Ultrastructure of Granules Passing Through Frog Oocyte Nuclear Pores

Author(s):  
Madison B. Cole

Ovaries of Rana pipiens larvae were fixed in glutaraldehyde, post-fixed in osmium tetroxide, and embedded in epon. Thin sections of oocytes were routinely stained using methanolic uranyl acetate followed by lead citrate.The granule, designated M1, found in the primary oocytes is considered to pass through the nuclear pores by virtue of 1) its location in the nucleoplasm in close proximity to the nuclear envelope, 2) its contact with the nuclear pores, 3) its presence in aggregates in the perinuclear cytoplasm and A) its similarity to granules referred to by a number of authors (1-4) as material passing through nuclear pores.

Author(s):  
C. N. Sun ◽  
C. Araoz ◽  
H. J. White

The ultrastructure of a cerebral primitive neuroectodermal tumor has been reported previously. In the present case, we will present some unusual previously unreported membranous structures and alterations in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the tumor cells.Specimens were cut into small pieces about 1 mm3 and immediately fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde in phosphate buffer for two hours, then post-fixed in 1% buffered osmium tetroxide for one hour. After dehydration, tissues were embedded in Epon 812. Thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate.In the cytoplasm of the tumor cells, we found paired cisternae (Fig. 1) and annulate lamellae (Fig. 2) noting that the annulate lamellae were sometimes associated with the outer nuclear envelope (Fig. 3). These membranous structures have been reported in other tumor cells. In our case, mitochondrial to nuclear envelope fusions were often noted (Fig. 4). Although this phenomenon was reported in an oncocytoma, their frequency in the present study is quite striking.


Author(s):  
C. N. Sun

Myoepithelial cells have been observed in the prostate, harderian, apocrine, exocrine sweat and mammary glands. Such cells and their numerous branching processes form basket-like structures around the glandular acini. Their shapes are quite different from structures seen either in spindleshaped smooth muscle cells or skeletal muscle cells. These myoepithelial cells lie on the epithelial side of the basement membrane in the glands. This presentation describes the ultrastructure of such myoepithelial cells which have been found also in the parotid gland carcinoma from a 45-year old patient.Specimens were cut into small pieces about 1 mm3 and immediately fixed in 4 percent glutaraldehyde in phosphate buffer for two hours, then post-fixed in 1 percent buffered osmium tetroxide for 1 hour. After dehydration, tissues were embedded in Epon 812. Thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Ultrastructurally, the pattern of each individual cell showed wide variations.


Author(s):  
W. P. Wergin ◽  
S. Roy ◽  
E. F. Erbe ◽  
C. A. Murphy ◽  
C. D. Pooley

Larvae of the nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser strain All, were cryofixed and freezesubstituted for 3 days in acetone containing 2% osmium tetroxide according to established procedures. Following chemical fixation, the nematodes were brought to room temperature, embedded in Spurr's medium and sectioned for observation with a Hitachi S-4100 field emission scanning electron microscope that was equipped with an Oxford CT 1500 Cryotrans System. Thin sections, about 80 nm thick, similar to those generally used in conventional transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies were mounted on copper grids and stained with uranyl acetate for 30 min and lead citrate for 5 min. Sections about 2 μm thick were also mounted and stained in a similar fashion. The grids were mounted on an Oxford grid holder, inserted into the microscope and onto a cryostage that was operated at ambient temperature. Thick and thin sections of the larvae were evaluated and photographed in the SEM at different accelerating voltages. Figs. 4 and 5 have undergone contrast conversion so that the images would resemble transmitted electron micrographs obtained with a TEM.


Author(s):  
Charlotte L. Ownby ◽  
Robert A. Kainer ◽  
Anthony T. Tu

One of the significant changes induced by the injection of rattlesnake (Crotalidae) venom is hemorrhage. Since crotaline antivenin does not prevent such local tissue damage, a more effective treatment of snakebite is needed. To aid in the development of such a treatment the pathogenesis of venom-induced hemorrhae was investigated.Swiss-Webster white mice were injected intramuscularly with Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) venom. Two minutes after the injection, muscle tissue was obtained by bioosy from the thigh and fixed in 6% glutaraldehyde in Milloniq's phosphate buffer (DH 7.4, 2 hrs., 4°C). After post-fixation in 2% osmium tetroxide in Milloniq's phosphate buffer (pH 7.4, 1hr., 4°C) the tissue was dehydrated routinely in ethanol and embedded in Epon 812. The thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate in methanol and lead citrate then observed with either a Zeiss EM 9A or an Hitachi HS-8 electron microscope.


Author(s):  
K. L. Saving ◽  
R. C. Caughey

This presentation is designed to demonstrate how scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques can be utilized to confirm or support a variety of unusual pediatric hematologic/oncologic disorders. Patients with the following diagnoses will be presented: (1) hereditary pyropoikilocytosis, (2) familial erythrophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, (3) acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, and (4) pseudo-von Willebrand’s disease.All transmission and scanning electron microscopy samples were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde, rinsed in Millonig’s phosphate buffer, and post-fixed with 1% osmium tetroxide. The transmission samples 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. Ultramicrotomy thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and scanned using a JEOL-JEM 100C, The scanning samples were dehydrated with graded series of ethanols, critical point dried with CO2, gold-coated, and scanned using a JEOL-JSM 35. The peroxidase samples were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde, incubated in diaminobenzidine (DAB), dehydrated with ethanol, embedded with Epon 812, and scanned without post-staining using a JEOL-JEM 100C.


