scholarly journals STRUCTURES LINKING THE MYONEMES, ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM, AND SURFACE MEMBRANES IN THE CONTRACTILE CILIATE VORTICELLA

1973 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 559-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard D. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Calcium Ions ◽  
Calcium Release ◽  
Basal Bodies ◽  
Membrane Systems ◽  
Electron Microscope Investigation ◽  
Complex Morphology ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Er Membrane

An electron microscope investigation of the interface between the myonemes of Vorticella convallaria and their associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has revealed structures of a complex morphology linking these two organelles. These structures are named "linkage complexes". Each complex contains a spindle-shaped midpiece which lies in a groove of the ER membrane. Microfilaments splay out from the tips of the midpiece and may come in contact with the inner alveolar sac membrane. Three to six raillike structures lie on each side of the midpiece and parallel it. The ER membrane appears to pass through the sides of the rails. In the lumen of the ER these rails are associated with a meshwork of filaments. A cradle of five rods lies within the groove under the midpiece. The ER membrane also passes through these rods which contact the same meshwork. In the scopular region and in the stalk the microfilaments from the midpiece form a bundle which passes into the lumen of modified basal bodies. These basal bodies are connected to the alveolar sac which, in the stalk, passes as a flattened tube along its length. The parts of the dissociated linkage complex are scattered throughout the spasmoneme of the stalk along membranes of the intraspasmonemal tubules. Thus, both stalk and body contractile bundles have linkage complexes that link their associated membrane systems to the microfibrils and, in turn, connect this membrane-microfibrillar interface to the pellicular membranes. The arrangement of the linkage complex suggests an involvement in the control of the transport of calcium ions between ER and microfibrils, and possibly the transfer of a message from the surface membranes to the sites of calcium release to trigger myonemal contraction.

scholarly journals The Fine Structure of the Adipose Cell of the Leech Glossiphonia complanata

1958 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 603-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Bradbury ◽  
G. A. Meek
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Fine Structure ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Calcium Ions ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Histochemical Study ◽  
Adipose Cell ◽  
Electron Microscope Investigation ◽  
Electron Microscope Image ◽  
Size And Structure

The two distinct types of cytoplasm seen with the light microscope in the adipose cell of the leech Glossiphonia complanata have been identified in the electron microscope image of this cell. One of these, the basophil cytoplasm, contains many well oriented, paired membranes which are much more clearly evident when calcium ions are added to the fixative. The membranes sometimes appear as concentric arrays of lamellae and are thought to represent sections through a phospholipide-containing body. The paired membranes and the concentric lamellae have granules attached to them and resemble in size and structure the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum encountered in many mammalian cells. Small dense cytoplasmic particles are present throughout the cell; they may be ferritin molecules, derived from the breakdown of haemoglobin taken in as food. On the basis of a previous histochemical study and the present electron microscope investigation, it is suggested that these paired membranes are similar to the organized type of mammalian ER and the results seem to confirm the belief that these membranes are composed of layers of phospholipoprotein together with attached particles of ribonucleoprotein.

Heterologous expression of polycystin-1 inhibits endoplasmic reticulum calcium leak in stably transfected MDCK cells

2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (6) ◽  
pp. F1279-F1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly H. Weber ◽  
Eun Kyung Lee ◽  
Uma Basavanna ◽  
Sabina Lindley ◽  
Roy C. Ziegelstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Calcium Release ◽  
Mdck Cells ◽  
Calcium Ionophore ◽  
Calcium Flux ◽  
Calcium Stores ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ◽  
Calcium Indicator ◽  
Luminal Calcium ◽  
Er Membrane

