Stabilization of membranes in human platelets freeze-dried with trehalose

2003 ◽  
Vol 122 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H Crowe ◽  
Fern Tablin ◽  
Willem F Wolkers ◽  
Karine Gousset ◽  
Nelly M Tsvetkova ◽  
...  
Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 3638-3638
Author(s):  
Fern Tablin ◽  
Minke Tang ◽  
Naomi J. Walker ◽  
John H. Crowe

Abstract Maintenance of intracellular pH, a critical cellular function, is required for generation of proton gradients and platelet response to agonist. Previously, we have demonstrated that freeze-dried rehydrated platelets are able to respond to agonists generate a rise in intracellular calcium (Auh et al. 2004 Calcium mobilization in freeze-dried platelets. Cell Preservation Technology in press) and maintain normal membrane and protein secondary structure (Wolkers et al. 2002 Towards a clinical application of freeze-dried platelets. Cell Preservation Technology 1:175–188). As part of our ongoing studies of trehalose loaded freeze-dried rehydrated human platelets we examined their ability to maintain their intracellular pH. Platelet proton regulation is achieved through the Na-H exchanger (NHE1) which is dependent on the concentration of extracellular sodium. Freeze-dried and fresh control human platelets were loaded with the pH ratio dye bis-carboxyfluorescein acetomethyl ester (BCECF-AM), washed over a Sepharose 2B column and examined by fluorescence spectroscopy. Fresh and freeze-dried rehydrated human platelets maintained virtually identical resting intracellular pH, 7.273 +/− 0.015, and 7.270 +/− 0.034 respectively. Both cell types responded to increased extracellular sodium by increasing their pH in a virtually identical manner. The addition of 0.5U/ml thrombin (in the presence of 135 mM NaCl) resulted in an initial acidification and subsequent alkalinzation of both fresh and freeze-dried rehydrated cells. Prior to the addition of thrombin both cell populations had an [pH]i of 6.9, while after thrombin stimulation the pH rose to 7.012 for fresh cells and 7.001 for freeze-dried rehydrated cells. Thrombin stimulation in the absence of extracellular sodium resulted in a significant acidification of both cell populations to a final pH of 6.6 for fresh cells and 6.7 for freeze-dried rehydrated cells. Specific inhibition of the NHE1 transporter by 5-(N-methyl-N-isobutyl) amiloride (MIA) completely abolished the response of all cells to increasing concentrations of sodium. In the parallel control experiment both freeze-dried and fresh cells acidified to pH 6.2 and incubated with 135mM NaCl responded by generating a rise in intracellular pH to 7.1. These results demonstrate that freeze-dried rehydrated platelets are able to maintain normal pH homeostasis and respond to agonist in a specific manner. Studies funded by DARPA.


2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joong-Hyuck Auh ◽  
Willem F. Wolkers ◽  
Sheri A. Looper ◽  
Naomi J. Walker ◽  
John H. Crowe ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng-jie Xu ◽  
Guang-ming Chen ◽  
Ju-li Fan ◽  
Jin-hui Liu ◽  
Xian-guo Xu ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willem F. Wolkers ◽  
Naomi J. Walker ◽  
Yehuda Tamari ◽  
Fern Tablin ◽  
John H. Crowe

Author(s):  
Robert Glaeser ◽  
Thomas Bauer ◽  
David Grano

In transmission electron microscopy, the 3-dimensional structure of an object is usually obtained in one of two ways. For objects which can be included in one specimen, as for example with elements included in freeze- dried whole mounts and examined with a high voltage microscope, stereo pairs can be obtained which exhibit the 3-D structure of the element. For objects which can not be included in one specimen, the 3-D shape is obtained by reconstruction from serial sections. However, without stereo imagery, only detail which remains constant within the thickness of the section can be used in the reconstruction; consequently, the choice is between a low resolution reconstruction using a few thick sections and a better resolution reconstruction using many thin sections, generally a tedious chore. This paper describes an approach to 3-D reconstruction which uses stereo images of serial thick sections to reconstruct an object including detail which changes within the depth of an individual thick section.


Author(s):  
Jane A. Westfall ◽  
S. Yamataka ◽  
Paul D. Enos

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provides three dimensional details of external surface structures and supplements ultrastructural information provided by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Animals composed of watery jellylike tissues such as hydras and other coelenterates have not been considered suitable for SEM studies because of the difficulty in preserving such organisms in a normal state. This study demonstrates 1) the successful use of SEM on such tissue, and 2) the unique arrangement of batteries of nematocysts within large epitheliomuscular cells on tentacles of Hydra littoralis.Whole specimens of Hydra were prepared for SEM (Figs. 1 and 2) by the fix, freeze-dry, coat technique of Small and Màrszalek. The specimens were fixed in osmium tetroxide and mercuric chloride, freeze-dried in vacuo on a prechilled 1 Kg brass block, and coated with gold-palladium. Tissues for TEM (Figs. 3 and 4) were fixed in glutaraldehyde followed by osmium tetroxide. Scanning micrographs were taken on a Cambridge Stereoscan Mark II A microscope at 10 KV and transmission micrographs were taken on an RCA EMU 3G microscope (Fig. 3) or on a Hitachi HU 11B microscope (Fig. 4).


