflavone (PMF) on isolated human cavernosum. PMF is the major flavone isolated from Kaempferia parviflora claimed to act as an aphrodisiac. PMF caused relaxation of phenylephrine precontracted...... Krebs solution with nifedipine (blocker of L-type Ca2þ channels), or in Ca2þ-free Krebs solution, PMF caused a further inhibition of human cavernosum contracted with phenylephrine. In human cavernosum treated with thapsigargin (inhibitor of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2þ-ATPase) in Ca2þ-free medium, PMF...

  3. Mapping organelle motion reveals a vesicular conveyor belt spatially replenishing secretory vesicles in stimulated chromaffin cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maucort, Guillaume; Kasula, Ravikiran; Papadopulos, Andreas; Nieminen, Timo A; Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Halina; Meunier, Frederic A

    2014-01-01

    How neurosecretory cells spatially adjust their secretory vesicle pools to replenish those that have fused and released their hormonal content is currently unknown. Here we designed a novel set of image analyses to map the probability of tracked organelles undergoing a specific type of movement (free, caged or directed). We then applied our analysis to time-lapse z-stack confocal imaging of secretory vesicles from bovine Chromaffin cells to map the global changes in vesicle motion and directionality occurring upon secretagogue stimulation. We report a defined region abutting the cortical actin network that actively transports secretory vesicles and is dissipated by actin and microtubule depolymerizing drugs. The directionality of this "conveyor belt" towards the cell surface is activated by stimulation. Actin and microtubule networks therefore cooperatively probe the microenvironment to transport secretory vesicles to the periphery, providing a mechanism whereby cells globally adjust their vesicle pools in response to secretagogue stimulation.

  4. Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers and Therapeutics in Dermatology: A Focus on Exosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McBride, Jeffrey D; Rodriguez-Menocal, Luis; Badiavas, Evangelos V

    2017-08-01

    Extracellular vesicles (exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies) are ubiquitous in human tissues, circulation, and body fluids. Of these vesicles, exosomes are of growing interest among investigators across multiple fields, including dermatology. The characteristics of exosomes, their associated cargo (nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids), and downstream functions are vastly different, depending on the cell origin. Here, we review concepts in extracellular vesicle biology, with a focus on exosomes, highlighting recent studies in the field of dermatology. Furthermore, we highlight emerging technical issues associated with isolating and measuring exosomes. Extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, have immediate potential for serving as biomarkers and therapeutics in dermatology over the next decade. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Characterization of ryanodine receptor and Ca2+-ATPase isoforms in the thermogenic heater organ of blue marlin (Makaira nigricans).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrissette, Jeffery M; Franck, Jens P G; Block, Barbara A

    2003-03-01

    A thermogenic organ is found beneath the brain of billfishes (Istiophoridae), swordfish (Xiphiidae) and the butterfly mackerel (Scombridae). The heater organ has been shown to warm the brain and eyes up to 14 degrees C above ambient water temperature. Heater cells are derived from extraocular muscle fibers and express a modified muscle phenotype with an extensive transverse-tubule (T-tubule) network and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) enriched in Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) pumps and ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Heater cells have a high mitochondria content but have lost most of the contractile myofilaments. Thermogenesis has been hypothesized to be associated with release and reuptake of Ca(2+). In this study, Ca(2+) fluxes in heater SR vesicles derived from blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) were measured using fura-2 fluorescence. Upon the addition of MgATP, heater SR vesicles rapidly sequestered Ca(2+). Uptake of Ca(2+) was thapsigargin sensitive, and maximum loading ranged between 0.8 micro mol Ca(2+) mg(-1) protein and 1.0 micro mol Ca(2+) mg(-1) protein. Upon the addition of 10 mmol l(-1) caffeine or 350 micro mol l(-1) ryanodine, heater SR vesicles released only a small fraction of the loaded Ca(2+). However, ryanodine could elicit a much larger Ca(2+) release event when the activity of the SERCA pumps was reduced. RNase protection assays revealed that heater tissue expresses an RyR isoform that is also expressed in fish slow-twitch skeletal muscle but is distinct from the RyR expressed in fish fast-twitch skeletal muscle. The heater and slow-twitch muscle RyR isoform has unique physiological properties. In the presence of adenine nucleotides, this RyR remains open even though cytoplasmic Ca(2+) is elevated, a condition that normally closes RyRs. The fast Ca(2+) sequestration by the heater SR, coupled with a physiologically unique RyR, is hypothesized to promote Ca(2+) cycling, ATP turnover and heat generation. A branch of the oculomotor nerve innervates heater organs

  6. Morphological changes in vesicles and release of an encapsulated compound triggered by a photoresponsive Malachite Green leuconitrile derivative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uda, Ryoko M; Hiraishi, Eri; Ohnishi, Ryo; Nakahara, Yoshio; Kimura, Keiichi

    2010-04-20

    Photoinduced morphological changes in phosphatidylcholine vesicles are triggered by a Malachite Green leuconitrile derivative dissolved in the lipidic membrane, and are observed at Malachite Green derivative/lipid ratios Malachite Green derivative is a photoresponsive compound that undergoes ionization to afford a positive charge on the molecule by UV irradiation. The Malachite Green derivative exhibits amphiphilicity when ionized photochemically, whereas it behaves as a lipophilic compound under dark conditions. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy was used to determine vesicle morphology. The effects of the Malachite Green derivative on vesicles were studied by dynamic light scattering and fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Irradiation of vesicles containing the Malachite Green derivative induces nonspherical vesicle morphology, fusion of vesicles, and membrane solubilization, depending on conditions. Furthermore, irradiation of the Malachite Green derivative induces the release of a vesicle-encapsulated compound.

  7. Structure formation of lipid membranes: Membrane self-assembly and vesicle opening-up to octopus-like micelles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noguchi, Hiroshi

    2013-02-01

    We briefly review our recent studies on self-assembly and vesicle rupture of lipid membranes using coarse-grained molecular simulations. For single component membranes, lipid molecules self-assemble from random gas states to vesicles via disk-shaped clusters. Clusters aggregate into larger clusters, and subsequently the large disks close into vesicles. The size of vesicles are determined by kinetics than by thermodynamics. When a vesicle composed of lipid and detergent types of molecules is ruptured, a disk-shaped micelle called bicelle can be formed. When both surfactants have negligibly low critical micelle concentration, it is found that bicelles connected with worm-like micelles are also formed depending on the surfactant ratio and spontaneous curvature of the membrane monolayer.

  8. CAPS Activity in Priming Vesicle Exocytosis Requires CK2 Phosphorylation*

    OpenAIRE

    Nojiri, Mari; Loyet, Kelly M.; Klenchin, Vadim A.; Kabachinski, Gregory; Martin, Thomas F. J.

    2009-01-01

    CAPS (Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion) functions in priming Ca2+-dependent vesicle exocytosis, but the regulation of CAPS activity has not been characterized. Here we show that phosphorylation by protein kinase CK2 is required for CAPS activity. Dephosphorylation eliminated CAPS activity in reconstituting Ca2+-dependent vesicle exocytosis in permeable and intact PC12 cells. Ser-5, -6, and -7 and Ser-1281 were identified by mass spectrometry as the major phosphorylation sites in...

  9. α-Synuclein may cross-bridge v-SNARE and acidic phospholipids to facilitate SNARE-dependent vesicle docking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lou, Xiaochu; Kim, Jaewook; Hawk, Brenden J; Shin, Yeon-Kyun

    2017-06-06

    Misfolded α-synuclein (A-syn) is widely recognized as the primal cause of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. The normal cellular function of A-syn has, however, been elusive. There is evidence that A-syn plays multiple roles in the exocytotic pathway in the neuron, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. A-syn has been known to interact with negatively charged phospholipids and with vesicle SNARE protein VAMP2. Using single-vesicle docking/fusion assays, we find that A-syn promotes SNARE-dependent vesicles docking significantly at 2.5 µM. When phosphatidylserine (PS) is removed from t-SNARE-bearing vesicles, the docking enhancement by A-syn disappears and A-syn instead acts as an inhibitor for docking. In contrast, subtraction of PS from the v-SNARE-carrying vesicles enhances vesicle docking even further. Moreover, when we truncate the C-terminal 45 residues of A-syn that participates in interacting with VAMP2, the promotion of vesicle docking is abrogated. Thus, the results suggest that the A-syn's interaction with v-SNARE through its C-terminal tail and its concurrent interaction with PS in trans through its amphipathic N-terminal domain facilitate SNARE complex formation, whereby A-syn aids SNARE-dependent vesicle docking. © 2017 The Author(s); published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  10. Proton-stimulated Cl-HCO3 antiport by basolateral membrane vesicles of lobster hepatopancreas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahearn, G.A.; Grover, M.L.; Tsuji, R.T.; Clay, L.P.

    1987-01-01

    Purified epithelial basolateral membrane vesicles were prepared from lobster hepatopancreas by sorbitol gradient centrifugation. Na+-K+-adenosinetriphosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and cytochrome-c oxidase enzyme activities in the final membrane preparation were enriched 9.6-, 1.4-, and 0.4-fold, respectively, compared with their activities in the original tissue homogenate. Vesicle osmotic reactivity was demonstrated using 60-min equilibrium 36 Cl uptake experiments at a variety of transmembrane osmotic gradients. 36 Cl uptake into vesicles preloaded with HCO 3 was significantly greater than into vesicles lacking HCO 3 . This exchange process was stimulated by a transmembrane proton gradient (internal pH greater than external pH). Proton-gradient-dependent Cl-HCO 3 exchange was potential sensitive and stimulated by an electrically negative vesicle interior. 36 Cl influx (4-s exposures) into HCO 3 -loaded vesicles occurred by the combination of 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid sensitive, carrier-mediated transfer and apparent diffusion. 36 Cl influx was a hyperbolic function of both internal [HCO 3 ] and internal [Cl]. The two internal anions displayed a 100-fold difference in apparent affinity constants with HCO 3 being strongly preferred. 36 Cl influx was stimulated more by preloaded monovalent than by divalent anions. Na was an inhibitor of proton-dependent anion antiport, whereas K had no effect. A model for HCl-HCO 3 antiport is suggested that employs combined transmembrane concentration gradients of Cl and HCO 3 to power anion exchange and transfer protons against a concentration gradient

  11. Extracellular vesicles as a platform for membrane-associated therapeutic protein delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yoosoo; Hong, Yeonsun; Cho, Eunji; Kim, Gi Beom; Kim, In-San

    2018-01-01

    Membrane proteins are of great research interest, particularly because they are rich in targets for therapeutic application. The suitability of various membrane proteins as targets for therapeutic formulations, such as drugs or antibodies, has been studied in preclinical and clinical studies. For therapeutic application, however, a protein must be expressed and purified in as close to its native conformation as possible. This has proven difficult for membrane proteins, as their native conformation requires the association with an appropriate cellular membrane. One solution to this problem is to use extracellular vesicles as a display platform. Exosomes and microvesicles are membranous extracellular vesicles that are released from most cells. Their membranes may provide a favourable microenvironment for membrane proteins to take on their proper conformation, activity, and membrane distribution; moreover, membrane proteins can cluster into microdomains on the surface of extracellular vesicles following their biogenesis. In this review, we survey the state-of-the-art of extracellular vesicle (exosome and small-sized microvesicle)-based therapeutics, evaluate the current biological understanding of these formulations, and forecast the technical advances that will be needed to continue driving the development of membrane protein therapeutics.

  12. Pressure exerted by a vesicle on a surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Owczarek, A L; Prellberg, T

    2014-01-01

    Several recent works have considered the pressure exerted on a wall by a model polymer. We extend this consideration to vesicles attached to a wall, and hence include osmotic pressure. We do this by considering a two-dimensional directed model, namely that of area-weighted Dyck paths. Not surprisingly, the pressure exerted by the vesicle on the wall depends on the osmotic pressure inside, especially its sign. Here, we discuss the scaling of this pressure in the different regimes, paying particular attention to the crossover between positive and negative osmotic pressure. In our directed model, there exists an underlying Airy function scaling form, from which we extract the dependence of the bulk pressure on small osmotic pressures. (paper)

  13. Shear-induced formation of vesicles in membrane phases: Kinetics and size selection mechanisms, elasticity versus surface tension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Courbin, L.; Panizza, P.

    2004-02-01

    Multilamellar vesicles can be formed upon shearing lamellar phases (Lα) and phase-separated lamellar-sponge (Lα/L3) mixtures. In the first case, the vesicle volume fraction is always 100% and the vesicle size is monitored by elasticity (“onion textures”). In the second system the vesicle volume fraction can be tuned from 0 to 100% and the mean size results from a balance between capillary and viscous forces (“Taylor droplets”). However, despite these differences, in both systems we show that the formation of vesicles is a strain-controlled process monitored by a universal primary buckling instability of the lamellae.

  14. A novel isolation strategy for obtaining crude membrane vesicles from bovine skim milk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blans, Kristine; Larsen, Lotte Bach; Wiking, Lars

    2014-01-01

    as exosomes and microvesicles. These vesicles contain various types of RNAs and proteins, suggested to transfer health-promoting messages from mother to offspring. However, the variety of the vesicles in milk is less understood and, additionally, complicated by the complexity of more pronounced milk...... components. Here we present a novel strategy for a short, gentle and non-denaturing isolation of skim milk-derived membrane vesicles. Methods: Untreated fresh bovine milk was defatted to remove milk fat globules. The resulting skim milk was subjected to ultracentrifugation. The resulting ochre...

  15. Freeze-thaw cycles induce content exchange between cell-sized lipid vesicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Litschel, Thomas; Ganzinger, Kristina A.; Movinkel, Torgeir; Heymann, Michael; Robinson, Tom; Mutschler, Hannes; Schwille, Petra

    2018-05-01

    Early protocells are commonly assumed to consist of an amphiphilic membrane enclosing an RNA-based self-replicating genetic system and a primitive metabolism without protein enzymes. Thus, protocell evolution must have relied on simple physicochemical self-organization processes within and across such vesicular structures. We investigate freeze-thaw (FT) cycling as a potential environmental driver for the necessary content exchange between vesicles. To this end, we developed a conceptually simple yet statistically powerful high-throughput procedure based on nucleic acid-containing giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) as model protocells. GUVs are formed by emulsion transfer in glass bottom microtiter plates and hence can be manipulated and monitored by fluorescence microscopy without additional pipetting and sample handling steps. This new protocol greatly minimizes artefacts, such as unintended GUV rupture or fusion by shear forces. Using DNA-encapsulating phospholipid GUVs fabricated by this method, we quantified the extent of content mixing between GUVs under different FT conditions. We found evidence of nucleic acid exchange in all detected vesicles if fast freezing of GUVs at ‑80 °C is followed by slow thawing at room temperature. In contrast, slow freezing and fast thawing both adversely affected content mixing. Surprisingly, and in contrast to previous reports for FT-induced content mixing, we found that the content is not exchanged through vesicle fusion and fission, but that vesicles largely maintain their membrane identity and even large molecules are exchanged via diffusion across the membranes. Our approach supports efficient screening of prebiotically plausible molecules and environmental conditions, to yield universal mechanistic insights into how cellular life may have emerged.

