scholarly journals Membrane Topology and Transient Acylation of Toxoplasma gondii Glycosylphosphatidylinositols

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 1420-1429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Kimmel ◽  
Terry K. Smith ◽  
Nahid Azzouz ◽  
Peter Gerold ◽  
Frank Seeber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Phospholipase C ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Membrane Topology ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Cytosolic Protein ◽  
Er Membrane

ABSTRACT Using hypotonically permeabilized Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites, we investigated the topology of the free glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. The morphology and permeability of parasites were checked by electron microscopy and release of a cytosolic protein. The membrane integrity of organelles (ER and rhoptries) was checked by protease protection assays. In initial experiments, GPI biosynthetic intermediates were labeled with UDP-[6-3H]GlcNAc in permeabilized parasites, and the transmembrane distribution of the radiolabeled lipids was probed with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). A new early intermediate with an acyl modification on the inositol was identified, indicating that inositol acylation also occurs in T. gondii. A significant portion of the early GPI intermediates (GlcN-PI and GlcNAc-PI) could be hydrolyzed following PI-PLC treatment, indicating that these glycolipids are predominantly present in the cytoplasmic leaflet of the ER. Permeabilized T. gondii parasites labeled with either GDP-[2-3H]mannose or UDP-[6-3H]glucose showed that the more mannosylated and side chain (Glc-GalNAc)-modified GPI intermediates are also preferentially localized in the cytoplasmic leaflet of the ER.

scholarly journals A conserved family of proteins facilitates nascent lipid droplet budding from the ER

2015 ◽  
Vol 211 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vineet Choudhary ◽  
Namrata Ojha ◽  
Andy Golden ◽  
William A. Prinz
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Lipid Droplet ◽  
Lipid Droplets ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Fat Storage ◽  
Higher Eukaryotes ◽  
Er Membrane

Lipid droplets (LDs) are found in all cells and play critical roles in lipid metabolism. De novo LD biogenesis occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but is not well understood. We imaged early stages of LD biogenesis using electron microscopy and found that nascent LDs form lens-like structures that are in the ER membrane, raising the question of how these nascent LDs bud from the ER as they grow. We found that a conserved family of proteins, fat storage-inducing transmembrane (FIT) proteins, is required for proper budding of LDs from the ER. Elimination or reduction of FIT proteins in yeast and higher eukaryotes causes LDs to remain in the ER membrane. Deletion of the single FIT protein in Caenorhabditis elegans is lethal, suggesting that LD budding is an essential process in this organism. Our findings indicated that FIT proteins are necessary to promote budding of nascent LDs from the ER.

scholarly journals Research Resource: Monitoring Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Integrity in β-Cells at the Single-Cell Level

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kohsuke Kanekura ◽  
Jianhong Ou ◽  
Takashi Hara ◽  
Lihua J. Zhu ◽  
Fumihiko Urano
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Membrane Permeabilization ◽  
Single Cell Level ◽  
Cell Level ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Er Membrane

Abstract Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane integrity is an emerging target for human chronic diseases associated with ER stress. Despite the underlying importance of compromised ER membrane integrity in disease states, the entire process leading to ER membrane permeabilization and cell death is still not clear due to technical limitations. Here we describe a novel method for monitoring ER membrane integrity at the single-cell level in real time. Using a β-cell line expressing ER-targeted redox sensitive green fluorescent protein, we could identify a β-cell population undergoing ER membrane permeabilization induced by palmitate and could monitor cell fate and ER stress of these cells at the single-cell level. Our method could be used to develop a novel therapeutic modality targeting the ER membrane for ER-associated disorders, including β-cell death in diabetes, neurodegeneration, and Wolfram syndrome.

scholarly journals The membrane topological analysis of 3β-hydroxysteroid-Δ24 reductase (DHCR24) on endoplasmic reticulum

2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuli Lu ◽  
Yang Li ◽  
Jianli Liu ◽  
Xiangyu Cao ◽  
Xude Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Topological Analysis ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Membrane Topology ◽  
Membrane Targeting ◽  
Ros Scavenging ◽  
Tm Domain ◽  
Fad Binding ◽  
Er Membrane

