Rotary movements and fluid membranes in termite flagellates

1976 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-638
Author(s):  
S.L. Tamm ◽  
S. Tamm

We previously described a remarkable type of cell motility that provided direct, visual evidence for the fluid nature of cell membranes. The movement involved continual, unidirectional rotation of one part of a protozoan, including the plasma membrane and cytoplasmic organelles, in relation to a neighbouring part. The cell membrane in the ‘shear zone’ appeared continuous with that of the rest of the cell. The rotary motor consisted, at least in part, of a non-contractile, microtubular axostyle which extended centrally through the cell. The protozoan was a devescovinid flagellate found in the hindgut of a Florida termite. In this paper, we have confirmed earlier reports of this type of motility in other kinds of devescovinids from Australian termites. By demonstrating continuity of the plasma membrane in the shear zone of the Australian devescovinids as well, we have obtained additional examples that provide direct, visual evidence for fluid membranes. A comparative analysis of rotational motility in various devescovinids revealed 2 different kinds of rotary mechanisms. Hyperdevescovina probably have an internal motor, in which one part of the cell exerts forces against another part, as in the Florida termite devescovinid. Devescovina species, on the other hand, have an external motor, in which flagellar and/or papillar movements exert forces against the surrounding medium. The structure of the axostyle in different devescovinids was compared, and its role in rotational motility discussed with respect to the behavioural data.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Chein ◽  
Eran Perlson ◽  
Yael Roichman

AbstractThe arrangement of receptors in the plasma membrane strongly affects the ability of a cell to sense its environment both in terms of sensitivity and in terms of spatial resolution. The spatial and temporal arrangement of the receptors is affected in turn by the mechanical properties and the structure of the cell membrane. Here we focus on characterizing the flow of the membrane in response to the motion of a protein embedded in it. We do so by measuring the correlated diffusion of extracellularly tagged transmembrane neurotrophin receptors TrkB and p75 on transfected neuronal cells. In accord with previous reports, we find that the motion of single receptors exhibits transient confinement to sub-micron domains. We confirm predictions based on hydrodynamics of fluid membranes, finding long-range correlations in the motion of the receptors in the plasma membrane. However, we discover that these correlations do not persist for long ranges, as predicted, but decay exponentially, with a typical decay length on the scale of the average confining domain size.


2021 ◽  
pp. 016344372110227
Author(s):  
Yingzi Wang ◽  
Thoralf Klein

This paper examines the changes and continuities in TV representations of Chinese Communist Party’s revolutionary history and interprets them within the broader context of China’s political, economic and cultural transformations since the 1990s. Drawing on a comparative analysis of three state-sponsored TV dramas produced between the late 1990s and mid-2010s, it traces how the state-sanctioned revolutionary narratives have changed over time in response to the Party’s propaganda imperatives on the one hand, and to the market-oriented production environment on the other. The paper argues that while recent TV productions in the new century have made increasing concessions to audience taste by adopting visually stimulating depictions and introducing fictional characters as points of identification for the audience, the revolutionary narratives were still aligned with the Party’s propaganda agenda at different times. This shows the ongoing competition between ideological and commercial interests in Chinese TV production during the era of market reforms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobby Lim-Ho Kong ◽  
Hyun-Seung Park ◽  
Tai-Wai David Lau ◽  
Zhixiu Lin ◽  
Tae-Jin Yang ◽  
...  

AbstractIlex is a monogeneric plant group (containing approximately 600 species) in the Aquifoliaceae family and one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs. However, its taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships at the species level are debatable. Herein, we obtained the complete chloroplast genomes of all 19 Ilex types that are native to Hong Kong. The genomes are conserved in structure, gene content and arrangement. The chloroplast genomes range in size from 157,119 bp in Ilex graciliflora to 158,020 bp in Ilex kwangtungensis. All these genomes contain 125 genes, of which 88 are protein-coding and 37 are tRNA genes. Four highly varied sequences (rps16-trnQ, rpl32-trnL, ndhD-psaC and ycf1) were found. The number of repeats in the Ilex genomes is mostly conserved, but the number of repeating motifs varies. The phylogenetic relationship among the 19 Ilex genomes, together with eight other available genomes in other studies, was investigated. Most of the species could be correctly assigned to the section or even series level, consistent with previous taxonomy, except Ilex rotunda var. microcarpa, Ilex asprella var. tapuensis and Ilex chapaensis. These species were reclassified; I. rotunda was placed in the section Micrococca, while the other two were grouped with the section Pseudoaquifolium. These studies provide a better understanding of Ilex phylogeny and refine its classification.


1984 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 904-910 ◽  
Author(s):  
W J Deery ◽  
A R Means ◽  
B R Brinkley

A Triton X-100-lysed cell system has been used to identify calmodulin on the cytoskeleton of 3T3 and transformed SV3T3 cells. By indirect immunofluorescence, calmodulin was found to be associated with both the cytoplasmic microtubule complex and the centrosomes. A number of cytoplasmic microtubules more resistant to disassembly upon either cold (0-4 degrees C) or hypotonic treatment, as well as following dilution have been identified. Most of the stable microtubules appeared to be associated with the centrosome at one end and with the plasma membrane at the other end. These microtubules could be induced to depolymerize, however, by micromolar Ca++ concentrations. These data suggest that, by interacting directly with the microtubule, calmodulin may influence microtubule assembly and ensure the Ca++-sensitivity of both mitotic and cytoplasmic microtubules.