  16. Transfer of oleic acid between albumin and phospholipid vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, J.A.; Cistola, D.P.

    1986-01-01

    The net transfer of oleic acid between egg phosphatidylcholine unilamellar vesicles and bovine serum albumin has been monitored by 13 C NMR spectroscopy and 90% isotopically substituted [1- 13 C]oleic acid. The carboxyl chemical shifts of oleic acid bound to albumin were different from those for oleic acid in phospholipid vesicles. Therefore, in mixtures of donor particles, the equilibrium distribution of oleic acid was determined from chemical shift and peak intensity data without separation of donor and acceptor particles. In a system containing equal masses of albumin and phospholipid and a stoichiometry of 4-5 mol of oleic acid per mol of albumin, the oleic acid distribution was pH dependent, with ≥80% of the oleic acid associated with albumin at pH 7.4; association was ≥90% at pH 8.0. Decreasing the pH below 7.4 markedly decreased the proportion of fatty acid bound to albumin. The distribution was reversible with pH and was independent of whether vesicles or albumin acted as a donor. These data suggest that pH may strongly influence the partitioning of fatty acid between cellular membranes and albumin. The 13 C NMR method is also advantageous because it provides information about the structural environments of oleic acid bound to albumin or phospholipid, the ionization state of oleic acid in each environment, and the structural integrity of the vesicles. In addition, minimum and maximum limits for the exchange rates of oleic acid among different environments were obtained from the NMR data

  17. Plasma membrane—endoplasmic reticulum contact sites regulate phosphatidylcholine synthesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tavassoli, S.; Chao, J.T.; Young, B.P.; Cox, R.C.; Prinz, W.A.; de Kroon, A.I.P.M.; Loewen, C.I.R.

    2013-01-01

    Synthesis of phospholipids, sterols and sphingolipids is thought to occur at contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and other organelles because many lipid-synthesizing enzymes are enriched in these contacts. In only a few cases have the enzymes been localized to contacts in vivo and

  18. Routes and mechanisms of extracellular vesicle uptake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Ann Mulcahy

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Extracellular vesicles (EVs are small vesicles released by donor cells that can be taken up by recipient cells. Despite their discovery decades ago, it has only recently become apparent that EVs play an important role in cell-to-cell communication. EVs can carry a range of nucleic acids and proteins which can have a significant impact on the phenotype of the recipient. For this phenotypic effect to occur, EVs need to fuse with target cell membranes, either directly with the plasma membrane or with the endosomal membrane after endocytic uptake. EVs are of therapeutic interest because they are deregulated in diseases such as cancer and they could be harnessed to deliver drugs to target cells. It is therefore important to understand the molecular mechanisms by which EVs are taken up into cells. This comprehensive review summarizes current knowledge of EV uptake mechanisms. Cells appear to take up EVs by a variety of endocytic pathways, including clathrin-dependent endocytosis, and clathrin-independent pathways such as caveolin-mediated uptake, macropinocytosis, phagocytosis, and lipid raft–mediated internalization. Indeed, it seems likely that a heterogeneous population of EVs may gain entry into a cell via more than one route. The uptake mechanism used by a given EV may depend on proteins and glycoproteins found on the surface of both the vesicle and the target cell. Further research is needed to understand the precise rules that underpin EV entry into cells.

  19. Molecular dynamics simulation of the formation, structure, and dynamics of small phospholipid vesicles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marrink, SJ; Mark, AE

    2003-01-01

    Here, we use coarse grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the spontaneous aggregation of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipids into small unilamellar vesicles. We show that the aggregation process occurs on a nanosecond time scale, with bicelles and cuplike vesicles formed at

  20. Introducing a prognostic score for pretherapeutic assessment of seminal vesicle invasion in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salomon, Laurent; Porcher, Raphaeel; Anastasiadis, Aristotelis G.; Levrel, Olivier; Saint, Fabian; Taille, Alexandre de la; Vordos, Dimitrios; Cicco, Antony; Hoznek, Andras; Chopin, Dominique; Abbou, Clement-Claude; Lagrange, Jean-Leon

    2003-01-01

    Purpose: To identify prostate cancer patients who will have the most likely benefit from sparing the seminal vesicles during 3D conformal radiation therapy. Methods and materials: From 1988 to 2001, 532 patients underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Primary endpoint was the pathological evidence of seminal vesicle invasion. Variables for univariate and multivariate analyses were age, prostate weight, clinical stage, PSA level, Gleason score, number and site of positive prostate sextant biopsies. Multivariate logistic regression with backward stepwise variable selection was used to identify a set of independent predictors of seminal vesicle invasion, and the variable selection procedure was validated by non-parametric bootstrap. Results: Seminal vesicle invasion was reported in 14% of the cases. In univariate analysis, all variables except age and prostate weight were predictors of seminal vesicle invasion. In multivariate analysis, only the number of positive biopsies (P<0.0001), Gleason score (P<0.007) and PSA (P<0.0001) were predictors for seminal vesicles invasion. Based on the multivariate model, we were able to develop a prognostic score for seminal vesicle invasion, which allowed us to discriminate two patient groups: A group with low risk of seminal vesicles invasion (5.7%), and the second with a higher risk of seminal vesicles invasion (32.7%). Conclusions: Using the number of positive biopsies, Gleason score and PSA, it is possible to identify patients with low risk of seminal vesicles invasion. In this population, seminal vesicles might be excluded as a target volume in radiation therapy of prostate cancer

  1. Lipids, lipid bilayers and vesicles as seen by neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seto, Hideki

    2011-01-01

    Lipid molecules self-assemble into bilayers in water with their hydrocarbon chains facing inward due to their amphiphilic nature. The structural and dynamical properties of lipids and lipid bilayers have been studied by neutron scattering intensively. In this article, 3 topics are shown as typical examples. 1) a time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering on uni-lamellar vesicles composed of deuterated and protonated lipids to determine lipid kinetics, 2) small-angle neutron scattering to investigate spontaneous formation of nanopores on uni-lamellar vesicles, and 3) neutron spin echo study to determine bending modulus of lipid bilayers. (author)

  2. 3D imaging of vesicles in hyaloclastic fragments - clues to syn-eruptive shear conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helo, C.; Flaws, A.; Hess, K.; Franz, A.; Clague, D. A.; Dingwell, D. B.

    2011-12-01

    3D imaging of stretched vesicles in hyaloclastic fragments has been used to investigate the shear environment of mild pyroclastic eruptions at mid-ocean ridges. X-ray computed tomography offers an attractive non-invasive method to investigate geomaterials at a high resolution for the geometry of the different phases. In this study, we have imaged vesicles within two types of basaltic glass fragments. Stretched, ellipsoid-shaped vesicles in thin limu o Pele and tubular vesicles in a pumiceous fragment. Both types originate from pyroclastic activity on Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca ridge. Rapid quenching of the glass has prevented extensive bubble relaxation and information about syn-eruptive shear and differential stress conditions is stored, as the dimensions of a stretched bubble directly relates to the extent and mode of shearing. The X-ray tomography data was processed using a set of codes based on edge detection and ellipsoid fitting to acquire quantitative information on the shape of the stretched vesicles. Preliminary results demonstrate, that the geometry of the stretched vesicles, e.g., the elongation of the vesicle with respect to the calculated undeformed radius, is in accordance with simple shear scenarios. Stored differential stress ranges from 5 kPa to 90 kPa with shear rates between 3.2x102 s-1 and 5.7x3 s-1 within a single limu o Pele fragment. This range may be explained by either variable time available for relaxation as the cooling front proceeds through the fragment, complex interplay in space and time between fragmentation and quenching, bubble clusters mutually inhibiting each others extend of deformation, or any combination of these. Bubble relaxation time scales are less then 0.005 s providing constraints on the timeframe for cooling to the glass transition. Qualitative analyses of the tube pumice indicates that the tubular structures grow in length by coalescence of vertically aligned ellipsoid-shaped vesicles, and in width by coalescence of

  3. Induction of cortical endoplasmic reticulum by dimerization of a coatomer-binding peptide anchored to endoplasmic reticulum membranes

    OpenAIRE

    Lavieu, Grégory; Orci, Lelio; Shi, Lei; Geiling, Michael; Ravazzola, Mariella; Wieland, Felix; Cosson, Pierre; Rothman, James E.

    2010-01-01

    Cortical endoplasmic reticulum (cER) is a permanent feature of yeast cells but occurs transiently in most animal cell types. Ist2p is a transmembrane protein that permanently localizes to the cER in yeast. When Ist2 is expressed in mammalian cells, it induces abundant cER containing Ist2. Ist2 cytoplasmic C-terminal peptide is necessary and sufficient to induce cER. This peptide sequence resembles classic coat protein complex I (COPI) coatomer protein-binding KKXX signals, and indeed the dime...

  4. Role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the loss of retinal ganglion cells in diabetic retinopathy

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Liping Yang; Lemeng Wu; Dongmei Wang; Ying Li; Hongliang Dou; Mark OMTso; Zhizhong Ma

    2013-01-01

    Endoplasmic reticulum stress is closely involved in the early stage of diabetic retinopathy. In the present study, a streptozotocin-induced diabetic animal model was given an intraperitoneal injection of tauroursodeoxycholic acid. Results from immunofluorescent co-localization experiments showed that both caspase-12 protein and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 phosphorylation levels significantly in-creased, which was associated with retinal ganglion celldeath in diabetic retinas. The C/ERB ho-mologous protein pathway directly contributed to glial reactivity, and was subsequently responsible for neuronal loss and vascular abnormalities in diabetic retinopathy. Our experimental findings in-dicate that endoplasmic reticulum stress plays an important role in diabetes-induced retinal neu-ronal loss and vascular abnormalities, and that inhibiting the activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway provides effective protection against diabetic retinopathy.

  5. The EARP Complex and Its Interactor EIPR-1 Are Required for Cargo Sorting to Dense-Core Vesicles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irini Topalidou

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The dense-core vesicle is a secretory organelle that mediates the regulated release of peptide hormones, growth factors, and biogenic amines. Dense-core vesicles originate from the trans-Golgi of neurons and neuroendocrine cells, but it is unclear how this specialized organelle is formed and acquires its specific cargos. To identify proteins that act in dense-core vesicle biogenesis, we performed a forward genetic screen in Caenorhabditis elegans for mutants defective in dense-core vesicle function. We previously reported the identification of two conserved proteins that interact with the small GTPase RAB-2 to control normal dense-core vesicle cargo-sorting. Here we identify several additional conserved factors important for dense-core vesicle cargo sorting: the WD40 domain protein EIPR-1 and the endosome-associated recycling protein (EARP complex. By assaying behavior and the trafficking of dense-core vesicle cargos, we show that mutants that lack EIPR-1 or EARP have defects in dense-core vesicle cargo-sorting similar to those of mutants in the RAB-2 pathway. Genetic epistasis data indicate that RAB-2, EIPR-1 and EARP function in a common pathway. In addition, using a proteomic approach in rat insulinoma cells, we show that EIPR-1 physically interacts with the EARP complex. Our data suggest that EIPR-1 is a new interactor of the EARP complex and that dense-core vesicle cargo sorting depends on the EARP-dependent trafficking of cargo through an endosomal sorting compartment.

  6. Phase separation in artificial vesicles driven by light and curvature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rinaldin, Melissa; Pomp, Wim; Schmidt, Thomas; Giomi, Luca; Kraft, Daniela; Physics of Life Processes Team; Soft; Bio Mechanics Collaboration; Self-Assembly in Soft Matter Systems Collaboration

    The role of phase-demixing in living cells, leading to the lipid-raft hypothesis, has been extensively studied. Lipid domains of higher lipid chain order are proposed to regulate protein spatial organization. Giant Unilamellar Vesicles provide an artificial model to study phase separation. So far temperature was used to initiate the process. Here we introduce a new methodology based on the induction of phase separation by light. To this aim, the composition of the lipid membrane is varied by photo-oxidation of lipids. The control of the process gained by using light allowed us to observe vesicle shape fluctuations during phase-demixing. The presence of fluctuations near the critical mixing point resembles features of a critical process. We quantitatively analyze these fluctuations using a 2d elastic model, from which we can estimate the material parameters such as bending rigidity and surface tension, demonstrating the non-equilibrium critical behaviour. Finally, I will describe recent attempts toward tuning the membrane composition by controlling the vesicle curvature.

  7. Primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle: Case report and review of the literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cauvin, Cécile; Moureau-Zabotto, Laurence; Chetaille, Bruno; Hilgers, Werner; Denoux, Yves; Jacquemier, Jocelyne; Guiramand, Jérôme; Sarran, Anthony; Bertucci, François

    2011-01-01

    Primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle is exceedingly rare. We report a case of a 59-year-old man with tumour detected by rectal symptoms and ultrasonography. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging suggested an origin in the right seminal vesicle. Transperineal biopsy of the tumour revealed leiomyosarcoma. A radical vesiculo-prostactectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Pathological examination showed a grade 2 leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle. The patient received adjuvant radiotherapy. He developed distant metastases 29 months after diagnosis, and received chemotherapy. Metastatic disease was controlled by second-line gemcitabine-docetaxel combination. Fifty-one months after diagnosis of the primary tumour, and 22 months after the first metastases, the patient is alive with excellent performance status, and multiple asymptomatic stable lung and liver lesions. We report the eighth case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle and the first one with a so long follow-up

  8. Primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle: case report and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cauvin, Cécile; Moureau-Zabotto, Laurence; Chetaille, Bruno; Hilgers, Werner; Denoux, Yves; Jacquemier, Jocelyne; Guiramand, Jérôme; Sarran, Anthony; Bertucci, François

    2011-07-29

    Primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle is exceedingly rare. We report a case of a 59-year-old man with tumour detected by rectal symptoms and ultrasonography. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging suggested an origin in the right seminal vesicle. Transperineal biopsy of the tumour revealed leiomyosarcoma. A radical vesiculo-prostactectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Pathological examination showed a grade 2 leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle. The patient received adjuvant radiotherapy. He developed distant metastases 29 months after diagnosis, and received chemotherapy. Metastatic disease was controlled by second-line gemcitabine-docetaxel combination. Fifty-one months after diagnosis of the primary tumour, and 22 months after the first metastases, the patient is alive with excellent performance status, and multiple asymptomatic stable lung and liver lesions. We report the eighth case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle and the first one with a so long follow-up.

