Influence of Buffer Species on the Thermodynamics of Short DNA Duplex Melting: Sodium Phosphate versus Sodium Cacodylate†

2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (9) ◽  
pp. 2578-2586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saba Alemayehu ◽  
Daniel J. Fish ◽  
Greg P. Brewood ◽  
M. Todd Horne ◽  
Fidelis Manyanga ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
L. W. Labaw

Crystals of a human γGl immunoglobulin have the external morphology of diamond shaped prisms. X-ray studies have shown them to be monoclinic, space group C2, with 2 molecules per unit cell. The unit cell dimensions are a = 194.1, b = 91.7, c = 51.6Å, 8 = 102°. The relatively large molecular weight of 151,000 and these unit cell dimensions made this a promising crystal to study in the EM.Crystals similar to those used in the x-ray studies were fixed at 5°C for three weeks in a solution of mother liquor containing 5 x 10-5M sodium phosphate, pH 7.0, and 0.03% glutaraldehyde. They were postfixed with 1% osmium tetroxide for 15 min. and embedded in Maraglas the usual way. Sections were cut perpendicular to the three crystallographic axes. Such a section cut with its plane perpendicular to the z direction is shown in Fig. 1.This projection of the crystal in the z direction shows periodicities in at least four different directions but these are only seen clearly by sighting obliquely along the micrograph.


Author(s):  
Shams M. Ghoneim ◽  
Frank M. Faraci ◽  
Gary L. Baumbach

The area postrema is a circumventricular organ in the brain stem and is one of the regions in the brain that lacks a fully functional blood-brain barrier. Recently, we found that disruption of the microcirculation during acute hypertension is greater in area postrema than in the adjacent brain stem. In contrast, hyperosmolar disruption of the microcirculation is greater in brain stem. The objective of this study was to compare ultrastructural characteristics of the microcirculation in area postrema and adjacent brain stem.We studied 5 Sprague-Dawley rats. Horseradish peroxidase was injected intravenously and allowed to circulate for 1, 5 or 15 minutes. Following perfusion of the upper body with 2.25% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M sodium cacodylate, the brain stem was removed, embedded in agar, and chopped into 50-70 μm sections with a TC-Sorvall tissue chopper. Sections of brain stem were incubated for 1 hour in a solution of 3,3' diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride (0.05%) in 0.05M Tris buffer with 1% H2O2.


Author(s):  
MB. Tank Buschmann

Development of oligodendrocytes in rat corpus callosum was described as a sequential change in cytoplasmic density which progressed from light to medium to dark (1). In rat optic nerve, changes in cytoplasmic density were not observed, but significant changes in morphology occurred just prior to and during myelination (2). In our study, the ultrastructural development of oligodendrocytes was studied in newborn, 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-day and adult frontal cortex of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).Young and adult hamster brains were perfused with paraformaldehyde-glutaraldehyde in sodium cacodylate buffer at pH 7.3 according to the method of Peters (3). Tissue samples of layer V of the frontal cortex were post-fixed in 2% osmium tetroxide, dehydrated in acetone and embedded in Epon-Araldite resin.


Author(s):  
Joe A. Mascorro ◽  
Robert D. Yates

Extra-adrenal chromaffin organs (abdominal paraganglia) constitute rich sources of catecholamines. It is believed that these bodies contain norepinephrine exclusively. However, the present workers recently observed epinephrine type granules in para- ganglion cells. This report investigates catecholamine containing granules in rabbit paraganglia at the ultrastructural level.New Zealand white rabbits (150-170 grams) were anesthetized with 50 mg/kg Nembutal (IP) and perfused with 3% glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.2M sodium phosphate, pH 7.3. The retroperitoneal tissue blocks were removed and placed in perfusion fluid for 4 hours. The abdominal paraganglia were dissected from the blocks, diced, washed in phosphate buffer and fixed in 1% osmic acid buffered with phosphate. In other animals, the glutaraldehyde perfused tissue blocks were immersed for 1 hour in 3% glutaraldehyde/2.5% potassium iodate buffered as before. The paraganglia were then diced, separated into two vials and washed in the buffer. A portion of this tissue received osmic acid fixation.


Author(s):  
G.J. Spector ◽  
C.D. Carr ◽  
I. Kaufman Arenberg ◽  
R.H. Maisel

All studies on primary neural degeneration in the cochlea have evaluated the end stages of degeneration or the indiscriminate destruction of both sensory cells and cochlear neurons. We have developed a model which selectively simulates the dystrophic changes denoting cochlear neural degeneration while sparing the cochlear hair cells. Such a model can be used to define more precisely the mechanism of presbycusis or the hearing loss in aging man.Twenty-two pigmented guinea pigs (200-250 gm) were perfused by the perilymphatic route as live preparations using fluorocitrate in various concentrations (15-250 ug/cc) and at different incubation times (5-150 minutes). The barium salt of DL fluorocitrate, (C6H4O7F)2Ba3, was reacted with 1.0N sulfuric acid to precipitate the barium as a sulfate. The perfusion medium was prepared, just prior to use, as follows: sodium phosphate buffer 0.2M, pH 7.4 = 9cc; fluorocitrate = 15-200 mg/cc; and sucrose = 0.2M.


Author(s):  
Hsin-Kan Wu ◽  
Mei-Chu Chung

In one of our earlier papers (Wu et al. 1978), we suggested that glutelin is the major composition of the round storage protein bodies although they also contain relatively more prolamine than the angular one does. Immunochemical studies of Krishnan et al. (1986) later showed the presence of glutelin in the irregularly-shaped (angular) protein bodies while the prolamines were found in the round ones. Our recent experiment using protein A-gold technique found that prolamine is mainly deposited into the angular protein bodies.Small blocks (1 mm3) of 7 DAF (days after flowering) caryopsis of Orvza perennis were fixed with 3% paraformaldehyde and 3% glutaraldehyde in 0.1M sodium phosphate, pH7.4, dehydrated in a graded ethanol series and infiltrated with Spurr’s resin. Thin sections, after gold labeling, were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Rabbit antibodies were raised against purified prolamine. Protein A-gold sol complex was prepared based on the technique of Horisberger et al. (1977).


Author(s):  
Henry H. Eichelberger ◽  
John G. Baust ◽  
Robert G. Van Buskirk

For research in cell differentiation and in vitro toxicology it is essential to provide a natural state of cell structure as a benchmark for interpreting results. Hypothermosol (Cryomedical Sciences, Rockville, MD) has proven useful in insuring the viability of synthetic human epidermis during cold-storage and in maintaining the epidermis’ ability to continue to differentiate following warming.Human epidermal equivalent, EpiDerm (MatTek Corporation, Ashland, MA) consisting of fully differentiated stratified human epidermal cells were grown on a microporous membrane. EpiDerm samples were fixed before and after cold-storage (4°C) for 5 days in Hypothermosol or skin culture media (MatTek Corporation) and allowed to recover for 7 days at 37°C. EpiDerm samples were fixed 1 hour in 2.5% glutaraldehyde in sodium cacodylate buffer (pH 7.2). A secondary fixation with 0.2% ruthenium tetroxide (Polysciences, Inc., Warrington, PA) in sodium cacodylate was carried out for 3 hours at 4°C. Other samples were similarly fixed, but with 1% Osmium tetroxide in place of ruthenium tetroxide. Samples were dehydrated through a graded acetone series, infiltrated with Spurrs resin (Polysciences Inc.) and polymerized at 70°C.


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