Ultrastructure of E. coli: An in vitro study of cells cultured in the presence of four gastrointestinal (GI) hormones

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):  
Hanne Klausen ◽  
Per Flood ◽  
John O Hjelle ◽  
Holm Holmsen

The small number of reports concerning blood platelets during deep saturation diving have shown that there may be a decrease in the number of circulating platelets. Gas bubbles are often present in theblood during decompression. In vitro, gas bubbles activate platelets, and alter the shape from discoidto spherical configuration with multiple, blunt spikes. This study was done to investigate if there are changes in the morphology of human blood platelets during deep diving. An 18 day long experimentalon-shore saturation dive to 360 msw was performed at NUTEC 1986. Bloodsamples were obtained from the 6 divers on 6 occations: pre-dive control, at 360 msw, 300 msw, 140 msw, 1 and 3 days after surfacing. Using 18 G Wasserman needles antecubital venous blood samples (3ml) were collected directly into the fixative agent (7 ml of 2% glutardialdehyde in cacodylate buffer) whilestill in the hyperbaric chamber. The samples were then decompressed,and the platelets separated from the blood by centrifugation at roomtemperature for 10 min at 190 g. Preparation to transmission electron microscopy included post-fixation in osmium tetroxide, staining uranyl-en-bloc and eventually lead, dehydration and embedding in Epon.Ultrathin sections were examined by a Philips 300 I electron microscope. The examination revealed alterations in both platelet size and shape in the course of the dive. The mean platelet area was increased during and immidiately after thedive, the greatest increase occuring at 360 msw. There was a high incidence of shape changed plateletswith spherical configuration and multiple, blunt spikes. This form was by far most abundant at 360 msw, and the morphology normalised towards surface. This rises the suspection of a pressure-related rather rhan bubble-related effect and the results indicate that plateletsin circulation can be activated bypressure itself


Author(s):  
Edward W. Millhouse

Three years ago an initial report from our laboratory demonstrated the morphological changes observed in whole larval salamander (Taricha torosa) hearts maintained in culture for six months. Since then we have examined whole hearts that have been cultured from one to four months. During the culture period all hearts continued and maintained a particular beat with fluctuations in pulsation rates indicating a 24-hour periodicity.This report will deal with the ultrastructure observations of control hearts and one, two, three, and six month cultured hearts. All tissues were fixed initially from 4 to 6 hours at 4°C in 4%, redistilled glutaraldehyde buffered with cacodylate to a pH 7.4. Then the atrium was dissected free and the ventricle cut in half and, using fresh fixative, the fixation was continued for 10 hours. The tissues were washed in cacodylate buffer and stored in the cacodylate buffer containing 7% sucrose for 12 to 24 hours. These tissues were washed in buffer and post-fixed in 2% OsO4 buffered with cacodylate to pH 7.4 for two hours at 4°C. Then the tissues were dehydrated in graded ethanols, embedded in Epon 812, and sectioned on a Porter-Blum ultramicrotome. Sections were stained for 30 minutes in saturated aqueous uranyl acetate and for 15 minutes in lead citrate and viewed in an RCA EMU-3H.


Author(s):  
S. S. Ren ◽  
J. C. Chen ◽  
Y. R. Chen

The plants produced from rice anther culture varied in ploidy level. Genetic analysis of anther-derived plants indicated genome multiplication occurred in microspore development in vitro. Cytological studies on early roicrospore division suggested endoreduplication and nuclear fusion may be related to the production of nonhaploid plants. In the present study, fine structures of callus ontogeny in anther culture were emphasized.Anthers of rice(Oryza sativa L. c. v. Hsinchu 4, 2n=24) containing mid-uninucleate microspores were excised and cultured in Ng liquid medium, supplimented with 60 g/l sucrose, 1 mg/l kinetin and 2 mg/l naphthalenacetic acid. Cultured anthers were collected at 2 days intervals for 20 days and fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde in 0.1M cacodylate buffer(pH=7.0), postfixed in osmium tetraoxide, and then embedded in Spurr's resin. Thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, observed under Hitachi H-600 at 75 KV.


Author(s):  
K. E. Krizan ◽  
J. C. Keller ◽  
R. Zaharias ◽  
C. M. Stanford

The objective of this study was to evaluate cell morphology in response to an implant model surface using SEM and TEM. Through our efforts to understand these biological responses at the ultrastructure level we hope to better define surface characteristics that encourage optimal cell surface interaction. Osteoblast-like cells were derived from rat calvaria (RCOB), plated (5 X 104 cells/10 μl micromass) on cp Titanium (Ti) discs (7.5 X 3.5 mm) and grown twelve days in CMRL media +10% FSB, 5% /3-glycerophosphate, using 5% CO2 in air. Discs were prepared by polishing with 600 grit SiC paper, cleaned, washed, passivated and UV light sterilized. At 12 days, specimens for TEM were fixed with 3% formaldehyde/ glutaraldehyde, in 0.2M cacodylate buffer, pH 7.2 and post fixed in 1% Osmium, using 1 mg/ml Ruthenium Red. Cells were en bloc stained with 2% uranyl acetate, dehydrated and routinely embedded in Spurr plastic resin. These embedded cells were separated from their Ti discs using a cryofacture technique, reembedded and sectioned with diamond knife for TEM. Cells for SEM were fixed, post fixed, dehydrated, critical point dried and coated with Carbon.