  9. Reversible Chromatic Response of Polydiacetylene Derivative Vesicles in D2O Solvent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Min Jae; Kim, Jong-Duk

    2016-01-26

    The thermal chromatic sensitivity of polydiacetylenes (PDAs) with 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) derivatives, which have a hydroxyl group (HEEPCDA) and an amine group (APPCDA), were investigated using D2O and H2O as solvents. The vesicle solution with polymerized HEEPCDA exhibited a reversible chromatic response during the heating and cooling cycle in D2O, but not in H2O. On the other hand, the vesicle solution with the polymerized APPCDA exhibited a reversible chromatic response in H2O during the heating and cooling cycle, but the color of the solution did not change much in D2O. The critical vesicle concentration of HEEPCDA was lower in D2O than in H2O, and the chromatic sensitivity of the polymerized vesicles to temperature was slower in D2O than in H2O. We think that it is due to D2O being a more highly structured solvent than H2O with the hydrogen bonding in D2O stronger than that in H2O.

  10. Nanodesign of olein vesicles for the topical delivery of the antioxidant resveratrol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pando, Daniel; Caddeo, Carla; Manconi, Maria; Fadda, Anna Maria; Pazos, Carmen

    2013-08-01

    The ex-vivo percutaneous absorption of the natural antioxidant resveratrol in liposomes and niosomes was investigated. The influence of vesicle composition on their physicochemical properties and stability was evaluated. Liposomes containing resveratrol were formulated using soy phosphatidylcholine (Phospholipon90G). Innovative niosomes were formulated using mono- or diglycerides: glycerol monooleate (Peceol) and polyglyceryl-3 dioleate (Plurol OleiqueCC), respectively, two suitable skin-compatible oleins used in pharmaceutical formulations as penetration enhancers. Small, negatively charged vesicles with a mean size of approximately 200 nm were prepared. The accelerated stability of vesicles was evaluated using Turbiscan Lab Expert, and the bilayer deformability was also assessed. Ex-vivo transdermal experiments were carried out in Franz diffusion cells, on newborn pig skin, to study the influence of the different vesicle formulations on resveratrol skin delivery. Results indicated a high cutaneous accumulation and a low transdermal delivery of resveratrol, especially when Peceol niosomes were used. Overall, niosomes formulated with Plurol oleique or Peceol showed a better behaviour than liposomes in the cutaneous delivery of resveratrol. © 2013 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  11. Squamous cell carcinoma of the seminal vesicle. Review of the related literature and case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. B. Matveev

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Seminal vesicle tumors are very rare malignancies which are not diagnosed in daily clinical oncology practice. Primary malignant tumors in seminal vesicle are difficult to define due to the lack of specific symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Another obstacle of proper diagnosis is the frequent invasion of tumors of the surrounding organs, especially the prostate, rectum and bladder which is difficult to differentiate. Very often seminal vesicle tumors are difficult to detect. Digital rectal examination as well as transrectal ultrasound scan (US could reveal a bulky mass in the retrovesical space. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI are the main diagnostic methods which could help to reveal pathologic masses in the region of seminal vesicles. Levels of prostate-specific antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen and tumor markers specific for colorectal cancer are negative in seminal vesicle tumors.The world experience of treating seminal vesicle tumors is very limited. There is paucity of data regarding appropriate choice of surgical approach and further treatment strategy and most of the time the treatment is individualized and based on very scarce information. At the same time surgical approach may vary significantly from vesiculectomy to pelvic exenteration. Possibility of using any regimens of adjuvant radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormone therapy is highly debatable. However, aggressive surgical approach with radical tumor removal followed by extended lymphodissection shows the most favorable results in survival of patients suffering from seminal vesicle cancer.Squamous cell carcinoma of the seminal vesicles is presumed to be an extremely rare disease as there are only 3 reports of it in the world literature. We report a case of patient B. suffering from squamous cell carcinoma of the right seminal vesicle whom we conducted an aggressive surgical approach – prostatovesiculectomy followed by resection of the

  12. Impaired recycling of synaptic vesicles after acute perturbation of the presynaptic actin cytoskeleton

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shupliakov, Oleg; Bloom, Ona; Gustafsson, Jenny S

    2002-01-01

    Actin is an abundant component of nerve terminals that has been implicated at multiple steps of the synaptic vesicle cycle, including reversible anchoring, exocytosis, and recycling of synaptic vesicles. In the present study we used the lamprey reticulospinal synapse to examine the role of actin ...

  13. Structure-directing star-shaped block copolymers: supramolecular vesicles for the delivery of anticancer drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chuan; Liu, Shao Qiong; Venkataraman, Shrinivas; Gao, Shu Jun; Ke, Xiyu; Chia, Xin Tian; Hedrick, James L; Yang, Yi Yan

    2015-06-28

    Amphiphilic polycarbonate/PEG copolymer with a star-like architecture was designed to facilitate a unique supramolecular transformation of micelles to vesicles in aqueous solution for the efficient delivery of anticancer drugs. The star-shaped amphipilic block copolymer was synthesized by initiating the ring-opening polymerization of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) from methyl cholate through a combination of metal-free organo-catalytic living ring-opening polymerization and post-polymerization chain-end derivatization strategies. Subsequently, the self-assembly of the star-like polymer in aqueous solution into nanosized vesicles for anti-cancer drug delivery was studied. DOX was physically encapsulated into vesicles by dialysis and drug loading level was significant (22.5% in weight) for DOX. Importantly, DOX-loaded nanoparticles self-assembled from the star-like copolymer exhibited greater kinetic stability and higher DOX loading capacity than micelles prepared from cholesterol-initiated diblock analogue. The advantageous disparity is believed to be due to the transformation of micelles (diblock copolymer) to vesicles (star-like block copolymer) that possess greater core space for drug loading as well as the ability of such supramolecular structures to encapsulate DOX. DOX-loaded vesicles effectively inhibited the proliferation of 4T1, MDA-MB-231 and BT-474 cells, with IC50 values of 10, 1.5 and 1.0mg/L, respectively. DOX-loaded vesicles injected into 4T1 tumor-bearing mice exhibited enhanced accumulation in tumor tissue due to the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect. Importantly, DOX-loaded vesicles demonstrated greater tumor growth inhibition than free DOX without causing significant body weight loss or cardiotoxicity. The unique ability of the star-like copolymer emanating from the methyl cholate core provided the requisite modification in the block copolymer interfacial curvature to generate vesicles of high loading capacity for DOX with significant

  14. A Phase of Liposomes with Entangled Tubular Vesicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiruvolu, Shivkumar; Warriner, Heidi E.; Naranjo, Edward; Idziak, Stefan H. J.; Radler, Joachim O.; Plano, Robert J.; Zasadzinski, Joseph A.; Safinya, Cyrus R.

    1994-11-01

    An equilibrium phase belonging to the family of bilayer liposomes in ternary mixtures of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), water, and geraniol (a biological alcohol derived from oil-soluble vitamins that acts as a cosurfactant) has been identified. Electron and optical microscopy reveal the phase, labeled Ltv, to be composed of highly entangled tubular vesicles. In situ x-ray diffraction confirms that the tubule walls are multilamellar with the lipids in the chain-melted state. Macroscopic observations show that the Ltv phase coexists with the well-known L_4 phase of spherical vesicles and a bulk L_α phase. However, the defining characteristic of the Ltv phase is the Weissenberg rod climbing effect under shear, which results from its polymer-like entangled microstructure.

  15. Membrane-elasticity model of Coatless vesicle budding induced by ESCRT complexes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bartosz Różycki

    Full Text Available The formation of vesicles is essential for many biological processes, in particular for the trafficking of membrane proteins within cells. The Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT directs membrane budding away from the cytosol. Unlike other vesicle formation pathways, the ESCRT-mediated budding occurs without a protein coat. Here, we propose a minimal model of ESCRT-induced vesicle budding. Our model is based on recent experimental observations from direct fluorescence microscopy imaging that show ESCRT proteins colocalized only in the neck region of membrane buds. The model, cast in the framework of membrane elasticity theory, reproduces the experimentally observed vesicle morphologies with physically meaningful parameters. In this parameter range, the minimum energy configurations of the membrane are coatless buds with ESCRTs localized in the bud neck, consistent with experiment. The minimum energy configurations agree with those seen in the fluorescence images, with respect to both bud shapes and ESCRT protein localization. On the basis of our model, we identify distinct mechanistic pathways for the ESCRT-mediated budding process. The bud size is determined by membrane material parameters, explaining the narrow yet different bud size distributions in vitro and in vivo. Our membrane elasticity model thus sheds light on the energetics and possible mechanisms of ESCRT-induced membrane budding.

  16. Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Induce Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Autophagic Cell Death via Mitochondria-Associated Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Disruption in Normal Lung Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Kyeong-Nam; Chang, Seung-Hee; Park, Soo Jin; Lim, Joohyun; Lee, Jinkyu; Yoon, Tae-Jong; Kim, Jun-Sung; Cho, Myung-Haing

    2015-01-01

    Nanomaterials are used in diverse fields including food, cosmetic, and medical industries. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NP) are widely used, but their effects on biological systems and mechanism of toxicity have not been elucidated fully. Here, we report the toxicological mechanism of TiO2-NP in cell organelles. Human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE14o-) were exposed to 50 and 100 μg/mL TiO2-NP for 24 and 48 h. Our results showed that TiO2-NP induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the cells and disrupted the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs) and calcium ion balance, thereby increasing autophagy. In contrast, an inhibitor of ER stress, tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), mitigated the cellular toxic response, suggesting that TiO2-NP promoted toxicity via ER stress. This novel mechanism of TiO2-NP toxicity in human bronchial epithelial cells suggests that further exhaustive research on the harmful effects of these nanoparticles in relevant organisms is needed for their safe application. PMID:26121477

  17. Primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle: Case report and review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guiramand Jérôme

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle is exceedingly rare. Case Presentation We report a case of a 59-year-old man with tumour detected by rectal symptoms and ultrasonography. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging suggested an origin in the right seminal vesicle. Transperineal biopsy of the tumour revealed leiomyosarcoma. A radical vesiculo-prostactectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Pathological examination showed a grade 2 leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle. The patient received adjuvant radiotherapy. He developed distant metastases 29 months after diagnosis, and received chemotherapy. Metastatic disease was controlled by second-line gemcitabine-docetaxel combination. Fifty-one months after diagnosis of the primary tumour, and 22 months after the first metastases, the patient is alive with excellent performance status, and multiple asymptomatic stable lung and liver lesions. Conclusions We report the eighth case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the seminal vesicle and the first one with a so long follow-up.

  18. Chemical modifications to vesicle forming diblock copolymers: Development of smart functional polymersome membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Joshua S.

    2011-07-01

    A major limitation to current treatment regimens for diseases is the inability to adequately deliver therapeutics. Many routes to encapsulation of these materials have been explored to improve biodistribution and better protect encapsulants from harsh biological conditions. One vehicle particularly attractive for encapsulation of such materials is the polymersome. While promising for translation to clinical use, there are still limitations in polymer chemistry and resulting polymersome behavior that will slow their adaptation. This thesis addresses several of these limitations. The first major limitation to polymersomes is lack of control over their release rate. Release is generally by simple diffusion, leading to a burst. To address this burst, Aim 1 proposes a route to stabilizing polymersome membranes through their polymerization. PCL-PEG copolymers were terminally acrylated and the acrylates polymerized in the membrane following vesicle assembly. Polymerization enhanced mechanical robustness of the membranes and reduced diffusion of encapsulated contents. To ultimately trigger release, Aim 2 presents a novel route to synthesizing diblock copolymers, enabling insertion of a functional group at the blocks' junction. To facilitate triggering of release, we inserted UV-cleavable 2-nitrophenylalanine. Polymersomes assembled from this polymer collapse upon exposure to light and molecules release. Demonstrating further utility of this synthetic route, fluorescent vesicles were prepared using fluorescent lysine as the joining molecule. These vesicles labeled dendritic cells, providing a novel route to cell labeling and tracking. The second limitation to vesicles promising for biomedical applications (made of PCL-PEG) is their solid membranes. Aim 3 demonstrates partial (or full) replacement of the PCL block with a caprolactone analogue, TOSUO, which is non-crystalline and assembles into soft, deformable vesicles. Increasing TOSUO content in the copolymer leads to

  19. Ghrelin Ameliorates Asthma by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Tian; Wang, Lei; Zeng, Qingdi; Zhang, Yan; Sheng, Baowei; Han, Liping

    2017-12-01

    This study aimed to confirm the ameliorative effect of ghrelin on asthma and investigate its mechanism. The murine model of asthma was induced by ovalbumin (OVA) treatment and assessed by histological pathology and airway responsiveness to methacholine. The total and differential leukocytes were counted. Tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, interleukin-5 and interleukin-13 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were quantified by commercial kits. The protein levels in pulmonary tissues were measured by Western blot analysis. Ghrelin ameliorated the histological pathology and airway hyperresponsiveness in the OVA-induced asthmatic mouse model. Consistently, OVA-increased total and differential leukocytes and levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, interleukin-5 and interleukin-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly attenuated by ghrelin. Ghrelin prevented the increased protein levels of the endoplasmic reticulum stress markers glucose regulated protein 78 and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein and reversed the reduced levels of p-Akt in asthmatic mice. Ghrelin might prevent endoplasmic reticulum stress activation by stimulating the Akt signaling pathway, which attenuated inflammation and ameliorated asthma in mice. Ghrelin might be a new target for asthma therapy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  20. Dynamic assembly of MinD on phospholipid vesicles regulated by ATP and MinE

    OpenAIRE

    Hu, Zonglin; Gogol, Edward P.; Lutkenhaus, Joe

    2002-01-01

    Selection of the division site in Escherichia coli is regulated by the min system and requires the rapid oscillation of MinD between the two halves of the cell under the control of MinE. In this study we have further investigated the molecular basis for this oscillation by examining the interaction of MinD with phospholipid vesicles. We found that MinD bound to phospholipid vesicles in the presence of ATP and, upon binding, assembled into a well-ordered helical array that deformed the vesicle...

