Membrane-bound vesicles associated with the microvilli in the midgut of the freshwater microcrustacean, Daphnia magna

Author(s):  
Patricia L. Jansma

The presence of the membrane bound vesicles or blebs on the intestinal epithelial cells has been demonstrated in a variety of vertebrates such as chicks, piglets, hamsters, and humans. The only invertebrates shown to have these microvillar blebs are two species of f1ies. While investigating the digestive processes of the freshwater microcrustacean, Daphnia magna, the presence of these microvillar blebs was noticed.Daphnia magna fed in a suspension of axenically grown green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardii for one hour were narcotized with CO2 saturated water. The intestinal tracts were excised in 2% glutaraldehyde in 0.2 M cacodyl ate buffer and then placed in fresh 2% glutaraldehyde for one hour. After rinsing in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer, the sample was postfixed in 2% OsO4, dehydrated with a graded ethanol series, infiltrated and embedded with Epon-Araldite. Thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and Reynolds lead citrate before viewing with the Philips EM 200.

Author(s):  
M. Kessel ◽  
R. MacColl

The major protein of the blue-green algae is the biliprotein, C-phycocyanin (Amax = 620 nm), which is presumed to exist in the cell in the form of distinct aggregates called phycobilisomes. The self-assembly of C-phycocyanin from monomer to hexamer has been extensively studied, but the proposed next step in the assembly of a phycobilisome, the formation of 19s subunits, is completely unknown. We have used electron microscopy and analytical ultracentrifugation in combination with a method for rapid and gentle extraction of phycocyanin to study its subunit structure and assembly.To establish the existence of phycobilisomes, cells of P. boryanum in the log phase of growth, growing at a light intensity of 200 foot candles, were fixed in 2% glutaraldehyde in 0.1M cacodylate buffer, pH 7.0, for 3 hours at 4°C. The cells were post-fixed in 1% OsO4 in the same buffer overnight. Material was stained for 1 hour in uranyl acetate (1%), dehydrated and embedded in araldite and examined in thin sections.


Author(s):  
Y. R. Chen ◽  
Y. F. Huang ◽  
W. S. Chen

Acid phosphatases are widely distributed in different tisssues of various plants. Studies on subcellular localization of acid phosphatases show they might be present in cell wall, plasma lemma, mitochondria, plastid, vacuole and nucleus. However, their localization in rice cell varies with developmental stages of cells and plant tissues. In present study, acid phosphatases occurring in root cap are examined.Sliced root tips of ten-day-old rice(Oryza sativa) seedlings were fixed in 0.1M cacodylate buffer containing 2.5% glutaraldehyde for 2h, washed overnight in same buffer solution, incubated in Gomori's solution at 37° C for 90min, post-fixed in OsO4, dehydrated in ethanol series and finally embeded in Spurr's resin. Sections were doubly stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and observed under Hitachi H-600 at 75 KV.


Author(s):  
P.W. Coates ◽  
E.A. Ashby ◽  
L. Krulich ◽  
A. Dhariwal ◽  
S. McCann

The morphologic effects on somatotrophs of crude sheep hypothalamic extract prepared from stalk-median eminence were studied by electron microscopy in conjunction with concurrently run bioassays performed on the same tissue samples taken from young adult male Sherman rats.Groups were divided into uninjected controls and injected experimentals sacrificed at 5', 15', and 30' after injection. Half of each anterior pituitary was prepared for electron microscopic investigation, the other half for bioassay. Fixation using collidine buffered osmium tetroxide was followed by dehydration and embedment in Maraglas. Uranyl acetate and lead citrate were used as stains. Thin sections were examined in a Philips EM 200.Somatotrophs from uninjected controls appeared as described in the literature (Fig. 1). In addition to other components, these cells contained moderate numbers of spherical, electron-dense, membrane-bound granules approximately 350 millicrons in diameter.


Author(s):  
Hsin-Kan Wu ◽  
Mei-Chu Chung

In one of our earlier papers (Wu et al. 1978), we suggested that glutelin is the major composition of the round storage protein bodies although they also contain relatively more prolamine than the angular one does. Immunochemical studies of Krishnan et al. (1986) later showed the presence of glutelin in the irregularly-shaped (angular) protein bodies while the prolamines were found in the round ones. Our recent experiment using protein A-gold technique found that prolamine is mainly deposited into the angular protein bodies.Small blocks (1 mm3) of 7 DAF (days after flowering) caryopsis of Orvza perennis were fixed with 3% paraformaldehyde and 3% glutaraldehyde in 0.1M sodium phosphate, pH7.4, dehydrated in a graded ethanol series and infiltrated with Spurr’s resin. Thin sections, after gold labeling, were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Rabbit antibodies were raised against purified prolamine. Protein A-gold sol complex was prepared based on the technique of Horisberger et al. (1977).


Author(s):  
J.F. David-Ferreira ◽  
K.L. David-Ferreira ◽  
M.H. Miranda ◽  
J.C. Lemos

The testis interstitial cells of the rat are closely associated forming small aggregates in the vicinity of the vessels. The finality of the present study is to analise the relationship between the interstitial cells and to describe some particularities of their junctions.The observations were made in thin sections from testis of 2 to 3 months old rats fixed by immersion or perfusion with 2 to 3% glutaral- dehyde in s-collidine or cacodylate buffer followed by 2% osmium tetro-xyde in the same buffers. Some specimens have been prepared following the technique of Shea. The thin sections obtained after embedding in Epon were double stained in uranyl acetate and lead citrate. For the cryofracture study the tissues were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde in cacodylate buffer, impregnated in 28% glycerol, frozen in Freon 22 and stored in liquid nitrogen. Freeze fracture and platinum-carbon shadowing were done in a Balzers 300.