We previously found that polycystin-1 accelerated the decay of ligand-activated cytoplasmic calcium transients through enhanced reuptake of calcium into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER; Hooper KM, Boletta A, Germino GG, Hu Q, Ziegelstein RC, Sutters M. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 289: F521–F530, 2005). Calcium flux across the ER membrane is determined by the balance of active uptake and passive leak. In the present study, we show that polycystin-1 inhibited calcium leak across the ER membrane, an effect that would explain the capacity of this protein to accelerate clearance of calcium from the cytoplasm following a calcium release response. Calcium leak was detected by measurement of the accumulation of calcium in the cytoplasm following treatment with thapsigargin. Heterologous polycystin-1, stably expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, attenuated the thapsigargin-induced calcium peak with no effect on basal calcium stores, mitochondrial calcium uptake, or extrusion of calcium across the plasma membrane. The capacity of polycystin-1 to limit the rate of decay of ER luminal calcium following inhibition of the pump was shown indirectly using the calcium ionophore ionomycin, and directly by loading the ER with a low-affinity calcium indicator. We conclude that disruption of ER luminal calcium homeostasis may contribute to the cyst phenotype in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

scholarly journals Defects in the STIM1 SOARα2 domain affect multiple steps in the CRAC channel activation cascade

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Höglinger ◽  
Herwig Grabmayr ◽  
Lena Maltan ◽  
Ferdinand Horvath ◽  
Heinrich Krobath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Electrostatic Interactions ◽  
Calcium Release ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Quiescent State ◽  
Store Depletion ◽  
Crac Channel ◽  
Activation Cascade ◽  
Er Membrane

AbstractThe calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channel consists of STIM1, a Ca2+ sensor in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and Orai1, the Ca2+ ion channel in the plasma membrane. Ca2+ store depletion triggers conformational changes and oligomerization of STIM1 proteins and their direct interaction with Orai1. Structural alterations include the transition of STIM1 C-terminus from a folded to an extended conformation thereby exposing CAD (CRAC activation domain)/SOAR (STIM1-Orai1 activation region) for coupling to Orai1. In this study, we discovered that different point mutations of F394 in the small alpha helical segment (STIM1 α2) within the CAD/SOAR apex entail a rich plethora of effects on diverse STIM1 activation steps. An alanine substitution (STIM1 F394A) destabilized the STIM1 quiescent state, as evident from its constitutive activity. Single point mutation to hydrophilic, charged amino acids (STIM1 F394D, STIM1 F394K) impaired STIM1 homomerization and subsequent Orai1 activation. MD simulations suggest that their loss of homomerization may arise from altered formation of the CC1α1-SOAR/CAD interface and potential electrostatic interactions with lipid headgroups in the ER membrane. Consistent with these findings, we provide experimental evidence that the perturbing effects of F394D depend on the distance of the apex from the ER membrane. Taken together, our results suggest that the CAD/SOAR apex is in the immediate vicinity of the ER membrane in the STIM1 quiescent state and that different mutations therein can impact the STIM1/Orai1 activation cascade in various manners. Graphic abstract Legend: Upon intracellular Ca2+ store depletion of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Ca2+ dissociates from STIM1. As a result, STIM1 adopts an elongated conformation and elicits Ca2+ influx from the extracellular matrix (EM) into the cell due to binding to and activation of Ca2+-selective Orai1 channels (left). The effects of three point mutations within the SOARα2 domain highlight the manifold roles of this region in the STIM1/Orai1 activation cascade: STIM1 F394A is active irrespective of the intracellular ER Ca2+ store level, but activates Orai1 channels to a reduced extent (middle). On the other hand, STIM1 F394D/K cannot adopt an elongated conformation upon Ca2+ store-depletion due to altered formation of the CC1α1-SOAR/CAD interface and/or electrostatic interaction of the respective side-chain charge with corresponding opposite charges on lipid headgroups in the ER membrane (right).

scholarly journals The Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Is Permeable to Small Molecules

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Le Gall ◽  
Andrea Neuhof ◽  
Tom Rapoport
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Membrane Permeation ◽  
Permeabilized Cells ◽  
Golgi Membranes ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Er Membrane

The lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) differs from the cytosol in its content of ions and other small molecules, but it is unclear whether the ER membrane is as impermeable as other membranes in the cell. Here, we have tested the permeability of the ER membrane to small, nonphysiological molecules. We report that isolated ER vesicles allow different chemical modification reagents to pass from the outside into the lumen with little hindrance. In permeabilized cells, the ER membrane allows the passage of a small, charged modification reagent that is unable to cross the plasma membrane or the lysosomal and trans-Golgi membranes. A larger polar reagent of ∼5 kDa is unable to pass through the ER membrane. Permeation of the small molecules is passive because it occurs at low temperature in the absence of energy. These data indicate that the ER membrane is significantly more leaky than other cellular membranes, a property that may be required for protein folding and other functions of the ER.