  1. Transdermal delivery of flurbiprofen from surfactant-based vesicles: particle characterization and the effect of water on in vitro transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchino, Tomonobu; Matsumoto, Yuiko; Murata, Akiko; Oka, Toshihiko; Miyazaki, Yasunori; Kagawa, Yoshiyuki

    2014-04-10

    Flurbiprofen loaded rigid and elastic vesicles comprising the bilayer-forming surfactant sucrose-ester laurate were prepared by the film rehydration and extrusion method. The charge-inducing agent sodium dodecyl sulfate, and the micelle-forming surfactants, sorbitan monolaurate, polyethylene glycol monolaurate, and polysorbate 20, were used to enhance elasticity. Vesicle formulations were evaluated for size, zeta potential, (1)H and (19)F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and in vitro skin permeation across Yucatan micropig (YMP) skin. Vesicle formulations were stable for 2 weeks and their mean sizes were 95-135 nm. NMR spectroscopy showed that flurbiprofen molecular mobility was restricted by interaction with vesicle components because of entrapment in vesicle bilayers. Moreover, sorbitan monolaurate-containing vesicles strongly retained flurbiprofen molecules. After non-occlusive application to YMP skin, flurbiprofen transport from all vesicle formulations was superior to that of flurbiprofen alone and remarkably decreased after water vaporization. Polarization microscopy and small-angle X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the vesicle formulation was transferred to liquid crystalline state. Suppression of vesicle transition to the liquid crystalline state was observed with applications of both large quantities and diluted samples. The presence of water in the formulations was associated with maintenance of the vesicle structure and greater flurbiprofen transport across YMP skin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Endoplasmic reticulum stress causes EBV lytic replication

    OpenAIRE

    Taylor, Gwen Marie; Raghuwanshi, Sandeep K.; Rowe, David T.; Wadowsky, Robert M.; Rosendorff, Adam

    2011-01-01

    Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress triggers a homeostatic cellular response in mammalian cells to ensure efficient folding, sorting, and processing of client proteins. In lytic-permissive lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), pulse exposure to the chemical ER-stress inducer thapsigargin (TG) followed by recovery resulted in the activation of the EBV immediate-early (BRLF1, BZLF1), early (BMRF1), and late (gp350) genes, gp350 surface expression, and virus release. The protein phosphatase 1 a (PP1a)...

  3. Kinetic partitioning between aggregation and vesicle permeabilization by modified ADan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nesgaard, Lise W.; Vad, Brian; Christiansen, Gunna

    2009-01-01

    The neurodegenerative illness Familial Danish Dementia (FDD) is linked to formation and aggregation of the 34-residue ADan peptide, whose cytotoxicity may be mediated by membrane interactions. Here we characterize the derived peptide SerADan, in which the two cysteines found in ADan have been....... Aggregation is prevented at neutral/acidic pH and low ionic strength by anionic lipid vesicles. These vesicles are permeabilized by monomeric SerADan assembling on the membrane to form stable beta-sheet structures which are different from the solution aggregates. In contrast, solution ageing of SerADan first...

  4. Analysis of endoplasmic reticulum of tobacco cells using confocal microscopy

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Radochová, Barbora; Janáček, Jiří; Schwarzerová, K.; Demjénová, E.; Tomori, Z.; Karen, Petr; Kubínová, Lucie

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 24, č. 11 (2005), s. 181-185 ISSN 1580-3139 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) KJB6011309 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : confocal microscopy * endoplasmic reticulum * image analysis Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology

  5. Structure factor of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine unilamellar vesicles: small-angle x-ray scattering study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiselev, M.A.; Aksenov, V.L.; Lombardo, D.; Kisselev, A.M.; Lesieur, P.

    2003-01-01

    Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments have been performed on dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) unilamellar vesicles in 40% aqueous sucrose solution. Model of separated form factors was applied for the evaluation of SAXS curves from large unilamellar vesicles. For the first time vesicle structure factor, polydispersity, average radius and membrane thickness were calculated simultaneously from the SAXS curves at T=30 deg C for DMPC concentrations in the range from 15 to 75 mM (1-5% w/w). Structure factor correction to the scattering curve was shown to be negligibly small for the lipid concentration of 15 mM (1% w/w). It was proved to be necessary to introduce structure factor correction to the scattering curves for lipid concentrations ≥ 30 mM (2% w/w)

  6. Structure Factor of Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine Unilamellar Vesicles Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering Study

    CERN Document Server

    Kiselev, M A; Kisselev, A M; Lesieur, P; Aksenov, V L

    2003-01-01

    Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments have been performed on dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) unilamellar vesicles in 40 % aqueous sucrose solution. Model of separated form factors was applied for the evaluation of SAXS curves from large unilamellar vesicles. For the first time vesicle structure factor, polydispersity, average radius and membrane thickness were calculated simultaneously from the SAXS curves at T=306{\\circ}C for DMPC concentrations in the range from 15 to 75 mM (1-5 % w/w). Structure factor correction to the scattering curve was shown to be negligibly small for the lipid concentration of 15 mM (1 % w/w). It was proved to be necessary to introduce structure factor correction to the scattering curves for lipid concentrations {\\ge}30 mM (2 % w/w).

  7. Efficient encapsulation of antisense oligonucleotides in lipid vesicles using ionizable aminolipids: formation of novel small multilamellar vesicle structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semple, S C; Klimuk, S K; Harasym, T O; Dos Santos, N; Ansell, S M; Wong, K F; Maurer, N; Stark, H; Cullis, P R; Hope, M J; Scherrer, P

    2001-02-09

    Typical methods used for encapsulating antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) and plasmid DNA in lipid vesicles result in very low encapsulation efficiencies or employ cationic lipids that exhibit unfavorable pharmacokinetic and toxicity characteristics when administered intravenously. In this study, we describe and characterize a novel formulation process that utilizes an ionizable aminolipid (1,2-dioleoyl-3-dimethylammonium propane, DODAP) and an ethanol-containing buffer system for encapsulating large quantities (0.15--0.25 g ODN/g lipid) of polyanionic ODN in lipid vesicles. This process requires the presence of up to 40% ethanol (v/v) and initial formulation at acidic pH values where the DODAP is positively charged. In addition, the presence of a poly(ethylene glycol)-lipid was required during the formulation process to prevent aggregation. The 'stabilized antisense-lipid particles' (SALP) formed are stable on adjustment of the external pH to neutral pH values and the formulation process allows encapsulation efficiencies of up to 70%. ODN encapsulation was confirmed by nuclease protection assays and (31)P NMR measurements. Cryo-electron microscopy indicated that the final particles consisted of a mixed population of unilamellar and small multilamellar vesicles (80--140 nm diameter), the relative proportion of which was dependent on the initial ODN to lipid ratio. Finally, SALP exhibited significantly enhanced circulation lifetimes in mice relative to free antisense ODN, cationic lipid/ODN complexes and SALP prepared with quaternary aminolipids. Given the small particle sizes and improved encapsulation efficiency, ODN to lipid ratios, and circulation times of this formulation compared to others, we believe SALP represent a viable candidate for systemic applications involving nucleic acid therapeutics.

  8. Overproduction of individual gas vesicle proteins perturbs flotation, antibiotic production and cell division in the enterobacterium Serratia sp. ATCC 39006.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monson, Rita E; Tashiro, Yosuke; Salmond, George P C

    2016-09-01

    Gas vesicles are intracellular proteinaceous organelles that facilitate bacterial colonization of static water columns. In the enterobacterium Serratia sp. ATCC 39006, gas vesicle formation requires the proteins GvpA1, GvpF1, GvpG, GvpA2, GvpK, GvpA3, GvpF2 and GvpF3 and the three gas vesicle regulatory proteins GvrA, GvrB and GvrC. Deletion of gvpC alters gas vesicle robustness and deletion of gvpN or gvpV results in small bicone vesicles. In this work, we assessed the impacts on gas vesicle formation when each of these 14 essential proteins was overexpressed. Overproduction of GvpF1, GvpF2, GvrA, GvrB or GvrC all resulted in significantly reduced gas vesicle synthesis. Perturbations in gas vesicle formation were also observed when GvpV and GvpA3 were in excess. In addition to impacts on gas vesicle formation, overproduction of GvrA or GvrB led to elevated biosynthesis of the tripyrrole pigment, prodigiosin, a secondary metabolite of increasing medical interest due to its antimalarial and anticancer properties. Finally, when GvpG was overexpressed, gas vesicles were still produced, but the cells exhibited a growth defect. Further analysis showed that induction of GvpG arrested cell growth and caused a drop in viable count, suggesting a possible physiological role for this protein linking gas vesicle biogenesis and binary fission. These combined results demonstrate that the stoichiometry of individual gas vesicle proteins is crucially important for controlled organelle morphogenesis and flotation and provides evidence for the first link between gas vesicle assembly and cell division, to our knowledge.

  9. Relationship between volume of the seminal vesicles and sexual activity in middle-aged men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taniguchi, H; Kawa, G; Yoshida, K; Takayasu, K; Kinoshita, H; Matsuda, T

    2017-04-01

    The relationship between volume of the seminal vesicles and the frequency of sex and sexual function in middle-aged men is not clear. This study included 81 patients who were diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. Volume of the seminal vesicles was examined using a volume analyser from computed tomography. Sexual function was subjectively evaluated using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite and Erection Hardness Score. The frequency of sex was surveyed using our original questionnaire. The mean ± SD age of the patients was 67.7 ± 5.3 years. There was no relationship between the volume of seminal vesicles and age of the patients. Volume of the seminal vesicles in patients who answered that they had sexual activity at least once a year was significantly larger than in those who answered no sexual activity for several years (P middle-aged men, volume of the seminal vesicles was significantly larger in those who had a sexual frequency once every 3 months than in those who had a sexual frequency once every 6 months or once a year (P middle-aged men is correlated with sexual activity. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  10. FIJI Macro 3D ART VeSElecT: 3D Automated Reconstruction Tool for Vesicle Structures of Electron Tomograms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin Verena Kaltdorf

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Automatic image reconstruction is critical to cope with steadily increasing data from advanced microscopy. We describe here the Fiji macro 3D ART VeSElecT which we developed to study synaptic vesicles in electron tomograms. We apply this tool to quantify vesicle properties (i in embryonic Danio rerio 4 and 8 days past fertilization (dpf and (ii to compare Caenorhabditis elegans N2 neuromuscular junctions (NMJ wild-type and its septin mutant (unc-59(e261. We demonstrate development-specific and mutant-specific changes in synaptic vesicle pools in both models. We confirm the functionality of our macro by applying our 3D ART VeSElecT on zebrafish NMJ showing smaller vesicles in 8 dpf embryos then 4 dpf, which was validated by manual reconstruction of the vesicle pool. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of C. elegans septin mutant unc-59(e261 on vesicle pool formation and vesicle size. Automated vesicle registration and characterization was implemented in Fiji as two macros (registration and measurement. This flexible arrangement allows in particular reducing false positives by an optional manual revision step. Preprocessing and contrast enhancement work on image-stacks of 1nm/pixel in x and y direction. Semi-automated cell selection was integrated. 3D ART VeSElecT removes interfering components, detects vesicles by 3D segmentation and calculates vesicle volume and diameter (spherical approximation, inner/outer diameter. Results are collected in color using the RoiManager plugin including the possibility of manual removal of non-matching confounder vesicles. Detailed evaluation considered performance (detected vesicles and specificity (true vesicles as well as precision and recall. We furthermore show gain in segmentation and morphological filtering compared to learning based methods and a large time gain compared to manual segmentation. 3D ART VeSElecT shows small error rates and its speed gain can be up to 68 times faster in comparison to manual

  11. Regulation of calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum by the serine hydrolase ABHD2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Bogeon; Lee, HeeJung; Powell, Roger; Reisdorph, Nichole; Ewing, Heather; Gelb, Michael H; Hsu, Ku-Lung; Cravatt, Benjamin F; Leslie, Christina C

    2017-09-02

    The serine hydrolase inhibitors pyrrophenone and KT195 inhibit cell death induced by A23187 and H 2 O 2 by blocking the release of calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial calcium uptake. The effect of pyrrophenone and KT195 on these processes is not due to inhibition of their known targets, cytosolic phospholipase A 2 and α/β-hydrolase domain-containing (ABHD) 6, respectively, but represent off-target effects. To identify targets of KT195, fibroblasts were treated with KT195-alkyne to covalently label protein targets followed by click chemistry with biotin azide, enrichment on streptavidin beads and tryptic peptide analysis by mass spectrometry. Although several serine hydrolases were identified, α/β-hydrolase domain-containing 2 (ABHD2) was the only target in which both KT195 and pyrrophenone competed for binding to KT195-alkyne. ABHD2 is a serine hydrolase with a predicted transmembrane domain consistent with its pull-down from the membrane proteome. Subcellular fractionation showed localization of ABHD2 to the endoplasmic reticulum but not to mitochondria or mitochondrial-associated membranes. Knockdown of ABHD2 with shRNA attenuated calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial calcium uptake and cell death in fibroblasts stimulated with A23187. The results describe a novel mechanism for regulating calcium transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria that involves the serine hydrolase ABHD2. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Acrolein Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Causes Airspace Enlargement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanaoka, Masayuki; Natarajan, Ramesh; Kraskauskas, Donatas; Voelkel, Norbert F.

    2012-01-01

    Background Given the relative abundance and toxic potential of acrolein in inhaled cigarette smoke, it is surprising how little is known about the pulmonary and systemic effects of acrolein. Here we test the hypothesis whether systemic administration of acrolein could cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and lung cell apoptosis, leading to the enlargement of the alveolar air spaces in rats. Methods Acute and chronic effects of intraperitoneally administered acrolein were tested. Mean alveolar airspace area was measured by using light microscopy and imaging system software. TUNEL staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for active caspase 3 and Western blot analysis for active caspase 3, and caspase 12 were performed to detect apoptosis. The ER-stress related gene expression in the lungs was determined by Quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Acrolein-protein adducts in the lung tissue were detected by IHC. Results Acute administration of acrolein caused a significant elevation of activated caspase 3, upregulation of VEGF expression and induced ER stress proteins in the lung tissue. The chronic administration of acrolein in rats led to emphysematous lung tissue remodeling. TUNEL staining and IHC for cleaved caspase 3 showed a large number of apoptotic septal cells in the acrolein-treated rat lungs. Chronic acrolein administration cause the endoplasmic reticulum stress response manifested by significant upregulation of ATF4, CHOP and GADd34 expression. In smokers with COPD there was a considerable accumulation of acrolein-protein adducts in the inflammatory, airway and vascular cells. Conclusions Systemic administration of acrolein causes endoplasmic reticulum stress response, lung cell apoptosis, and chronic administration leads to the enlargement of the alveolar air spaces and emphysema in rats. The substantial accumulation of acrolein-protein adducts in the lungs of COPD patients suggest a role of acrolein in the pathogenesis of emphysema. PMID:22675432

  13. Size Exclusion HPLC Detection of Small-Size Impurities as a Complementary Means for Quality Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Huang

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available For extracellular vesicle research, whether for biomarker discoveries or therapeutic applications, it is critical to have high-quality samples. Both microscopy and NanoSight Tracking Analysis (NTA for size distribution have been used to detect large vesicles. However, there is currently no well-established method that is convenient for routine quality analysis of small-size impurities in vesicle samples. In this paper we report a convenient method, called ‘size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography’ (SE-HPLC, alongside NTA and Microscopy analysis to guide and qualify the isolation and processing of vesicles. First, the SE-HPLC analysis was used to detect impurities of small-size proteins during the ultra-centrifugation process of vesicle isolation; it was then employed to test the changes of vesicles under different pH conditions or integrity after storage. As SE-HPLC is generally accessible in most institutions, it could be used as a routine means to assist researchers in examining the integrity and quality of extracellular vesicles along with other techniques either during isolation/preparation or for further engineering and storage.