Author(s):  
Leo J. Henz ◽  
Frank E. Johnson

Hormones are found in exocrine secretions entering the gut. They alter the morphology of many eukaryotic cells; whether they affect the morphology of enteric flora is unknown. In this study, we examined the ultrastructure of E. coli, a common bacterium in the mammalian gut, for morphological changes resulting from exposure to GI hormones.E. coli (#11775 from American Type Culture Collection) were grown in protease-free trypticase soy broth (TSB) at 37°C for 18 hr to a concentration of 2 x 107 cells/ml. Pure synthetic hormones were used: sulfated C-terminal cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK), pentagastrin (PG), cyclic somatostatin tetradecapeptide (SS), or the porcine form of secretin (SEC). These were individually added to. bacterial cultures in TSB to make 1 x 107 organisms/ml and 0.0, 0.5, 2.5, or 5.0 μg of hormone/ml, then incubated for 30 min at 37°C. The cultures were rapidly chilled and added to equal volumes of cold 6% glutaraldehyde in 0.2 M cacodylate buffer. After 30 min, the bacteria were concentrated by centrifugation (15 min at 4000 RPM) and the pellets suspended in cold 3% glutaraldehyde for an additional 15 min, followed by centrifugation. The pellets were resuspended in cold cacodylate buffer and stored at 2°C for 1-7 d. The cells were again centrifuged and the pellets were blotted with a strip of filter paper to remove excess fluid, then mixed with a drop of warm 2% agar. The agar suspensions were pipetted into cold saline. The resulting solidified extrusions were cut by hand into 2 mm segments for further processing in 1% OsO4 (with or without en bloc staining in 2% uranyl acetate (UA) in ethanol). Following dehydration in ethanol, rinsing in propylene oxide, and encapsulation in Epon-Araldite, thin sections were examined and photographed with a JEOL-100C microscope.


Author(s):  
Khosho Francis K. ◽  
Kaufmann Robert C. ◽  
Amankwah Kofi S.

Adult female rats exposed to constant light will develop anovulatory acyclicity characterized by persistent vaginal cornification (PE) and formation of multiple large cystic follicles on the ovaries. The purpose of the present communication is to describe the ultrastructural changes in vaginal epithelia in PE rats as compared to that in normal estrous rats.Persistent vaginal estrous with PCO was induced in a group of Sprague-Dawely rats by exposure to constant light for 50-150 days. Rats in normal estrous, as determined by vaginal smears, were used as controls. Nembutal- anethesized rats were perfused through the aorta with 2.5% gluteraldehyde in 1M sodium cacodylate buffer (pH 7.3). The mucosa of the vaginal folds just inferior to the cervix were dissected by microsurgery, postfixed, stained with 0.5% ruthenium red in 1% osmium tetroxide, dehydrated, and embedded in polybed. Thick sections (1μ) were stained with toludine blue for light microscopy studies. Thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate.


Author(s):  
R. J. Williams ◽  
N. R. Dollahon ◽  
E. Larsen ◽  
S. O’Neill ◽  
R. Chapman

In studies of several families of aquatic heteropterans we have found exoskeletal pits not described in the literature. These structures are associated with the lateral margins of the pronotum and/or the dorsal surface, posterior to the scutellum in notonectids, nepids, and corixids. The function of these pits is unknown, but we presumed that they might be either sensory or secretory in nature. We undertook this study of the microscopy of pits in the notonectid, Buenoa margaritacea to learn if either of these functions is consistent with the fine structure.For TEM, adult insects were submerged in 1.0% paraformaldeyde and 2.0% glutaraldehyde in 0.02M sodium cacodylate buffer with 0.01% calcium chloride at a pH of 7.2, then dissected with a razor blade cleaned with acetone. Tissues were fixed overnight at 4°C in paraformaldehyde and glutaraldehyde, then fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide in cacodylate buffer, dehydrated in a graded series of acetone, embedded in Spurr resin and polymerized at 70°C for 21 hours. Blocks were thin sectioned with a diamond knife, and sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Whole specimens for SEM were similarly fixed, dehydrated in an ethanol series and critical point dried. SEM micrographs of internal pit anatomy were produced by adhering 500nm sections to a glass coverslip, then removing the embedding resin by incubation for 5 minutes in a saturated solution of potassium hydroxide in absolute ethanol, followed by three 20 minute rinses in absolute ethanol and air drying. Cover slips were attached to an aluminum specimen stub and sputter coated for 60 seconds with gold/palladium as were whole insects .


Author(s):  
A. Julio Martinez ◽  
Richard J. Duma ◽  
Doris G. Fultz ◽  
Ruth B. Finley

Ultrastructural components of trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba-Hartmannella (A-H) and Naegleria amebas have been investigated. The present report describes a technique to study the morphological features of such protozoa.The A-H strains selected were cultured for 7 days in axenic amebic media, and the Naegleria strains were cultured for 7 days in axenic media with blood. In situ fixation was accomplished by adding an equal volume of 4% Osmic Acid in Cacodylate buffer at 4¶C for one hour. Following frequent agitation, the tubes were then spun at 2500 RPM for 10 minutes to obtain a pellet. The pellets were dehydrated in graded series of alcohols (from 50% to absolute) and propylene oxide and then embedded in EPON. One micron sections were stained with Paragon (PS 1301) for thirty seconds. Thin sections were cut with a diamond knife, double stained with 5% alcoholic uranyl acetate solution and lead citrate and observed in an Hitachi-HS-8F2 electron microscope.


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