Author(s):  
S.B. Andrews ◽  
R.D. Leapman ◽  
P.E. Gallant ◽  
T.S. Reese

As part of a study on protein interactions involved in microtubule (MT)-based transport, we used the VG HB501 field-emission STEM to obtain low-dose dark-field mass maps of isolated, taxol-stabilized MTs and correlated these micrographs with detailed stereo images from replicas of the same MTs. This approach promises to be useful for determining how protein motors interact with MTs. MTs prepared from bovine and squid brain tubulin were purified and free from microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). These MTs (0.1-1 mg/ml tubulin) were adsorbed to 3-nm evaporated carbon films supported over Formvar nets on 600-m copper grids. Following adsorption, the grids were washed twice in buffer and then in either distilled water or in isotonic or hypotonic ammonium acetate, blotted, and plunge-frozen in ethane/propane cryogen (ca. -185 C). After cryotransfer into the STEM, specimens were freeze-dried and recooled to ca.-160 C for low-dose (<3000 e/nm2) dark-field mapping. The molecular weights per unit length of MT were determined relative to tobacco mosaic virus standards from elastic scattering intensities. Parallel grids were freeze-dried and rotary shadowed with Pt/C at 14°.


Author(s):  
T. G. Naymik

Three techniques were incorporated for drying clay-rich specimens: air-drying, freeze-drying and critical point drying. In air-drying, the specimens were set out for several days to dry or were placed in an oven (80°F) for several hours. The freeze-dried specimens were frozen by immersion in liquid nitrogen or in isopentane at near liquid nitrogen temperature and then were immediately placed in the freeze-dry vacuum chamber. The critical point specimens were molded in agar immediately after sampling. When the agar had set up the dehydration series, water-alcohol-amyl acetate-CO2 was carried out. The objectives were to compare the fabric plasmas (clays and precipitates), fabricskeletons (quartz grains) and the relationship between them for each drying technique. The three drying methods are not only applicable to the study of treated soils, but can be incorporated into all SEM clay soil studies.


Author(s):  
Anthony Demsey ◽  
Christopher W. Stackpole

The murine leukemia viruses are type-C oncornaviruses, and their release from the host cell involves a “budding” process in which the newly-forming, RNA-containing virus core becomes enveloped by modified cell surface membrane. Previous studies revealed that the released virions possess a dense array of 10 nm globular projections (“knobs”) on this envelope surface, and that these knobs contain a 70, 000 MW glycoprotein (gp70) of viral origin. Taking advantage of this distinctive structural formation, we have developed a procedure for freeze-drying and replication of intact cells which reveals surface detail superior to other surface replica techniques, and sufficient to detect even early stages of virus budding by localized aggregation of these knobs on the cell surface.Briefly, cells growing in monolayer are seeded onto round glass coverslips 10-12 mm in diameter. After a period of growth, cells are fixed in situ for one hour, usually with 1% OsO4 in 0. 1 M cacodylate buffer, and rinsed in distilled water.


Author(s):  
M. Boublik ◽  
G. Thornton ◽  
G. Oostergetel ◽  
J.F. Hainfeld ◽  
J.S. Wall

Understanding the structural complexity of ribosomes and their role in protein synthesis requires knowledge of the conformation of their components - rRNAs and proteins. Application of dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), electrical discharge of the support carbon film in an atmosphere of pure nitrogen, and determination of the molecular weight of individual rRNAs enabled us to obtain high resolution electron microscopic images of unstained freeze-dried rRNA molecules from BHK cells in a form suitable for evaluation of their 3-D structure. Preliminary values for the molecular weight of 28S RNA from the large and 18S RNA from the small ribosomal subunits as obtained by mass measurement were 1.84 x 106 and 0.97 x 106, respectively. Conformation of rRNAs consists, in general, of alternating segments of intramolecular hairpin stems and single stranded loops in a proportion which depends on their ionic environment, the Mg++ concentration in particular. Molecules of 28S RNA (Fig. 1) and 18S RNA (not shown) obtained by freeze-drying from a solution of 60 mM NH+4 acetate and 2 mM Mg++ acetate, pH 7, appear as partially unfolded coils with compact cores suggesting a high degree of ordered secondary structure.


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