  14. Vesicle Encapsulation Studies Reveal that Single Molecule Ribozyme Heterogeneities Are Intrinsic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okumus, Burak; Wilson, Timothy J.; Lilley, David M. J.; Ha, Taekjip

    2004-01-01

    Single-molecule measurements have revealed that what were assumed to be identical molecules can differ significantly in their static and dynamic properties. One of the most striking examples is the hairpin ribozyme, which was shown to exhibit two to three orders of magnitude variation in folding kinetics between molecules. Although averaged behavior of single molecules matched the bulk solution data, it was not possible to exclude rigorously the possibility that the variations around the mean values arose from different ways of interacting with the surface environment. To test this, we minimized the molecules' interaction with the surface by encapsulating DNA or RNA molecules inside 100- to 200-nm diameter unilamellar vesicles, following the procedures described by Haran and coworkers. Vesicles were immobilized on a supported lipid bilayer via biotin-streptavidin linkages. We observed no direct binding of DNA or RNA on the supported bilayer even at concentrations exceeding 100 nM, indicating that these molecules do not bind stably on the membrane. Since the vesicle diameter is smaller than the resolution of optical microscopy, the lateral mobility of the molecules is severely constrained, allowing long observation periods. We used fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, nuclease digestion, and external buffer exchange to show that the molecules were indeed encapsulated within the vesicles. When contained within vesicles, the natural form of the hairpin ribozyme exhibited 50-fold variation in both folding and unfolding rates in 0.5 mM Mg2+, which is identical to what was observed from the molecules tethered directly on the surface. This strongly indicates that the observed heterogeneity in dynamic properties does not arise as an artifact of surface attachment, but is intrinsic to the nature of the molecules. PMID:15454471

  15. Nanoplasmonic ruler to measure lipid vesicle deformation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jackman, J.A.; Špačková, Barbora; Linardy, E.; Kim, M.C.; Yoon, B.K.; Homola, Jiří; Cho, N.J.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 52, č. 1 (2016), s. 76-79 ISSN 1359-7345 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP205/12/G118 Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : nanomaterial * silicon * lipid vesicle Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 6.319, year: 2016

  16. SNX9 - a prelude to vesicle release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundmark, Richard; Carlsson, Sven R

    2009-01-01

    The sorting nexin SNX9 has, in the past few years, been singled out as an important protein that participates in fundamental cellular activities. SNX9 binds strongly to dynamin and is partly responsible for the recruitment of this GTPase to sites of endocytosis. SNX9 also has a high capacity for modulation of the membrane and might therefore participate in the formation of the narrow neck of endocytic vesicles before scission occurs. Once assembled on the membrane, SNX9 stimulates the GTPase activity of dynamin to facilitate the scission reaction. It has also become clear that SNX9 has the ability to activate the actin regulator N-WASP in a membrane-dependent manner to coordinate actin polymerization with vesicle release. In this Commentary, we summarize several aspects of SNX9 structure and function in the context of membrane remodeling, discuss its interplay with various interaction partners and present a model of how SNX9 might work in endocytosis.

  17. Membrane depolarization increases ryanodine sensitivity to Ca2+ release to the cytosol in L6 skeletal muscle cells: Implications for excitation-contraction coupling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitake, Saumitra; Ochs, Raymond S

    2016-04-01

    The dihydropyridine receptor in the plasma membrane and the ryanodine receptor in the sarcoplasmic reticulum are known to physically interact in the process of excitation-contraction coupling. However, the mechanism for subsequent Ca(2+) release through the ryanodine receptor is unknown. Our lab has previously presented evidence that the dihydropyridine receptor and ryanodine receptor combine as a channel for the entry of Ca(2+) under resting conditions, known as store operated calcium entry. Here, we provide evidence that depolarization during excitation-contraction coupling causes the dihydropyridine receptor to disengage from the ryanodine receptor. The newly freed ryanodine receptor can then transport Ca(2+) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol. Experimentally, this should more greatly expose the ryanodine receptor to exogenous ryanodine. To examine this hypothesis, we titrated L6 skeletal muscle cells with ryanodine in resting and excited (depolarized) states. When L6 muscle cells were depolarized with high potassium or exposed to the dihydropyridine receptor agonist BAYK-8644, known to induce dihydropyridine receptor movement within the membrane, ryanodine sensitivity was enhanced. However, ryanodine sensitivity was unaffected when Ca(2+) was elevated without depolarization by the ryanodine receptor agonist chloromethylcresol, or by increasing Ca(2+) concentration in the media. Ca(2+) entry currents (from the extracellular space) during excitation were strongly inhibited by ryanodine, but Ca(2+) entry currents in the resting state were not. We conclude that excitation releases the ryanodine receptor from occlusion by the dihydropyridine receptor, enabling Ca(2+) release from the ryanodine receptor to the cytosol. © 2015 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

  18. Immune responsiveness and incidence of reticulum cell sarcoma in long-term syngeneic radiation chimeras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adorini, L.; Gorini, G.; Covelli, V.; Ballardin, E.; di Michele, A.; Bassani, B.; Metalli, P.; Doria, G.

    1976-01-01

    Long-term syngeneic radiation chimeras displayed a very low incidence of reticulum cell sarcoma as compared with control mice. Immune reactivity of these animals was studied in vivo by anti-dinitrophenyl antibody titer and affinity and in vitro by mitotic responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide. Antibody titer and affinity as well as the response to T lectins were found to be increased in chimeras. These results were attributed to increased function of mature T2 cells, which could explain the reduced incidence of reticulum cell sarcoma in chimeras

  19. Structural Disorder Provides Increased Adaptability for Vesicle Trafficking Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tompa, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Vesicle trafficking systems play essential roles in the communication between the organelles of eukaryotic cells and also between cells and their environment. Endocytosis and the late secretory route are mediated by clathrin-coated vesicles, while the COat Protein I and II (COPI and COPII) routes stand for the bidirectional traffic between the ER and the Golgi apparatus. Despite similar fundamental organizations, the molecular machinery, functions, and evolutionary characteristics of the three systems are very different. In this work, we compiled the basic functional protein groups of the three main routes for human and yeast and analyzed them from the structural disorder perspective. We found similar overall disorder content in yeast and human proteins, confirming the well-conserved nature of these systems. Most functional groups contain highly disordered proteins, supporting the general importance of structural disorder in these routes, although some of them seem to heavily rely on disorder, while others do not. Interestingly, the clathrin system is significantly more disordered (∼23%) than the other two, COPI (∼9%) and COPII (∼8%). We show that this structural phenomenon enhances the inherent plasticity and increased evolutionary adaptability of the clathrin system, which distinguishes it from the other two routes. Since multi-functionality (moonlighting) is indicative of both plasticity and adaptability, we studied its prevalence in vesicle trafficking proteins and correlated it with structural disorder. Clathrin adaptors have the highest capability for moonlighting while also comprising the most highly disordered members. The ability to acquire tissue specific functions was also used to approach adaptability: clathrin route genes have the most tissue specific exons encoding for protein segments enriched in structural disorder and interaction sites. Overall, our results confirm the general importance of structural disorder in vesicle trafficking and

  20. Dimensional characterization of extracellular vesicles using atomic force microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sebaihi, N; De Boeck, B; Pétry, J; Yuana, Y; Nieuwland, R

    2017-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EV) are small biological entities released from cells into body fluids. EV are recognized as mediators in intercellular communication and influence important physiological processes. It has been shown that the concentration and composition of EV in body fluids may differ from healthy subjects to patients suffering from particular disease. So, EV have gained a strong scientific and clinical interest as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of disease. Due to their small size, accurate detection and characterization of EV remain challenging. The aim of the presented work is to propose a characterization method of erythrocyte-derived EV using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The vesicles are immobilized on anti-CD235a-modified mica and analyzed by AFM under buffer liquid and dry conditions. EV detected under both conditions show very similar sizes namely ∼30 nm high and ∼90 nm wide. The size of these vesicles remains stable over drying time as long as 7 d at room temperature. Since the detected vesicles are not spherical, EV are characterized by their height and diameter, and not only by the height as is usually done for spherical nanoparticles. In order to obtain an accurate measurement of EV diameters, the geometry of the AFM tip was evaluated to account for the lateral broadening artifact inherent to AFM measurements. To do so, spherical polystyrene (PS) nanobeads and EV were concomitantly deposited on the same mica substrate and simultaneously measured by AFM under dry conditions. By applying this procedure, direct calibration of the AFM tip could be performed together with EV characterization under identical experimental conditions minimizing external sources of uncertainty on the shape and size of the tip, thus allowing standardization of EV measurement. (paper)

  1. Matrix vesicles in the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic plaque: possible contribution to plaque rupture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobryshev, Y V; Killingsworth, M C; Lord, R S A; Grabs, A J

    2008-10-01

    Plaque rupture is the most common type of plaque complication and leads to acute ischaemic events such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Calcification has been suggested as a possible indicator of plaque instability. Although the role of matrix vesicles in the initial stages of arterial calcification has been recognized, no studies have yet been carried out to examine a possible role of matrix vesicles in plaque destabilization. Tissue specimens selected for the present study represented carotid specimens obtained from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Serial frozen cross-sections of the tissue specimens were cut and mounted on glass slides. The thickness of the fibrous cap (FCT) in each advanced atherosclerotic lesion, containing a well developed lipid/necrotic core, was measured at its narrowest sites in sets of serial sections. According to established criteria, atherosclerotic plaque specimens were histologically subdivided into two groups: vulnerable plaques with thin fibrous caps (FCT <100 microm) and presumably stable plaques, in which fibrous caps were thicker than 100 microm. Twenty-four carotid plaques (12 vulnerable and 12 presumably stable plaques) were collected for the present analysis of matrix vesicles in fibrous caps. In order to provide a sufficient number of representative areas from each plaque, laser capture microdissection (LCM) was carried out. The quantification of matrix vesicles in ultrathin sections of vulnerable and stable plaques revealed that the numbers of matrix vesicles were significantly higher in fibrous caps of vulnerable plaques than those in stable plaques (8.908+0.544 versus 6.208+0.467 matrix vesicles per 1.92 microm2 standard area; P= 0.0002). Electron microscopy combined with X-ray elemental microanalysis showed that some matrix vesicles in atherosclerotic plaques were undergoing calcification and were characterized by a high content of calcium and phosphorus. The percentage of calcified matrix vesicles

  2. Interaction of charged amphiphilic drugs with phosphatidylcholine vesicles studied by NMR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eriksson, L.E.G.

    1987-01-01

    Small unilamellar vesicles from egg phosphatidylcholine in NaCl solutions were exposed to some amphiphilic pharmaca. The aromatic drugs (chlorpromazine, dibucaine, tetracaine, imipramine and propranolol) were in their cationic form of the amines. By 1 H- and 31 P-NMR the membrane signals were observed. In particular, the N-methyl choline proton signals were followed upon drug addition. The intrinsic chemical shift difference (0.02 ppm) between the inner (upfield) and outer choline signals was influenced by the drug concentration. Packing properties of the lipid head groups and ring current shift probably contributed. At very high drug concentration, the vesicles are destroyed. A transformation into a micellar state with a high sample viscosity took place in a narrow concentration range of drug. The anion effects of Cl - were studied from the 35 Cl-NMR linewidth at 9.8 and 39.1 MHz. A continuous increase in the signal linewidth followed upon drug addition to the vesicles. Only chlorpromazine produced a broadening in the absence of vesicles (NaCl blank). The linewidth reflected a critical micelle concentration of this drug around 7 mM in 0.1 M NaCl. The 35 Cl-NMR experiments demonstrated the existence of an anionic counterion effect. This phenomenon should be accounted for when quantitatively analysing drug-membrane interactions in electrostatic terms. (Auth.)

  3. The dynamics of giant unilamellar vesicle oxidation probed by morphological transitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankhagowit, Shalene; Wu, Shao-Hua; Biswas, Roshni; Riche, Carson T; Povinelli, Michelle L; Malmstadt, Noah

    2014-10-01

    We have studied the dynamics of Lissamine Rhodamine B dye sensitization-induced oxidation of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), where the progression of the underlying chemical processes was followed via vesicle membrane area changes. The surface-area-to-volume ratio of our spherical GUVs increased after as little as ten seconds of irradiation. The membrane area expansion was coupled with high amplitude fluctuations not typical of GUVs in isoosmotic conditions. To accurately measure the area of deformed and fluctuating membranes, we utilized a dual-beam optical trap (DBOT) to stretch GUV membranes into a geometrically regular shape. Further oxidation led to vesicle contraction, and the GUVs became tense, with micron-scale pores forming in the bilayer. We analyzed the GUV morphological behaviors as two consecutive rate-limiting steps. We also considered the effects of altering DOPC and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl) (RhDPPE) concentrations. The resulting kinetic model allows us to measure how lipid molecular area changes during oxidation, as well as to determine the rate constants controlling how quickly oxidation products are formed. Controlled membrane oxidation leading to permeabilization is also a potential tool for drug delivery based on engineered photosensitizer-containing lipid vesicles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Effects of Silodosin and Tamsulosin on the Seminal Vesicle Contractile Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Tokumasa; Takeya, Mitsue; Nakamura, Kei-ichiro; Matsuoka, Kei

    2016-01-01

    To understand the mechanisms underlying ejaculation dysfunction caused by α1A-adrenocetor (AR) antagonists, the effects of α1A-AR antagonists on the contractile responses of the seminal vesicle were investigated. Isolated seminal vesicles from guinea pigs were cannulated and pressurized, and the changes in the intraluminal pressure were recorded. Periodic applications of electrical stimulation (ES) caused biphasic increase in the intraluminal pressure, that is, initial and subsequent contractions. The effects of silodosin and tamsulosin, α1A-AR antagonists, on the contractile responses were examined. The ES-induced biphasic contractions were blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX). Silodosin and tamsulosin suppressed the initial contractions in a dose-dependent manner, while also exerting various inhibitory effects on the subsequent contractions. Increases in the intraluminal pressure facilitated spontaneous phasic contractions. The spontaneous contractions were not affected by TTX or α1A-AR antagonists, but were abolished by nifedipine. The initial contractions triggered by neuronal excitations were suppressed by silodosin and tamsulosin, suggesting that the ejaculation dysfunction may be attributed to the α1A-AR antagonist-mediated suppression of nerve-evoked contractions in the seminal vesicle. The subsequent contractions may be induced by mechanical stimulation associated with the initial, nerve-evoked contractions. Alternatively, other transmitters may be involved to various degrees in the neuromuscular transmission of the seminal vesicle. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  5. Characterization of membrane-shed micro-vesicles from cytokine-stimulated beta-cells using proteomics strategies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Palmisano, Giuseppe; Jensen, Soren Skov; Le Bihan, Marie Catherine

    2012-01-01

    specific sites of protein phosphorylation and sialylated glycosylation in proteins associated with micro-vesicles from beta-cells. Using pathway analysis software we were able to map the most distinctive changes between micro-vesicles generated during growth and after cytokine stimulation to several cell...