scholarly journals Fast calcium transients in neuronal spines driven by extreme statistics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanishka Basnayake ◽  
Eduard Korkotian ◽  
David Holcman
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Calcium Ions ◽  
Calcium Release ◽  
Calcium Transients ◽  
Forward Rate ◽  
Rate Theory ◽  
Asymmetric Distribution ◽  
Small Target ◽  
Extreme Statistics ◽  
Spine Apparatus

AbstractExtreme statistics describe the distribution of rare events that can define the timescales of transduction within cellular microdomains. We combine biophysical modeling and analysis of live-cell calcium imaging to explain the fast calcium transient in spines. We show that in the presence of a spine apparatus (SA), which is an extension of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER), calcium transients during synaptic inputs rely on rare and extreme calcium ion trajectories. Using numerical simulations, we predicted the asymmetrical distributions of Ryanodine receptors and SERCA pumps that we confirmed experimentally. When calcium ions are released in the spine head, the fastest ions arriving at the base determine the transient timescale through a calcium-induced calcium release mechanism. In general, the fastest particles arriving at a small target are likely to be a generic mechanism that determines the timescale of molecular transduction in cellular neuroscience.Significance statementIntrigued by fast calcium transients of few milliseconds in dendritic spines, we investigated its underlying biophysical mechanism. We show here that it is generated by the diffusion of the fastest calcium ions when the spine contains a Spine Apparatus, an extension of the endoplasmic reticulum. This timescale is modulated by the initial number of released calcium ions and the asymmetric distribution of its associated calcium release associated Ryanodyne receptors, present only at the base of a spine. This novel mechanism of calcium signaling that we have unraveled here is driven by the fastest particles. To conclude, the rate of arrival of the fastest particles (ions) to a small target receptor defines the timescale of activation instead of the classical forward rate of chemical reactions introduced by von Smoluchowski in 1916. Applying this new rate theory to transduction should refine our understanding of the biophysical mechanisms underlying molecular signaling.

Copper Localization in Cirrhotic Rat Liver by Scanning Electron Microscopy

1969 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 38-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Russ ◽  
E. McNatt
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Copper Acetate ◽  
Lead Citrate ◽  
Dense Bodies ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Electron Mode ◽  
Scanning Electron

In order to study the retention of copper in cirrhotic liver, rats were made cirrhotic by carbon tetrachloride inhalation twice weekly for three months and fed 0.2% copper acetate ad libidum in drinking water for one month. The liver tissue was fixed in osmium, sectioned approximately 2000 Å thick, and stained with lead citrate. The section was examined in a scanning electron microscope (JEOLCO JSM-2) in the transmission electron mode.Figure 1 shows a typical area that includes a red blood cell in a sinusoid, a disse, and a portion of the cytoplasm of a hepatocyte which contains several mitochondria, peribiliary dense bodies, glycogen granules, and endoplasmic reticulum.

Ultrastructural comparison of prolactin adenomas of pituitary in men and women

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 346-347
Author(s):  
R.C. Caughey ◽  
U.P. Kalyan-Raman
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Phosphate Buffer ◽  
Pituitary Adenomas ◽  
Osmium Tetroxide ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Uranyl Acetate ◽  
En Bloc ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Transmission Electron

Prolactin producing pituitary adenomas are ultrastructurally characterized by secretory granules varying in size (150-300nm), abundance of endoplasmic reticulum, and misplaced exocytosis. They are also subclassified as sparsely or densely granulated according to the amount of granules present. The hormone levels in men and women vary, being higher in men; so also the symptoms vary between both sexes. In order to understand this variation, we studied 21 prolactin producing pituitary adenomas by transmission electron microscope. This was out of a total of 80 pituitary adenomas. There were 6 men and 15 women in this group of 21 prolactinomas.All of the pituitary adenomas were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde, rinsed in Millonig's phosphate buffer, and post fixed with 1% osmium tetroxide. They were then en bloc stained with 0.5% uranyl acetate, rinsed with Walpole's non-phosphate buffer, dehydrated with graded series of ethanols and embedded with Epon 812 epoxy resin.