1989 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Heuser

Reducing the internal pH of cultured cells by several different protocols that block endocytosis is found to alter the structure of clathrin lattices on the inside of the plasma membrane. Lattices curve inward until they become almost spherical yet remain stubbornly attached to the membrane. Also, the lattices bloom empty "microcages" of clathrin around their edges. Correspondingly, broken-open cells bathed in acidified media demonstrate similar changes in clathrin lattices. Acidification accentuates the normal tendency of lattices to round up in vitro and also stimulates them to nucleate microcage formation from pure solutions of clathrin. On the other hand, several conditions that also inhibit endocytosis have been found to create, instead of unusually curved clathrin lattices with extraneous microcages, a preponderance of unusually flat lattices. These treatments include pH-"clamping" cells at neutrality with nigericin, swelling cells with hypotonic media, and sticking cells to the surface of a culture dish with soluble polylysine. Again, the unusually flat lattices in such cells display a tendency to round up and to nucleate clathrin microcage formation during subsequent in vitro acidification. This indicates that regardless of the initial curvature of clathrin lattices, they all display an ability to grow and increase their curvature in vitro, and this is enhanced by lowering ambient pH. Possibly, clathrin lattice growth and curvature in vivo may also be stimulated by a local drop in pH around clusters of membrane receptors.


2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 4231-4242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katy Janvier ◽  
Juan S. Bonifacino

The limiting membrane of the lysosome contains a group of transmembrane glycoproteins named lysosome-associated membrane proteins (Lamps). These proteins are targeted to lysosomes by virtue of tyrosine-based sorting signals in their cytosolic tails. Four adaptor protein (AP) complexes, AP-1, AP-2, AP-3, and AP-4, interact with such signals and are therefore candidates for mediating sorting of the Lamps to lysosomes. However, the role of these complexes and of the coat protein, clathrin, in sorting of the Lamps in vivo has either not been addressed or remains controversial. We have used RNA interference to show that AP-2 and clathrin—and to a lesser extent the other AP complexes—are required for efficient delivery of the Lamps to lysosomes. Because AP-2 is exclusively associated with plasma membrane clathrin coats, our observations imply that a significant population of Lamps traffic via the plasma membrane en route to lysosomes.


1860 ◽  
Vol 150 ◽  
pp. 379-408

When my paper on the Conductivity of various Substances was presented to the Society, it was intimated to me on the part of the Council of the Society, that it might be advisable to determine absolute instead of relative conductivities, the latter being alone attempted in my previous experiments. It has been partly in consequence of this intimation, as well as from the desire to make my investigations the more complete, that I have given my attention to the construction of a calorimeter which might serve for this purpose. The present communication contains a description of this instrument, with the results which it has enabled me to obtain respecting the absolute quantities of heat which emanate from the surfaces of certain substances under given conditions. 1. When a body is placed in atmospheric air (or any gas), the quantity of heat which is lost from its surface in a given time, when its temperature is higher than that of the surrounding medium, will be greater than if it were placed in a vacuum, other conditions remaining unaltered. In the latter case the heat escapes by simple radiation; in the other case a portion of the heat also escapes in consequence of the contact of the air with the surface of the heated body. Dulong and Petit ascertained by a careful series of experiments, the laws according to which the mercury contained in the bulb of a thermometer cools, or those which govern the quantity of heat which escapes from the surface of the containing bulb, when placed in a vacuum, in air, or in several kinds of gases. These experiments were made with the glass bulb naked, and also when it was silvered, so that the laws of radiation which they established were strictly in reference only to surfaces of glass and those of silver. Certain laws were identical in both these cases, and hence it was concluded, though by a limited induction, that the same laws were applicable to all other surfaces. They did not, however, give the absolute quantity of heat which, under given circumstances, and in a given time, emanates from the surfaces of the glass or silver with which they experimented. The instrument which I have constructed gives very easily this absolute amount of heat, as I believe, with very approximate accuracy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-21
Author(s):  
Namkil Kang

The ultimate goal of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of rely on and depend on in the Corpus of Contemporary American English and the British National Corpus. The COCA clearly shows that the expression rely on government is the most preferred by Americans, followed by rely on people, and rely on data. The COCA further indicates that the expression depend on slate is the most preferred by Americans, followed by depend on government, and depend on people. The BNC shows, on the other hand, that the expression rely on others is the most preferred by the British, followed by rely on people, and rely on friends. The BNC further indicates that depend on factors and depend on others are the most preferred by the British, followed by depend on age, and depend on food. Finally, in the COCA, the nouns government, luck, welfare, people, information, state, fossil, water, family, oil, food, and things are linked to both rely on and depend on, but many nouns are not still linked to both of them. On the other hand, in the BNC, only the nouns state, chance, government, and others are linked to both rely on and depend on, but many nouns are not still linked to both rely on and depend on. It can thus be inferred from this that rely on is slightly different from depend on in its use.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5086 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-89
Author(s):  
BADAMDORJ BAYARTOGTOKH ◽  
SERGEY G. ERMILOV ◽  
UMUKUSUM YA. SHTANCHAEVA ◽  
LUIS S. SUBÍAS

Although the juvenile instars of oribatid mite subfamily Sphaerozetinae is well known compared to the other subfamilies of Ceratozetidae (Ceratozetinae and Trichoribatinae), information on morphological ontogeny of some species is still incomplete. Herein, Melanozetes paramollicomus sp. nov. is proposed from Ethiopia, based on adult and juvenile instars. Additionally, comparative analysis of ontogenetic instars of species belonging various genera of Sphaerozetinae with known juveniles, is given, and the major characteristics of juvenile instars of 20 species are presented.  


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