  6. Vesicles in Apollo 15 Green Glasses: The Nature of Ancient Lunar Gases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas-Keprta, K. L.; Clemett, S. J.; Berger, E. L.; Rahman, Z.; McKay, D. S.; Gibson, E. K.; Wentworth, S. J.

    2014-01-01

    Detailed studies of Apollo 15 green glass and related beads have shown they were formed in gas-rich fire fountains.. As the magmatic fluid became super-saturated in volatile gas, bubbles or vesicles formed within the magma. These exsolved gases became trapped within vesicles as the glasses were ejected from the fire-fountain and subsequently quenched. One of the keys to understanding formation processes on the ancient moon includes determining the composition of volatile species and elements, including metals, dissolved in magmatic gases. Here we report the nature of mineral phases spatially associated with vesicles in a green glass bead from Apollo sample 15411,42. The phases reflect the composition of the cooling/degassing magmatic vapors and fluids present at the time of bead formation approx, 3 Ga ago

  7. Thermal and active fluctuations of a compressible bilayer vesicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachin Krishnan, T. V.; Yasuda, Kento; Okamoto, Ryuichi; Komura, Shigeyuki

    2018-05-01

    We discuss thermal and active fluctuations of a compressible bilayer vesicle by using the results of hydrodynamic theory for vesicles. Coupled Langevin equations for the membrane deformation and the density fields are employed to calculate the power spectral density matrix of membrane fluctuations. Thermal contribution is obtained by means of the fluctuation dissipation theorem, whereas active contribution is calculated from exponentially decaying time correlation functions of active random forces. We obtain the total power spectral density as a sum of thermal and active contributions. An apparent response function is further calculated in order to compare with the recent microrheology experiment on red blood cells. An enhanced response is predicted in the low-frequency regime for non-thermal active fluctuations.

  8. Importance of vesicle release stochasticity in neuro-spike communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramezani, Hamideh; Akan, Ozgur B

    2017-07-01

    Aim of this paper is proposing a stochastic model for vesicle release process, a part of neuro-spike communication. Hence, we study biological events occurring in this process and use microphysiological simulations to observe functionality of these events. Since the most important source of variability in vesicle release probability is opening of voltage dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) followed by influx of calcium ions through these channels, we propose a stochastic model for this event, while using a deterministic model for other variability sources. To capture the stochasticity of calcium influx to pre-synaptic neuron in our model, we study its statistics and find that it can be modeled by a distribution defined based on Normal and Logistic distributions.

  9. Thermodynamics and Structural Evolution during a Reversible Vesicle-Micelle Transition of a Vitamin-Derived Bolaamphiphile Induced by Sodium Cholate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Jun-Nan; Ge, Bing-Qiang; Shen, Yun-Feng; He, Yu-Xuan; Chen, Zhong-Xiu

    2016-03-09

    Interaction of endogenous sodium cholate (SC) with dietary amphiphiles would induce structural evolution of the self-assembled aggregates, which inevitably affects the hydrolysis of fat in the gut. Current work mainly focused on the interaction of bile salts with classical double-layered phospholipid vesicles. In this paper, the thermodynamics and structural evolution during the interaction of SC with novel unilamellar vesicles formed from vitamin-derived zwitterionic bolaamphiphile (DDO) were characterized. It was revealed that an increased temperature and the presence of NaCl resulted in narrowed micelle-vesicle coexistence and enlarged the vesicle region. The coexistence of micelles and vesicles mainly came from the interaction of monomeric SC with DDO vesicles, whereas micellar SC contributed to the total solubilization of DDO vesicles. This research may enrich the thermodynamic mechanism behind the structure transition of the microaggregates formed by amphiphiles in the gut. It will also contribute to the design of food formulation and drug delivery system.

  10. Chlorhexidine-induced apoptosis or necrosis in L929 fibroblasts: A role for endoplasmic reticulum stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faria, Gisele; Cardoso, Cristina R.B.; Larson, Roy E.; Silva, Joao S.; Rossi, Marcos A.

    2009-01-01

    Chlorhexidine (CHX), widely used as antiseptic and therapeutic agent in medicine and dentistry, has a toxic effect both in vivo and in vitro. The intrinsic mechanism underlying CHX-induced cytotoxicity in eukaryotic cells is, however, still unknown. A recent study from our laboratory has suggested that CHX may induce death in cultured L929 fibroblasts via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This hypothesis was further tested by means of light and electron microscopy, quantification of apoptosis and necrosis by flow cytometry, fluorescence visualization of the cytoskeleton and endoplasmic reticulum, and evaluation of the expression of 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein 78 (Grp78), a marker of activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in cultured L929 fibroblasts. Our finding showing increased Grp 78 expression in CHX-treated cells and the results of flow cytometry, cytoskeleton and endoplasmic reticulum fluorescence visualization, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy allowed us to suggest that CHX elicits accumulation of proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum, which causes ER overload, resulting in ER stress and cell death either by necrosis or apoptosis. It must be pointed out, however, that this does not necessarily mean that ER stress is the only way that CHX kills L929 fibroblasts, but rather that ER stress is an important target or indicator of cell death induced by this drug

  11. A model of Stokesian peristalsis and vesicle transport in a three-dimensional closed cavity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aranda, Vivian; Cortez, Ricardo; Fauci, Lisa

    2015-06-25

    The complexity of the mechanics involved in the mammalian reproductive process is evident. Neither an ovum nor an embryo is self-propelled, but move through the oviduct or uterus due to the peristaltic action of the tube walls, imposed pressure gradients, and perhaps ciliary motion. Here we use the method of regularized Stokeslets to model the transport of an ovum or an embryo within a peristaltic tube. We represent the ovum or the embryo as a spherical vesicle of finite volume - not a massless point particle. The outer membrane of the neutrally buoyant vesicle is discretized by nodes that are joined by a network of springs. The elastic moduli of these springs are chosen large enough so that a spherical shape is maintained. For simplicity, here we choose an axisymmetric tube where the geometry of the two-dimensional cross-section along the tube axis reflects that of the sagittal cross-section of the uterine cavity. Although the tube motion is axisymmetric, the presence of the vesicle within the tube requires a fully three-dimensional model. As was found in Yaniv et al. (2009, 2012) for a 2D closed channel, we find that the flow dynamics in a 3D peristaltic tube are strongly influenced by the closed end and the manner in which the peristaltic wave damps out towards the closure. In addition, we demonstrate that the trajectory of a vesicle of finite volume can greatly differ from the trajectory of a massless fluid particle initially placed at the vesicle׳s centroid. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Fabrication of Propeller-Shaped Supra-amphiphile for Construction of Enzyme-Responsive Fluorescent Vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jie; Liu, Kaerdun; Han, Yuchun; Tang, Ben Zhong; Huang, Jianbin; Yan, Yun

    2016-10-04

    Propeller-shaped molecules have been recognized to display fantastic AIE (aggregation induced emission), but they can hardly self-assemble into nanostructures. Herein, we for the first time report that ionic complexation between a water-soluble tetrapheneyl derivative and an enzyme substrate in aqueous media produces a propeller-shaped supra-amphiphile that self-assembles into enzyme responsive fluorescent vesicles. The supra-amphiphile was fabricated upon complexation between a water-soluble propeller-shaped AIE luminogen TPE-BPA and myristoylcholine chloride (MChCl) in aqueous media. MChCl filled in the intramolecular voids of propeller-shaped TPE-BPA upon supra-amphiphile formation, which endows the supra-amphiphile superior self-assembling ability to the component molecules thus leading to the formation of fluorescent vesicles. Because MChCl is the substrate of cholinesterases, the vesicles dissemble in the presence of cholinesterases, and the fluorescent intensity can be correlated to the level of enzymes. The resulting fluorescent vesicles may be used to recognize the site of Alzheimer's disease, to encapsulate the enzyme inhibitor, and to release the inhibitor at the disease site.

  13. Further characterization of cadmium uptake by rat liver sinusoidal plasma membrane vesicles as a carrier mediated process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eastman, H.B.; Frazier, J.M.

    1990-01-01

    Previously we have reported that cadmium (Cd) transport by rat hepatic sinusoidal plasma membrane vesicles (SPMV's) occurs by both carrier mediated process and simple diffusion. This study was undertaken in order to further characterize the carrier mediated component of Cd transport as a carrier mediated process. Efflux of Cd from SPMV's was measured by first loading the vesicles with 1 μM Cd, containing 109 Cd (Amersham, 0.25 mCi/ml, carrier free) as a tracer, and then diluting the vesicles 1 to 5 into efflux buffer containing 0.25 M sucrose, 150 mM NaCl and 50 mM Tris/HCl (pH 7.4). Under standard conditions, no efflux of Cd from the vesicles was observed. However, the presence of 4mM CdCl 2 or 4.0% BSA in the efflux buffer was able to release 109 Cd from the vesicles. When the vesicles were lysed with 0.1% Triton X-100, approximately 75% of the internalized Cd could be released from the vesicles. Efflux of Cd from the vesicles was also determined to be a temperature dependent process. At 0 C the efflux of Cd from the vesicles, in the presence of a 4 mM CdCl 2 or 4.0% BSA chase, was blocked. The specificity of the carrier mediated component of Cd transport for Cd was investigated by determining whether other metals could compete for Cd uptake. Zinc was a competitive inhibitor of the carrier mediated component of Cd uptake while calcium had no effect on Cd uptake. Using this system, we have demonstrated that one component of Cd transport exhibits the basic characteristics of a carrier mediated process: saturation, reversibility, specificity and temperature dependence

  14. A quorum-sensing molecule acts as a morphogen controlling gas vesicle organelle biogenesis and adaptive flotation in an enterobacterium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsay, Joshua P.; Williamson, Neil R.; Spring, David R.; Salmond, George P. C.

    2011-01-01

    Gas vesicles are hollow intracellular proteinaceous organelles produced by aquatic Eubacteria and Archaea, including cyanobacteria and halobacteria. Gas vesicles increase buoyancy and allow taxis toward air–liquid interfaces, enabling subsequent niche colonization. Here we report a unique example of gas vesicle-mediated flotation in an enterobacterium; Serratia sp. strain ATCC39006. This strain is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae previously studied for its production of prodigiosin and carbapenem antibiotics. Genes required for gas vesicle synthesis mapped to a 16.6-kb gene cluster encoding three distinct homologs of the main structural protein, GvpA. Heterologous expression of this locus in Escherichia coli induced copious vesicle production and efficient cell buoyancy. Gas vesicle morphogenesis in Serratia enabled formation of a pellicle-like layer of highly vacuolated cells, which was dependent on oxygen limitation and the expression of ntrB/C and cheY-like regulatory genes within the gas-vesicle gene cluster. Gas vesicle biogenesis was strictly controlled by intercellular chemical signaling, through an N-acyl homoserine lactone, indicating that in this system the quorum-sensing molecule acts as a morphogen initiating organelle development. Flagella-based motility and gas vesicle morphogenesis were also oppositely regulated by the small RNA-binding protein, RsmA, suggesting environmental adaptation through physiological control of the choice between motility and flotation as alternative taxis modes. We propose that gas vesicle biogenesis in this strain represents a distinct mechanism of mobility, regulated by oxygen availability, nutritional status, the RsmA global regulatory system, and the quorum-sensing morphogen. PMID:21873216

  15. A quorum-sensing molecule acts as a morphogen controlling gas vesicle organelle biogenesis and adaptive flotation in an enterobacterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsay, Joshua P; Williamson, Neil R; Spring, David R; Salmond, George P C

    2011-09-06

    Gas vesicles are hollow intracellular proteinaceous organelles produced by aquatic Eubacteria and Archaea, including cyanobacteria and halobacteria. Gas vesicles increase buoyancy and allow taxis toward air-liquid interfaces, enabling subsequent niche colonization. Here we report a unique example of gas vesicle-mediated flotation in an enterobacterium; Serratia sp. strain ATCC39006. This strain is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae previously studied for its production of prodigiosin and carbapenem antibiotics. Genes required for gas vesicle synthesis mapped to a 16.6-kb gene cluster encoding three distinct homologs of the main structural protein, GvpA. Heterologous expression of this locus in Escherichia coli induced copious vesicle production and efficient cell buoyancy. Gas vesicle morphogenesis in Serratia enabled formation of a pellicle-like layer of highly vacuolated cells, which was dependent on oxygen limitation and the expression of ntrB/C and cheY-like regulatory genes within the gas-vesicle gene cluster. Gas vesicle biogenesis was strictly controlled by intercellular chemical signaling, through an N-acyl homoserine lactone, indicating that in this system the quorum-sensing molecule acts as a morphogen initiating organelle development. Flagella-based motility and gas vesicle morphogenesis were also oppositely regulated by the small RNA-binding protein, RsmA, suggesting environmental adaptation through physiological control of the choice between motility and flotation as alternative taxis modes. We propose that gas vesicle biogenesis in this strain represents a distinct mechanism of mobility, regulated by oxygen availability, nutritional status, the RsmA global regulatory system, and the quorum-sensing morphogen.

  16. Synaptic vesicle proteins under conditions of rest and activation: analysis by 2-D difference gel electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burré, Jacqueline; Beckhaus, Tobias; Corvey, Carsten; Karas, Michael; Zimmermann, Herbert; Volknandt, Walter

    2006-09-01

    Synaptic vesicles are organelles of the nerve terminal that secrete neurotransmitters by fusion with the presynaptic plasma membrane. Vesicle fusion is tightly controlled by depolarization of the plasma membrane and a set of proteins that may undergo post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation. In order to identify proteins that undergo modifications as a result of synaptic activation, we induced massive exocytosis and analysed the synaptic vesicle compartment by benzyldimethyl-n-hexadecylammonium chloride (BAC)/SDS-PAGE and difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) followed by MALDI-TOF-MS. We identified eight proteins that revealed significant changes in abundance following nerve terminal depolarization. Of these, six were increased and two were decreased in abundance. Three of these proteins were phosphorylated as detected by Western blot analysis. In addition, we identified an unknown synaptic vesicle protein whose abundance increased on synaptic activation. Our results demonstrate that depolarization of the presynaptic compartment induces changes in the abundance of synaptic vesicle proteins and post-translational protein modification.