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):  
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):  
Richard Montione ◽  
Muhammad Ashraf

Osmolarity of a fixative vehicle has long been known to have an effect on the tissue preservation. An increase in tissue osmolarity occurs in ischemia-damaged tissue and affects the morphology. In this study, we examined cellular changes in ischemic rat myocardium induced by varying fixative toxicity.Rats were sacrificed by decapitation and the hearts immediately removed and retrogradily perfused through the aorta with anoxic Kurbs-Henseleit medium. Hearts were then placed in a bag with a small amount of medium at 37°C for 90 minutes. Hearts were perfusion-fixed using 2% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer pH -7.3 at three osmolarities. The isotonic buffer was adjusted to 311 mOsm/kg using D-manitol. Hypertonic buffers were adjusted to 375 and 400 mOsm/kg. One-half hour after perfusion fixation, the hearts were sliced and cut into small blocks and allowed to fix overnight at 4°C. Blocks were post fixed in osmium, en bloc stained in uranyl acetate, dehydrated in ethanol and embedded in Spurr medium.


Author(s):  
Mayson H. Alkhatib ◽  
Dalal Al-Saedi ◽  
Wadiah S. Backer

The combination of anticancer drugs in nanoparticles has great potential as a promising strategy to maximize efficacies by eradicating resistant, reduce the dosage of the drug and minimize toxicities on the normal cells. Gemcitabine (GEM), a nucleoside analogue, and atorvastatin (ATV), a cholesterol lowering agent, have shown anticancer effect with some limitations. The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the antitumor activity of the combination therapy of GEM and ATVencapsulated in a microemulsion (ME) formulation in the HCT116 colon cancer cells. The cytotoxicity and efficacy of the formulation were assessed by the 3- (4,5dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphyneltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The mechanism of cell death was examined by observing the morphological changes of treated cells under light microscope, identifying apoptosis by using the ApopNexin apoptosis detection kit, and viewing the morphological changes in the chromatin structure stained with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) under the inverted fluorescence microscope. It has been found that reducing the concentration of GEM loaded on ME (GEM-ME) from 5μM to 1.67μM by combining it with 3.33μM of ATV in a ME formulation (GEM/2ATV-ME) has preserved the strong cytotoxicity of GEM-ME against HCT116 cells. The current study proved that formulating GEM with ATV in ME has improved the therapeutic potential of GEM and ATV as anticancer drugs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (31) ◽  
pp. 2731-2740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Tiwari ◽  
Debmalya Barh ◽  
M. Imchen ◽  
Eswar Rao ◽  
Ranjith K. Kumavath ◽  
...  

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Vibrio cholerae, and pathogenic Escherichia coli are global concerns for public health. The emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains of these pathogens is creating additional challenges in controlling infections caused by these deadly bacteria. Recently, we reported that Acetate kinase (AcK) could be a broad-spectrum novel target in several bacteria including these pathogens. Methods: Here, using in silico and in vitro approaches we show that (i) AcK is an essential protein in pathogenic bacteria; (ii) natural compounds Chlorogenic acid and Pinoresinol from Piper betel and Piperidine derivative compound 6-oxopiperidine-3-carboxylic acid inhibit the growth of pathogenic E. coli and M. tuberculosis by targeting AcK with equal or higher efficacy than the currently used antibiotics; (iii) molecular modeling and docking studies show interactions between inhibitors and AcK that correlate with the experimental results; (iv) these compounds are highly effective even on MDR strains of these pathogens; (v) further, the compounds may also target bacterial two-component system proteins that help bacteria in expressing the genes related to drug resistance and virulence; and (vi) finally, all the tested compounds are predicted to have drug-like properties. Results and Conclusion: Suggesting that, these Piper betel derived compounds may be further tested for developing a novel class of broad-spectrum drugs against various common and MDR pathogens.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Wang ◽  
Chen Shen ◽  
Qinqin Cong ◽  
Kaili Xu ◽  
Jialin Lu

Abstract Background Biodegradation of antibiotics is a promising method for the large-scale removal of antibiotic residues in the environment. However, the enzyme that is involved in the biodegradation process is the key information to be revealed. Results In this study, the beta-lactamase from Ochrobactrumtritici that mediates the biodegradation of penicillin V was identified and characterized. When searching the proteins of Ochrobactrumtritici, the β-lactamase (OtLac) was identified. OtLac consists of 347 amino acids, and predicted isoelectric point is 7.0. It is a class C β-lactamase according to BLAST analysis. The coding gene of OtLac was amplified from the genomic DNA of Ochrobactrumtritici. The OtLac was overexpressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and purified with Ni2+ column affinity chromatography. The biodegradation ability of penicillin V by OtLac was identified in an in vitro study and analyzed by HPLC. The optimal temperature for OtLac is 32 ℃ and the optimal pH is 7.0. Steady-state kinetics showed that OtLac was highly active against penicillin V with a Km value of 17.86 μM and a kcat value of 25.28 s−1 respectively. Conclusions OtLac demonstrated biodegradation activity towards penicillin V potassium, indicating that OtLac is expected to degrade penicillin V in the future.


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