scholarly journals Orthogonal (transverse) arrangements of actin in endothelia and fibroblasts

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 753-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Curtis ◽  
Gregor Aitchison ◽  
Theodora Tsapikouni

Though actin filaments running across the cell (transverse actin) have been occasionally reported for epithelial cells in groups and for cells growing on fibres, there has been no report heretofore of transverse actin in cells grown on planar substrata. This paper describes evidence in support of this possibility derived from actin staining, polarization microscopy and force measurements. The paper introduces two new methods for detecting the orientation and activity of contractile elements in cells. The orthogonal actin is most obvious in cells grown on groove ridge structures, but can be detected in cells grown on flat surfaces.

Author(s):  
J. R. Kuhn ◽  
M. Poenie

Cell shape and movement are controlled by elements of the cytoskeleton including actin filaments an microtubules. Unfortunately, it is difficult to visualize the cytoskeleton in living cells and hence follow it dynamics. Immunofluorescence and ultrastructural studies of fixed cells while providing clear images of the cytoskeleton, give only a static picture of this dynamic structure. Microinjection of fluorescently Is beled cytoskeletal proteins has proved useful as a way to follow some cytoskeletal events, but long terry studies are generally limited by the bleaching of fluorophores and presence of unassembled monomers.Polarization microscopy has the potential for visualizing the cytoskeleton. Although at present, it ha mainly been used for visualizing the mitotic spindle. Polarization microscopy is attractive in that it pro vides a way to selectively image structures such as cytoskeletal filaments that are birefringent. By combing ing standard polarization microscopy with video enhancement techniques it has been possible to image single filaments. In this case, however, filament intensity depends on the orientation of the polarizer and analyzer with respect to the specimen.


1995 ◽  
Vol 268 (6) ◽  
pp. G879-G888 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Kight ◽  
S. E. Fleming

The influence of glutamine on glucose oxidation was assessed in epithelial cells isolated from the mucosa of the proximal, mid-, and distal small intestine of young, fed, male rats. Glucose oxidation declined along the length of the small intestine, with values from the mid- and distal segments representing approximately 55% and 40%, respectively, of the value from the proximal segment. A gradient along the small intestine was noted also in the influence of glutamine on glucose oxidation: glutamine suppressed glucose oxidation approximately 60% in the proximal small intestine, 39% in the mid-intestine, and 31% in the distal small intestine. Glutamine suppressed the oxidation of glucose carbon that entered the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle; this was determined using CO2 ratios derived from acetate and glucose isotopes. In cells from the proximal segment, the probability that carbon entering the cycle would complete one full turn was reduced by glutamine from 0.77 to 0.28. The entry of glucose-derived pyruvate into the TCA cycle did not appear to be influenced by the presence of glutamine, however. Glutamine had no influence on the proportion of glucose metabolism that occurred via the pentose phosphate pathway (which averaged 5% or less), but reduced flux of carbon through pyruvate carboxylase relative to flux through pyruvate dehydrogenase from 40% to 9% in cells from the proximal segment. These data suggest that, in the presence of glutamine, the fate of pyruvate carbon (derived from glucose or elsewhere) entering the TCA cycle is altered from that of oxidation to anaplerosis and subsequent efflux of TCA cycle intermediates into newly synthesized compounds.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (4) ◽  
pp. G968-G978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon E. Fleming ◽  
Kirsten L. Zambell ◽  
Mark D. Fitch

The objectives of this study were to establish a reliable method for quantifying glycolytic flux in intestinal epithelial cells, to determine the proportion of energy provided to small intestine epithelial cells by glucose vs. glutamine, and to determine whether there was an energetic advantage to having both substrates present simultaneously. There was substantial retention of 3H in alanine and lactate when [2-3H]glucose was used as tracer for quantifying glycolysis, and the magnitude of the3H retention was influenced by the presence of other substrates and metabolites. Detritiation was at least 99% complete, however, when [3-3H]glucose was used as tracer in this system and the tritium was recovered as3H2O. Glycolytic flux was six- to sevenfold higher in cells of the proximal than distal small intestine but was not significantly different for young adult (4 mo) vs. aged adult (24 mo) rats. Net ATP production from exogenous substrates was higher when both glucose and glutamine were present simultaneously than when either substrate was present alone, and glucose was calculated to provide 50–60% of the net ATP produced from these two substrates. Most of the energy produced from glucose was produced via the anaerobic metabolic pathways (78% for glucose alone, 95% with glucose and glutamine). Net energy production was calculated to be 10% lower in cells from aged animals than in those from young animals, since CO2 production from these major substrates was lower in cells from aged animals.


Development ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-454
Author(s):  
John J. Eppig

Electron microscopy of 11-day-old Notophthalmus viridescens retinal pigmented epithelium reveals particulate premelanosomes which are identical to the melanosomes found in the oocyte. These organelles, when found in the pigmented epithelium, are called premelanosomes because they undergo further maturation to form relatively homogeneous, spherical melanosomes. At this stage, oocyte melanosomes found in cells other than melanocytes have not undergone this subsequent maturation. Elongated melanosomes which develop from fibrillar premelanosomes are also found in the pigmented epithelial cells. Treatment with phenylthiourea blocks the maturation of both the fibrillar and particulate premelanosomes.