Author(s):  
Takashi Nakano ◽  
Shunro Imura ◽  
Masuyo Nakai

The ultrastructural feature of AIDS viruses (HIV and SIV) was observed by ultrathin-sectioning and negative staining method, and the surface structures of these viruses were compared.HIV-1 group including, HTLV-III and LAV-1 were used. And in HIV-2 group, LAV-2, which was isolated from a Senegalese AIDS patient, and GH-1, which was isolated from a Ghanan AIDS patient, were used. SIV group was used AGM-1, which was isolated from an African green monkey. The virions were used which was produced from Molt-4 cells after the infection of each viruses of these strains. The infected cells and viral particles, which were collected by centrifugation were fixed with 2% glutaraldehyde (GA), washed with PBS, and postfixed with 1% osmium tetroxide. The specimens were dehydrated in graded ethanol, and embedded in Epon 812. The thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. On the other hand, for negative staining, 25% GA was added to the supernatant culture fluid and finally concentrated on 2% GA. Then virions were collected by ultracentrifugation.


1965 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eldon H. Newcomb ◽  
Howard T. Bonnett

The fine structure of young root hairs of radish was studied, with special attention to cytoplasm-wall relationships. Hairs up to 130 µ in length were examined after fixation of root tips in glutaraldehyde followed by osmium tetroxide. Microtubules occur axially aligned in the cytoplasm just beneath the plasmalemma, and extend from the base of the hair to within 2 to 3 µ of the tip. Poststaining with uranyl acetate and lead citrate clearly reveals in thin sections the presence of the two layers of cellulose microfibrils known from studies on shadowed wall preparations: an outer layer of randomly arranged microfibrils arising at the tip, and a layer of axially oriented microfibrils deposited on the inside of this layer along the sides. The youngest microfibrils of the inner, oriented layer first appear at a distance of about 25 µ from the tip. Although the microfibrils of the inner layer and the adjacent microtubules are similarly oriented, the oriented microtubules also extend through the 20- to 25-µ zone near the tip where the wall structure consists of random microfibrils. This suggests that the role of microtubules in wall deposition or orientation may be indirect.


1961 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 689-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eberhards Vitols ◽  
R. J. North ◽  
Anthony W. Linnane

Vegetative cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were fixed with potassium permanganate followed by uranyl nitrate, embedded in methacrylate, and studied in electron micrographs of thin sections. Details of the structure of the cell wall, cytoplasmic membrane, nucleus, vacuole, and mitochondria are described. Cell membranes, about 70 to 80 A thick, have been resolved into two dense layers, 20 to 25 A thick, separated by a light layer of the same dimensions, which correspond in thickness and appearance to the components of the "unit membrane" as described by Robertson (15). The cell wall is made up of zones of different electron opacity. Underlying the cell wall is the cytoplasmic membrane, a sinuous structure with numerous invaginations. The nucleoplasm, often of uneven electron opacity, is enclosed in a pair of unit membranes in which nuclear pores are apparent. The vacuole, limited by a single unit membrane, is usually irregular in outline and contains some dense material. Rod-shaped mitochondria, 0.4 to 0.6 µ in length and 0.2 to 0.3 µ in diameter, are smaller in size, but similar in structure to some of those described in plant and animal cells. Attempts to use osmium tetroxide as fixative were unsuccessful, a result similar to that obtained by other workers. It is suggested that yeast cells are impermeable to osmium tetroxide, except when grown under specific conditions.


1990 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Berryman ◽  
R D Rodewald

We have devised a method for immunogold staining of unosmicated, plastic-embedded tissue which gives high levels of specific staining without scrificing cell ultrastructure. The key to this method is a combination of several standard techniques optimized to preserve cell membranes as well as antigen. Important conditions include (a) a combination primary fixative, (b) post-fixation with uranyl acetate to preserve membrane phospholipids, (c) dehydration with acetone to minimize extraction of phospholipids, (d) low-temperature embedding in LR Gold resin, and (e) use of osmium tetroxide to stain thin sections after immunogold labeling. We have developed this method specifically to localize the membrane receptor for immunoglobulin G in the jejunal epithelium of the neonatal rat. Ultra-thin sections of embedded tissue were stained with a monoclonal primary antibody and colloidal gold-labeled secondary antibody, followed by 2% osmium tetroxide and lead citrate. The receptor was resolved in the well-preserved network of tubules, endosomes, and other membrane compartments involved in immunoglobulin transport. In several other tissues processed by this method, cell ultrastructure resembled that seen after conventional osmium post-fixation and epoxy embedding. In addition to its usefulness in these studies, this general method should be applicable to many other immunocytochemical problems.


Author(s):  
Kit W. Lee

As a stain, uranyl acetate (UA) is used on thin sections to enhance the contrast of cellular constituents. It has been shown that the use of uranyl acetate in the fixation process can increase the contrast and preservation of various membrane systems by reducing the extraction of phospholipids during dehydration. Because of its high affinity for nucleic acids, uranyl acetate has also been used as a post fixative to preserve the nuclear region of prokaryotes. This paper compares the nuclei of the eukaryote Psilotum, particularly during meiosis, with and without post fixation with uranyl acetate.Sporangia at different developmental stages were fixed in cold 3% glutaral-dehyde (GA) in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) for 4 hours or overnight, and post fixed at room temperature with 2% osmium tetroxide (OsO4) for 2 hours. After washing in distilled water, samples were either (a) dehydrated in a graded series of ethanols and propylene oxide, or (b) placed in 1% aqueous uranyl acetate for 1 hour, followed by 30 minutes washing in distilled water before dehydration.


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