  17. Biophysics of active vesicle transport, an intermediate step that couples excitation and exocytosis of serotonin in the neuronal soma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco F De-Miguel

    Full Text Available Transmitter exocytosis from the neuronal soma is evoked by brief trains of high frequency electrical activity and continues for several minutes. Here we studied how active vesicle transport towards the plasma membrane contributes to this slow phenomenon in serotonergic leech Retzius neurons, by combining electron microscopy, the kinetics of exocytosis obtained from FM1-43 dye fluorescence as vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane, and a diffusion equation incorporating the forces of local confinement and molecular motors. Electron micrographs of neurons at rest or after stimulation with 1 Hz trains showed cytoplasmic clusters of dense core vesicles at 1.5±0.2 and 3.7±0.3 µm distances from the plasma membrane, to which they were bound through microtubule bundles. By contrast, after 20 Hz stimulation vesicle clusters were apposed to the plasma membrane, suggesting that transport was induced by electrical stimulation. Consistently, 20 Hz stimulation of cultured neurons induced spotted FM1-43 fluorescence increases with one or two slow sigmoidal kinetics, suggesting exocytosis from an equal number of vesicle clusters. These fluorescence increases were prevented by colchicine, which suggested microtubule-dependent vesicle transport. Model fitting to the fluorescence kinetics predicted that 52-951 vesicles/cluster were transported along 0.60-6.18 µm distances at average 11-95 nms(-1 velocities. The ATP cost per vesicle fused (0.4-72.0, calculated from the ratio of the ΔG(process/ΔG(ATP, depended on the ratio of the traveling velocity and the number of vesicles in the cluster. Interestingly, the distance-dependence of the ATP cost per vesicle was bistable, with low energy values at 1.4 and 3.3 µm, similar to the average resting distances of the vesicle clusters, and a high energy barrier at 1.6-2.0 µm. Our study confirms that active vesicle transport is an intermediate step for somatic serotonin exocytosis by Retzius neurons and provides a

  18. Maximal voluntary contraction force, SR function and glycogen resynthesis during the first 72 h after a high-level competitive soccer game

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krustrup, Peter; Ørtenblad, Niels; Nielsen, Joachim

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine maximal voluntary knee-extensor contraction force (MVC force), sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function and muscle glycogen levels in the days after a high-level soccer game when players ingested an optimised diet. Seven high-level male soccer players had a vastus...... lateralis muscle biopsy and a blood sample collected in a control situation and at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h after a competitive soccer game. MVC force, SR function, muscle glycogen, muscle soreness and plasma myoglobin were measured. MVC force sustained over 1 s was 11 and 10% lower (P ...

  19. Proteomic study of muscle sarcoplasmic proteins using AUT-PAGE/SDS-PAGE as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picariello, Gianluca; De Martino, Alessandra; Mamone, Gianfranco; Ferranti, Pasquale; Addeo, Francesco; Faccia, Michele; Spagnamusso, Salvatore; Di Luccia, Aldo

    2006-03-20

    In the present study, an alternative procedure for two-dimensional (2D) electrophoretic analysis in proteomic investigation of the most represented basic muscle water-soluble proteins is suggested. Our method consists of Acetic acid-Urea-Triton polyacrylamide gel (AUT-PAGE) analysis in the first dimension and standard sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel (SDS-PAGE) in the second dimension. Although standard two-dimensional Immobilized pH Gradient-Sodium Dodecyl-Sulphate (2D IPG-SDS) gel electrophoresis has been successfully used to study these proteins, most of the water-soluble proteins are spread on the alkaline part of the 2D map and are poorly focused. Furthermore, the similarity in their molecular weights impairs resolution of the classical approach. The addition of Triton X-100, a non-ionic detergent, into the gel induces a differential electrophoretic mobility of proteins as a result of the formation of mixed micelles between the detergent and the hydrophobic moieties of polypeptides, separating basic proteins with a criterion similar to reversed phase chromatography based on their hydrophobicity. The acid pH induces positive net charges, increasing with the isoelectric point of proteins, thus allowing enhanced resolution in the separation. By using 2D AUT-PAGE/SDS electrophoresis approach to separate water-soluble proteins from fresh pork and from dry-cured products, we could spread proteins over a greater area, achieving a greater resolution than that obtained by IPG in the pH range 3-10 and 6-11. Sarcoplasmic proteins undergoing proteolysis during the ripening of products were identified by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-ToF) mass spectrometry peptide mass fingerprinting in a easier and more effective way. Two-dimensional AUT-PAGE/SDS electrophoresis has allowed to simplify separation of sarcoplasmic protein mixtures making this technique suitable in the defining of quality of dry-cured pork products by immediate

  20. Sphingosine inhibits the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca"2"+-ATPase (SERCA) activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benaim, Gustavo; Pimentel, Adriana A.; Felibertt, Pimali; Mayora, Adriana; Colman, Laura; Sojo, Felipe; Rojas, Héctor; De Sanctis, Juan B.

    2016-01-01

    The increase in the intracellular Ca"2"+ concentration ([Ca"2"+]_i) is the key variable for many different processes, ranging from regulation of cell proliferation to apoptosis. In this work we demonstrated that the sphingolipid sphingosine (Sph) increases the [Ca"2"+]_i by inhibiting the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca"2"+-ATPase (SERCA), in a similar manner to thapsigargin (Tg), a specific inhibitor of this Ca"2"+ pump. The results showed that addition of sphingosine produced a release of Ca"2"+ from the endoplasmic reticulum followed by a Ca"2"+ entrance from the outside mileu. The results presented in this work support that this sphingolipid could control the activity of the SERCA, and hence sphingosine may participate in the regulation of [Ca"2"+]_I in mammalian cells.

  1. Hydrogen Bonded Supramolecular Polymers in Both Apolar and Aqueous Media: Self-Assembly and Reversible Conversion of Vesicles and Gels%Hydrogen Bonded Supramolecular Polymers in Both Apolar and Aqueous Media: Self-Assembly and Reversible Conversion of Vesicles and Gels

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    杜平; 孔军; 王贵涛; 赵新; 李光玉; 蒋锡夔; 黎占亭

    2011-01-01

    In a preliminary letter (Tetrahedron Lett. 2010, 51, 188), we reported two new hydrazide-based quadruple hydrogen-bonding motifs, this is, two monopodal (la and lb) and five dipodal (2a, 2b and 3a--3c) aromatic hydrazide derivatives, and the formation of supramolecular polymers and vesicles from the dipodal motifs in hydrocarbons. In this paper, we present a full picture on the properties of these hydrogen-bonding motifs with an emphasis on their self-assembling behaviors in aqueous media. SEM, AFM, TEM and fluorescent micrographs indicate that all the dipodal compounds also form vesicles in polar methanol and water-methanol (up to 50% of water) mixtures. Control experiments show that lb does not form vesicles in same media. Addition of lb to the solution of the dipodal compounds inhibits the latter's capacity of forming vesicles. At high concentrations, 3b and 3c also gelate discrete solvents, including hydrocarbons, esters, methanol, and methanol-water mixture. Concentration-dependent SEM investigations reveal that the vesicles of 3b and 3c fuse to form gels and the gel of 3c can de-aggregate to form the vesicles reversibly.

  2. Gel-based phosphoproteomics analysis of sarcoplasmic proteins in postmortem porcine muscle with pH decline rate and time differences

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Honggang; Larsen, Martin Røssel; Karlsson, Anders H

    2011-01-01

    phosphorylation in sarcoplasmic proteins from three groups of pigs with different pH decline rates from PM 1 to 24¿h. Globally, the fast pH decline group had the highest phosphorylation level at PM 1¿h, but lowest at 24¿h, whereas the slow pH decline group showed the reverse case. The same pattern was also...... observed in most individual bands in 1-DE. The protein phosphorylation levels of 12 bands were significantly affected by the synergy effects of pH and time (p......Meat quality development is highly influenced by the pH decline caused by the postmortem (PM) glycolysis. Protein phosphorylation is an important mechanism in regulating the activity of glycometabolic enzymes. Here, a gel-based phosphoproteomic study was performed to analyze the protein...

  3. Giant vesicles (GV) in colloidal system under the optical polarization microscope (OPM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalid, Khalisanni; Noh, Muhammad Azri Mohd; Khan, M Niyaz; Ishak, Ruzaina; Penney, Esther; Chowdhury, Zaira Zaman; Hamzah, Mohammad Hafiz; Othman, Maizatulnisa

    2017-09-01

    This paper discusses the unprecedented microscopic findings of micellar growth in colloidal system (CS) of catalyzed piperidinolysis of ionized phenyl salicylate (PS - ). The giant vesicles (GV) was observed under the optical polarization microscope (OPM) at [NaX]=0.1M where X=3-isopropC 6 H 4 O - . The conditions were rationalized from pseudo-first-order rate constant, k obs of PS - of micellar phase at 31.1×10 -3 s -1 reported in previous publication. The overall diameter of GV (57.6μm) in CS (CTABr/NaX/H 2 O)-catalyzed piperidinolysis (where X=3-isopropC 6 H 4 O) of ionized phenyl salicylate were found as giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) and giant multilamellar vesicles (GMV). The findings were also validated by means of rheological analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Oxygen-coupled Redox Regulation of the Skeletal Muscle Ryanodine Receptor/Ca2+ Release Channel (RyR1)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qi-An; Wang, Benlian; Miyagi, Masaru; Hess, Douglas T.; Stamler, Jonathan S.

    2013-01-01

    In mammalian skeletal muscle, Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) through the ryanodine receptor/Ca2+-release channel RyR1 can be enhanced by S-oxidation or S-nitrosylation of separate Cys residues, which are allosterically linked. S-Oxidation of RyR1 is coupled to muscle oxygen tension (pO2) through O2-dependent production of hydrogen peroxide by SR-resident NADPH oxidase 4. In isolated SR (SR vesicles), an average of six to eight Cys thiols/RyR1 monomer are reversibly oxidized at high (21% O2) versus low pO2 (1% O2), but their identity among the 100 Cys residues/RyR1 monomer is unknown. Here we use isotope-coded affinity tag labeling and mass spectrometry (yielding 93% coverage of RyR1 Cys residues) to identify 13 Cys residues subject to pO2-coupled S-oxidation in SR vesicles. Eight additional Cys residues are oxidized at high versus low pO2 only when NADPH levels are supplemented to enhance NADPH oxidase 4 activity. pO2-sensitive Cys residues were largely non-overlapping with those identified previously as hyperreactive by administration of exogenous reagents (three of 21) or as S-nitrosylated. Cys residues subject to pO2-coupled oxidation are distributed widely within the cytoplasmic domain of RyR1 in multiple functional domains implicated in RyR1 activity-regulating interactions with the L-type Ca2+ channel (dihydropyridine receptor) and FK506-binding protein 12 as well as in “hot spot” regions containing sites of mutation implicated in malignant hyperthermia and central core disease. pO2-coupled disulfide formation was identified, whereas neither S-glutathionylated nor sulfenamide-modified Cys residues were observed. Thus, physiological redox regulation of RyR1 by endogenously generated hydrogen peroxide is exerted through dynamic disulfide formation involving multiple Cys residues. PMID:23798702

  5. Effects of cartap on isolated mouse phrenic nerve diaphragm and its related mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, J W; Kang, J J; Liu, S H; Jeng, C R; Cheng, Y W; Hu, C M; Tsai, S F; Wang, S C; Pang, V F

    2000-06-01

    Cartap, a nereistoxin analogue pesticide, is reported to have no irritation to eyes in rabbits. However, we have demonstrated recently that cartap could actually cause acute death in rabbits via ocular exposure. Our preliminary study with isolated mouse phrenic nerve diaphragms has shown that instead of neuromuscular blockade, cartap caused muscular contracture. The objective of the study was to examine the effect of cartap on the neuromuscular junction in more detail and to investigate its possible underlying mechanism with isolated mouse phrenic nerve diaphragms and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles. Cartap or nereistoxin at various concentrations was added in the organ bath with isolated mouse phrenic nerve diaphragm and both nerve- and muscle-evoked twitches were recorded. Instead of blocking the neuromuscular transmission as nereistoxin did, cartap caused contracture in stimulated or quiescent isolated mouse phrenic nerve diaphragm. Both the cartap-induced muscular contracture force and the time interval to initiate the contracture were dose-dependent. The contracture induced by cartap was not affected by the pretreatment of the diaphragm with the acetylcholine receptor blocker alpha-bungarotoxin; the Na(+) channel blocker tetrodotoxin; or various Ca(2+) channel blockers, NiCl(2), verapamil, and nifedipine. On the contrary, the contracture was significantly inhibited when the diaphragm was pretreated with ryanodine or EGTA containing Ca(2+)-free Krebs solution or in combination. This suggested that both internal and extracellular Ca(2+) might participate in cartap-induced skeletal muscle contracture. Moreover, cartap inhibited the [(3)H]-ryanodine binding to the Ca(2+) release channel of SR in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, cartap could induce a significant reduction in Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of SR vesicles at a relatively high dose. The results suggested that cartap might cause the influx of extracellular Ca(2+) and the release of internal Ca(2

  6. The small GTPase Cdc42 modulates the number of exocytosis-competent dense-core vesicles in PC12 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sato, Mai [Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902 (Japan); Kitaguchi, Tetsuya [Cell Signaling Group, Waseda Bioscience Research Institute in Singapore (WABOIS), Waseda University, 11 Biopolis Way, 05-01/02 Helios, Singapore 138667 (Singapore); Numano, Rika [The Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS), Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibarigaoka, Tennpaku-cho, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan); Ikematsu, Kazuya [Forensic Pathology and Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523 (Japan); Kakeyama, Masaki [Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Murata, Masayuki; Sato, Ken [Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902 (Japan); Tsuboi, Takashi, E-mail: takatsuboi@bio.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902 (Japan)

    2012-04-06

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Regulation of exocytosis by Rho GTPase Cdc42. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cdc42 increases the number of fusion events from newly recruited vesicles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cdc42 increases the number of exocytosis-competent dense-core vesicles. -- Abstract: Although the small GTPase Rho family Cdc42 has been shown to facilitate exocytosis through increasing the amount of hormones released, the precise mechanisms regulating the quantity of hormones released on exocytosis are not well understood. Here we show by live cell imaging analysis under TIRF microscope and immunocytochemical analysis under confocal microscope that Cdc42 modulated the number of fusion events and the number of dense-core vesicles produced in the cells. Overexpression of a wild-type or constitutively-active form of Cdc42 strongly facilitated high-KCl-induced exocytosis from the newly recruited plasma membrane vesicles in PC12 cells. By contrast, a dominant-negative form of Cdc42 inhibited exocytosis from both the newly recruited and previously docked plasma membrane vesicles. The number of intracellular dense-core vesicles was increased by the overexpression of both a wild-type and constitutively-active form of Cdc42. Consistently, activation of Cdc42 by overexpression of Tuba, a Golgi-associated guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Cdc42 increased the number of intracellular dense-core vesicles, whereas inhibition of Cdc42 by overexpression of the Cdc42/Rac interactive binding domain of neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein decreased the number of them. These findings suggest that Cdc42 facilitates exocytosis by modulating both the number of exocytosis-competent dense-core vesicles and the production of dense-core vesicles in PC12 cells.