1985 ◽  
Vol 248 (1) ◽  
pp. F43-F47 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. P. Wiesmann ◽  
J. P. Johnson ◽  
G. A. Miura ◽  
P. K. Chaing

The effect of aldosterone (Aldo) on phospholipid (PL) biosynthesis in cultured toad bladder epithelial cells was studied in cells incubated with [1,2-14C]choline and [methyl-3H]methionine over a 5-h period. Aldo (10(-7) M) did not alter the uptake of either precursor but significantly stimulated the incorporation of both labels into phosphatidylcholine (PC), the only PL labeled. 3H labeling of PC increased 29% and 14C incorporation into PC increased 34% in cells exposed to Aldo. A similar 30% increase in protein carboxymethylation occurred in cells treated with Aldo. 3-Deazaadenosine (DZA), a methylation inhibitor, abolished the Aldo-stimulated increase in PC labeling from [3H]methionine. PC labeling from [1,2-14C]choline was not affected by DZA. Basal and Aldo-stimulated protein carboxy-methylation were inhibited by DZA. DZA (300 microM) caused a mild decrease in basal short-circuit current (ISC) but completely inhibited the ISC response to 10(-7) M Aldo. Inhibition was complete when DZA was added up to 2 h following exposure to Aldo, and was reversible. Cells previously exposed to Aldo showed a significant increase in ISC within 2 h following removal of DZA. We conclude that Aldo stimulates PL methylation, protein carboxymethylation, and turnover of PC from choline. Inhibition of methylation reactions coincides with the inhibition of ISC response to Aldo.


1988 ◽  
Vol 255 (5) ◽  
pp. F868-F873 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. N. Aithal ◽  
M. M. Walsh-Reitz ◽  
S. Kartha ◽  
S. L. Gluck ◽  
W. A. Franklin ◽  
...  

Exposure of monkey kidney epithelial cells (BSC-1 line) to medium with a reduced K concentration (3.2 mM) stimulated growth and transiently activated glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PD). The increase in enzyme activity was mediated by a cytosolic modifier protein that was purified using affinity and size-exclusion chromatography, and anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. The apparent molecular mass of the protein was 62 kDa. A monospecific antibody to the protein was prepared from rabbit antiserum and used as an immunoprobe. Immunocytochemical staining and Western blotting revealed that the protein was a normal constituent of the cytosol and that it accumulated in cells exposed to low-K medium. A quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that the amount of modifier protein increased progressively for up to 2 h in cells exposed to low-K medium, and then returned to the control value, a kinetic profile similar to that observed for G3PD activity. These results indicate that the modifier protein is a constituent of renal epithelial cells and accumulates transiently in the cytosol where it could regulate G3PD activity during the onset of growth induced by the low-K mitogenic signal.


1987 ◽  
Vol 252 (1) ◽  
pp. C105-C114 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. G. Wingrove ◽  
G. A. Kimmich

Epithelial cells isolated from chick small intestine were used to study the mechanism of L-aspartate transport. Two kinetically distinct uptake systems of high (Km' = 16 microM) and low (Km'' = 2.7 mM) affinity are observed. This paper examines the cation dependence and membrane potential sensitivity of the high affinity system. Unidirectional influx studies indicate that extracellular Na+ is an absolute requirement for transport function. Flux is optimal when K+ is present intracellularly, however this cation is not required for Na+-dependent L-aspartate uptake. In the absence of K+, flux enhancement is observed when the intracellular pH is acidic. In contrast, acidic intracellular pH is inhibitory in cells that are preequilibrated with K+. Sodium ([Na+]o greater than [Na+]i gradients, and potassium ([K+]o less than [K+]i) or proton ([H+]o less than [H+]i) gradients can independently energize the Na+-dependent accumulation of L-aspartate above equilibrium levels, suggesting that Na+ and L-aspartate cotransport occurs with concomitant K+ or H+ antiport. L-Aspartate influx is insensitive to membrane potential changes created by inwardly directed anion gradients in the presence or absence of intracellular K+. A model is presented that is consistent with electroneutral Na+-coupled transfer with an ion antiport site of low specificity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (40) ◽  
pp. eabb7854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riyad N. H. Seervai ◽  
Rahul K. Jangid ◽  
Menuka Karki ◽  
Durga Nand Tripathi ◽  
Sung Yun Jung ◽  
...  

The methyltransferase SET domain–containing 2 (SETD2) was originally identified as Huntingtin (HTT) yeast partner B. However, a SETD2 function associated with the HTT scaffolding protein has not been elucidated, and no linkage between HTT and methylation has yet been uncovered. Here, we show that SETD2 is an actin methyltransferase that trimethylates lysine-68 (ActK68me3) in cells via its interaction with HTT and the actin-binding adapter HIP1R. ActK68me3 localizes primarily to the insoluble F-actin cytoskeleton in cells and regulates actin polymerization/depolymerization dynamics. Disruption of the SETD2-HTT-HIP1R axis inhibits actin methylation, causes defects in actin polymerization, and impairs cell migration. Together, these data identify SETD2 as a previously unknown HTT effector regulating methylation and polymerization of actin filaments and provide new avenues for understanding how defects in SETD2 and HTT drive disease via aberrant cytoskeletal methylation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document