A New High Intensity Grid Cap for RCA-EMU-3 Electron Microscopes

1968 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 316-317
Author(s):  
George Christov ◽  
Bolivar J. Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
High Voltage ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Electron Gun ◽  
Tungsten Filament ◽  
Fluorescent Screen ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Ground Potential

A new high intensity grid cap has been designed for the RCA-EMU-3 electron microscope. Various parameters of the new grid cap were investigated to determine its characteristics. The increase in illumination produced provides ease of focusing on the fluorescent screen at magnifications from 1500 to 50,000 times using an accelerating voltage of 50 KV.The EMU-3 type electron gun assembly consists of a V-shaped tungsten filament for a cathode with a thin metal threaded cathode shield and an anode with a central aperture to permit the beam to course the length of the column. The cathode shield is negatively biased at a potential of several hundred volts with respect to the filament. The electron beam is formed by electrons emitted from the tip of the filament which pass through an aperture of 0.1 inch diameter in the cap and then it is accelerated by the negative high voltage through a 0.625 inch diameter aperture in the anode which is at ground potential.

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum in perfusion and immersion-fixed Leydig cells

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 82-83
Author(s):  
R.T.F. Bernard ◽  
R.H.M. Cross
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Steroid Hormones ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Random Mixture ◽  
Transmission Electron

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) is involved in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones, and changes in the organisation and abundance of this organelle are regularly used as indicators of changes in the level of steroidogenesis. SER is typically arranged as a meshwork of anastomosing tubules which, with the transmission electron microscope, appear as a random mixture of cross, oblique and longitudinal sections. Less commonly the SER appears as swollen vesicles and it is generally suggested that this is an artefact caused during immersion fixation or during immersion of poorly-perfused tissue.During a previous study of the Leydig cells of a seasonally reproducing bat, in which tissue was fixed by immersion, we noted that tubular SER and vesicular SER often occured in adjacent cells and sometimes in the same cell, and that the abundance of the two types of SER changed seasonally. We came to doubt the widelyheld dogma that vesicular SER was an artefact of immersion fixation and set out to test the hypothesis that the method of fixation does not modify the ultrastructure of the SER.

TMCC3 localizes at the three-way junctions for the proper tubular network of the endoplasmic reticulum

2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (21) ◽  
pp. 3241-3260
Author(s):  
Sindhu Wisesa ◽  
Yasunori Yamamoto ◽  
Toshiaki Sakisaka
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Transmembrane Domains ◽  
Domain Family ◽  
Coiled Coil Domain ◽  
U2os Cells ◽  
Er Membrane

The tubular network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is formed by connecting ER tubules through three-way junctions. Two classes of the conserved ER membrane proteins, atlastins and lunapark, have been shown to reside at the three-way junctions so far and be involved in the generation and stabilization of the three-way junctions. In this study, we report TMCC3 (transmembrane and coiled-coil domain family 3), a member of the TEX28 family, as another ER membrane protein that resides at the three-way junctions in mammalian cells. When the TEX28 family members were transfected into U2OS cells, TMCC3 specifically localized at the three-way junctions in the peripheral ER. TMCC3 bound to atlastins through the C-terminal transmembrane domains. A TMCC3 mutant lacking the N-terminal coiled-coil domain abolished localization to the three-way junctions, suggesting that TMCC3 localized independently of binding to atlastins. TMCC3 knockdown caused a decrease in the number of three-way junctions and expansion of ER sheets, leading to a reduction of the tubular ER network in U2OS cells. The TMCC3 knockdown phenotype was partially rescued by the overexpression of atlastin-2, suggesting that TMCC3 knockdown would decrease the activity of atlastins. These results indicate that TMCC3 localizes at the three-way junctions for the proper tubular ER network.

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