  7. The small GTPase Cdc42 modulates the number of exocytosis-competent dense-core vesicles in PC12 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Mai; Kitaguchi, Tetsuya; Numano, Rika; Ikematsu, Kazuya; Kakeyama, Masaki; Murata, Masayuki; Sato, Ken; Tsuboi, Takashi

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Regulation of exocytosis by Rho GTPase Cdc42. ► Cdc42 increases the number of fusion events from newly recruited vesicles. ► Cdc42 increases the number of exocytosis-competent dense-core vesicles. -- Abstract: Although the small GTPase Rho family Cdc42 has been shown to facilitate exocytosis through increasing the amount of hormones released, the precise mechanisms regulating the quantity of hormones released on exocytosis are not well understood. Here we show by live cell imaging analysis under TIRF microscope and immunocytochemical analysis under confocal microscope that Cdc42 modulated the number of fusion events and the number of dense-core vesicles produced in the cells. Overexpression of a wild-type or constitutively-active form of Cdc42 strongly facilitated high-KCl-induced exocytosis from the newly recruited plasma membrane vesicles in PC12 cells. By contrast, a dominant-negative form of Cdc42 inhibited exocytosis from both the newly recruited and previously docked plasma membrane vesicles. The number of intracellular dense-core vesicles was increased by the overexpression of both a wild-type and constitutively-active form of Cdc42. Consistently, activation of Cdc42 by overexpression of Tuba, a Golgi-associated guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Cdc42 increased the number of intracellular dense-core vesicles, whereas inhibition of Cdc42 by overexpression of the Cdc42/Rac interactive binding domain of neuronal Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein decreased the number of them. These findings suggest that Cdc42 facilitates exocytosis by modulating both the number of exocytosis-competent dense-core vesicles and the production of dense-core vesicles in PC12 cells.

  8. Dynamic light scattering for the characterization and counting of extracellular vesicles: a powerful noninvasive tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmieri, Valentina; Lucchetti, Donatella; Gatto, Ilaria; Maiorana, Alessandro; Marcantoni, Margherita; Maulucci, Giuseppe; Papi, Massimiliano; Pola, Roberto; De Spirito, Marco; Sgambato, Alessandro

    2014-09-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-to-cell shuttles that have recently drawn interest both as drug delivery platforms and disease biomarkers. Despite the increasingly recognized relevance of these vesicles, their detection, and characterization still have several technical drawbacks. In this paper, we accurately assess the size distribution and concentration of EVs by using a high-throughput non-perturbative technique such as Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The vesicle radii distribution, as further confirmed by Atomic Force Microscopy experiments, ranges from 10 to 80 nm and appears very asymmetric towards larger radii with a main peak at roughly 30 nm. By combining DLS and Bradford assay, we also demonstrate the feasibility of recovering the concentration and its distribution of proteins contained inside vesicles. The sensitivity of our approach allows to detect protein concentrations as low as 0.01 mg/ml.

  9. Lubrication synergy: Mixture of hyaluronan and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raj, Akanksha; Wang, Min; Zander, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    consisting of non-homogeneous phospholipid bilayer with hyaluronan/DPPC aggregates on top. The presence of these aggregates generates a long-range repulsive surface force as two such surfaces are brought together. However, the aggregates are easily deformed, partly rearranged into multilayer structures......Phospholipids and hyaluronan have been implied to fulfil important roles in synovial joint lubrication. Since both components are present in synovial fluid, self-assembly structures formed by them should also be present. We demonstrate by small angle X-ray scattering that hyaluronan associates...... with the outer shell of dipalmitoylphophatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles in bulk solution. Further, we follow adsorption to silica from mixed hyaluronan/DPPC vesicle solution by Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation measurements. Atomic Force Microscope imaging visualises the adsorbed layer structure...

  10. A Hierarchical Convolutional Neural Network for vesicle fusion event classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Haohan; Mao, Yunxiang; Yin, Zhaozheng; Xu, Yingke

    2017-09-01

    Quantitative analysis of vesicle exocytosis and classification of different modes of vesicle fusion from the fluorescence microscopy are of primary importance for biomedical researches. In this paper, we propose a novel Hierarchical Convolutional Neural Network (HCNN) method to automatically identify vesicle fusion events in time-lapse Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (TIRFM) image sequences. Firstly, a detection and tracking method is developed to extract image patch sequences containing potential fusion events. Then, a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) is applied on each image patch of the patch sequence with outliers rejected for robust Gaussian fitting. By utilizing the high-level time-series intensity change features introduced by GMM and the visual appearance features embedded in some key moments of the fusion process, the proposed HCNN architecture is able to classify each candidate patch sequence into three classes: full fusion event, partial fusion event and non-fusion event. Finally, we validate the performance of our method on 9 challenging datasets that have been annotated by cell biologists, and our method achieves better performances when comparing with three previous methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Ultrastructural features of Mimulus aurantiacus (Scrophulariaceae) pollen tubes in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekici, Nuran; Dane, Feruzan; Olgun, Göksel

    2009-03-01

    The aim of this study is to give information on ultrastructure of in vivo pollen tubes of Mimulus aurantiacus which were collected from the Botanical Garden of the University of California at Berkeley. Materials were prepared according to electron microscopy methods and examined under Zeiss electron microscope. Four zones were examined in the pollen tubes of Mimulus aurantiacus. Apical zone: Mitochondria, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, rough endoplasmic reticulum, dictyosomes and secretory vesicles were observed. Subapical zone: This area contained abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and occasionally some smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The polysomes, mitochondria, proplastids that contain starch, small vacuoles and a few lipid bodies were detected. Nuclear zone: Both generative and vegetative cell nuclei lie in this zone. The vegetative cell nucleus was large and long. Rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, ribosomes, dictyosomes, and amyloplasts that are rich of starch were observed. Vacuolation and plug formation zone: Cytoplasm of the tubes was full of large vacuoles. Few organelles such as mitochondria, dictyosome and rough endoplasmic reticulum were detected along their periphery.

  12. Fusion of Sendai Virus with Vesicles of Oligomerizable Lipids: A Micro Calorimetric Analysis of Membrane Fusion

    OpenAIRE

    Ravoo, Bart Jan; Weringa, Wilke D.; Engberts, Jan B.F.N.

    2000-01-01

    Sendai virus fuses efficiently with small and large unilamellar vesicles of the lipid 1,2-di-n-hexadecyloxypropyl-4-(beta-nitrostyryl) phosphate (DHPBNS) at pH 7.4 and 37°C, as shown by lipid mixing assays and electron microscopy. However, fusion is strongly inhibited by oligomerization of the head groups of DHPBNS in the bilayer vesicles. The enthalpy associated with fusion of Sendai virus with DHPBNS vesicles was measured by isothermal titration microcalorimetry, comparing titrations of Sen...

  13. Extracellular Vesicles in Hematological Disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anat Aharon

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Extracellular vesicles (EVs, comprised of exosomes, microparticles, apoptotic bodies, and other microvesicles, are shed from a variety of cells upon cell activation or apoptosis. EVs promote clot formation, mediate pro-inflammatory processes, transfer proteins and miRNA to cells, and induce cell signaling that regulates cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. This paper will review the contribution of EVs in hematological disorders, including hemoglobinopathies (sickle cell disease, thalassemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and hematological malignancies (lymphomas, myelomas, and acute and chronic leukemias.

  14. Intermolecular crosslinks mediate aggregation of phospholipid vesicles by pulmonary surfactant-associated protein SAP-35

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ross, G.R.; Sawyer, J.; Whitsett, J.

    1987-01-01

    Pulmonary surfactant-associated protein, Mr=35,000 (SAP-35) is known to bind phospholipids and is hypothesized to function in the organization of surfactant lipid membranes. SAP-35 has been observed to accelerate the calcium-induced aggregation of phospholipid vesicles. In order to define the molecular domains of SAP-35 which function in phospholipid aggregation, they have measured the light scattering properties (400nm) of purified canine SAP-35-phospholipid vesicle suspensions. Accelerated aggregation of unilamellar vesicles, requires SAP-35 and at least 2mM free calcium. The initial rate of A 400 change is proportional to the amount of native SAP-35 added over lipid:protein molar ratios ranging from 100:1 to 5000:1. Removal of the SAP-35 collagen-like domain and a specific cysteine residue involved in intermolecular disulfide bonding by bacterial collagenase digestion destroys the protein's lipid aggregation activity. Pre-incubation of SAP-35 with dithiothreitol (DTT) under nondenaturing conditions also results in a time-dependent loss of aggregation activity. Sucrose density gradient floatation of SAP-35 with 14 C dipalmitoyl phosphatidycholine labelled vesicles in the absence or presence of DTT suggests retention of SAP-35 lipid binding capacity. These data demonstrate the importance of SAP-35 triple helix and disulfide crosslinking integrity for the aggregation of unilamellar phospholipid vesicles

  15. The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Bone Metastasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michela Rossi

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Multiple types of cancer have the specific ability to home to the bone microenvironment and cause metastatic lesions. Despite being the focus of intense investigation, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate the metastasis of disseminated tumor cells still remain largely unknown. Bone metastases severely impact quality of life since they are associated with pain, fractures, and bone marrow aplasia. In this review, we will summarize the recent discoveries on the role of extracellular vesicles (EV in the regulation of bone remodeling activity and bone metastasis occurrence. Indeed, it was shown that extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and microvesicles, released from tumor cells can modify the bone microenvironment, allowing the formation of osteolytic, osteosclerotic, and mixed mestastases. In turn, bone-derived EV can stimulate the proliferation of tumor cells. The inhibition of EV-mediated crosstalk between cancer and bone cells could represent a new therapeutic target for bone metastasis.

  16. Nonenzymatic glycation of phosphatidylethanolamine in erythrocyte vesicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patkowska, M.J.; Horowitz, M.I.

    1986-01-01

    Unsealed inside-out and right-side out vesicles were prepared from human red cells. The vesicles were incubated with D-glucose [ 14 C(U)] and sodium cyanoborohydride in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. After incubation, lipids were extracted with 1-butanol and non-lipid contaminants removed by Sephadex G-25 chromatography. Phosphatidylethanolamine-sorbitol was purified by chromatography on columns of silicic acid and phenylboronate agarose gel. Phospholipase C (B. cereus) liberated phosphoethanolamine-sorbitol (I) which comigrated on TLC with synthetic I prepared by reductive condensation of phosphoethanolamine and D-glucose and also with the product of phospholipase C (B. cereus) hydrolysis of reference phosphatidylethanolamine-sorbitol. Exposure of I to alkaline phosphatase (E. coli) gave P/sub i/ and ethanolamine-sorbitol (II) which comigrated on TLC with synthetic II prepared by reductive condensation of ethanolamine and D-glucose or by phospholipase D hydrolysis of reference phosphatidylethanolamine-sorbitol. These studies demonstrate that vesicular phosphatidylethanolamine can be reductively glycated and illustrate the applicability of both phospholipase C and phospholipase D in characterizing glycated phosphoglycerides

  17. Synaptic vesicle exocytosis in hippocampal synaptosomes correlates directly with total mitochondrial volume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivannikov, Maxim V.; Sugimori, Mutsuyuki; Llinás, Rodolfo R.

    2012-01-01

    Synaptic plasticity in many regions of the central nervous system leads to the continuous adjustment of synaptic strength, which is essential for learning and memory. In this study, we show by visualizing synaptic vesicle release in mouse hippocampal synaptosomes that presynaptic mitochondria and specifically, their capacities for ATP production are essential determinants of synaptic vesicle exocytosis and its magnitude. Total internal reflection microscopy of FM1-43 loaded hippocampal synaptosomes showed that inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation reduces evoked synaptic release. This reduction was accompanied by a substantial drop in synaptosomal ATP levels. However, cytosolic calcium influx was not affected. Structural characterization of stimulated hippocampal synaptosomes revealed that higher total presynaptic mitochondrial volumes were consistently associated with higher levels of exocytosis. Thus, synaptic vesicle release is linked to the presynaptic ability to regenerate ATP, which itself is a utility of mitochondrial density and activity. PMID:22772899

  18. The early postnatal pattern of vesicle formation in different regions of the porcien small intestine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elbrønd, Vibeke Sødring; Weström, B.R.

    2007-01-01

    applied to visualize cytoplasmatic subcellular components such as fat (Oil red O) and carbohydrates (PAS). Appearance and morphology of the epithelial vesicles were compared. In the proximal region several small supranuclear and a single large subnuclear electron dense, eosinophilic and PAS+ vesicle were...

  19. The endoplasmic reticulum is a hub to sort proteins toward unconventional traffic pathways and endosymbiotic organelles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellucci, Michele; De Marchis, Francesca; Pompa, Andrea

    2017-12-18

    The discovery that much of the extracellular proteome in eukaryotic cells consists of proteins lacking a signal peptide, which cannot therefore enter the secretory pathway, has led to the identification of alternative protein secretion routes bypassing the Golgi apparatus. However, proteins harboring a signal peptide for translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum can also be transported along these alternative routes, which are still far from being well elucidated in terms of the molecular machineries and subcellular/intermediate compartments involved. In this review, we first try to provide a definition of all the unconventional protein secretion pathways in eukaryotic cells, as those pathways followed by proteins directed to an 'external space' bypassing the Golgi, where 'external space' refers to the extracellular space plus the lumen of the secretory route compartments and the inner space of mitochondria and plastids. Then, we discuss the role of the endoplasmic reticulum in sorting proteins toward unconventional traffic pathways in plants. In this regard, various unconventional pathways exporting proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the vacuole, plasma membrane, apoplast, mitochondria, and plastids are described, including the short routes followed by the proteins resident in the endoplasmic reticulum. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Ultrasound-guided seminal vesicle biopsies in prostate cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wymenga, LFA; Duisterwinkel, FJ; Groenier, K; Mensink, HJA

    2000-01-01

    Invasion of prostatic adenocarcinoma into the seminal vesicles (SV) is generally accepted as an index of poor prognosis. The pre-operative identification of SV invasion is an important element in staging since it may alter subsequent treatment decisions. We studied the possibility of diagnosing SV