DHCR24encodes 3β-hydroxysteroid-Δ24 reductase, catalyzing the conversion of desmosterol to cholesterol. Our previous study demonstrated that DHCR24 exerts an anti-apoptotic function as a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, for which it needs its FAD-binding domain. The membrane topology of DHCR24 on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the functional significance of its FAD-binding domain are not completely understood. Based on the structure predicted by bioinformatics, we studied the membrane topology of DHCR24 in murine neuroblastoma cells (N2A), using the fluorescent protease protection (FPP) technique. We showed that full-length DHCR24 is localized to the membrane of ER, whereas the predicted transmembrane (TM) domain-deleted DHCR24 mutation is localized to the cytoplasm. The change of DHCR24 localization suggests that the N-terminal TM domain is essential for the ER membrane targeting of DHCR24. The FPP assay demonstrated the membrane topology of DHCR24 with an N-terminal luminal/C-terminal cytoplasmic orientation. Measurement of intracellular ROS using H2DCFDA revealed that the ROS levels of cells infected by plasmids driving expression of full-length DHCR24 or the TM domain-deleted DHCR24 mutation after H2O2exposure were lower than those of control cells, suggesting that the ER membrane targeting of DHCR24 is not required for its enzymatic ROS scavenging activity. Confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed that the DHCR24-overexpressed cells were protected from apoptosis in response to oxidative stress, which was accompanied by a decrease in DHCR24 content on the ER and activation of caspase-3, suggesting that the anti-apoptotic function of DHCR24 is associated with its cleavage by caspase.

scholarly journals Retention of membrane proteins by the endoplasmic reticulum.

1985 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 1724-1732 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Brands ◽  
M D Snider ◽  
Y Hino ◽  
S S Park ◽  
H V Gelboin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Cytochrome P450 ◽  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Membrane Glycoprotein ◽  
Glucosidase Ii ◽  
Er Membrane

We have used a monoclonal antibody specific for a hydrocarbon-induced cytochrome P450 to localize, by electron microscopy, the epitope-specific cytochrome P450. The cytochrome was found in the rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the nuclear envelope of hepatocytes. Significant quantities of cytochrome P450 were not found in Golgi stacks. We also could not find any evidence of Golgi-associated processing of the Asn-linked oligosaccharide chains of two well-characterized ER membrane glycoprotein enzymes (glucosidase II and hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase), or of the oligosaccharides attached to the bulk of the glycoproteins of the ER membrane. We conclude that these ER membrane proteins are efficiently retained during a process of highly selective export from this organelle.

Modification of Pineal Ultrastructure by Exogenous Hormones

1967 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 170-171
Author(s):  
R. A. Turner ◽  
A. E. Rodin ◽  
D. K. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Estradiol Benzoate ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
List Type ◽  
Type Number ◽  
Pregnant Rats ◽  
Gonadal Atrophy ◽  
Pineal Ultrastructure

There have been many reports which establish a relationship between the pineal and sexual structures, including gonadal hypertrophy after pinealectomy, and gonadal atrophy after injection of pineal homogenates or of melatonin. In order to further delineate this relationship the pineals from 5 groups of female rats were studied by electron microscopy:ControlsPregnant ratsAfter 4 weekly injections of 0.1 mg. estradiol benzoate.After 8 daily injections of 150 mcgm. melatonin (pineal hormone).After 8 daily injections of 3 mg. serotonin (melatonin precursor).No ultrastructural differences were evident between the control, and the pregnancy and melatonin groups. However, the estradiol injected animals exhibited a marked increase in the amount and size of rough endoplasmic reticulum within the pineal cells.

Copper Localization in Cirrhotic Rat Liver by Scanning Electron Microscopy

1969 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 38-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Russ ◽  
E. McNatt
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Copper Acetate ◽  
Lead Citrate ◽  
Dense Bodies ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Electron Mode ◽  
Scanning Electron

In order to study the retention of copper in cirrhotic liver, rats were made cirrhotic by carbon tetrachloride inhalation twice weekly for three months and fed 0.2% copper acetate ad libidum in drinking water for one month. The liver tissue was fixed in osmium, sectioned approximately 2000 Å thick, and stained with lead citrate. The section was examined in a scanning electron microscope (JEOLCO JSM-2) in the transmission electron mode.Figure 1 shows a typical area that includes a red blood cell in a sinusoid, a disse, and a portion of the cytoplasm of a hepatocyte which contains several mitochondria, peribiliary dense bodies, glycogen granules, and endoplasmic reticulum.

Morphological and biochemical analyses of changes in rat hepatocytes related to wine and ethanol consumption

1984 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 232-233
Author(s):  
S.M. Geyer ◽  
C.L. Mendenhall ◽  
J.T. Hung ◽  
E.L. Cardell ◽  
R.L. Drake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Malic Enzyme ◽  
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Rat Hepatocytes ◽  
Mature Male ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Malic Enzyme Activity ◽  
Biochemical Analyses

Thirty-three mature male Holtzman rats were randomly placed in 3 treatment groups: Controls (C); Ethanolics (E); and Wine drinkers (W). The animals were fed synthetic diets (Lieber type) with ethanol or wine substituted isocalorically for carbohydrates in the diet of E and W groups, respectively. W received a volume of wine which provided the same gram quantity of alcohol consumed by E. The animals were sacrificed by decapitation after 6 weeks and the livers processed for quantitative triglycerides (T3), proteins, malic enzyme activity (MEA), light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM). Morphometric analysis of randomly selected LM and EM micrographs was performed to determine organellar changes in centrilobular (CV) and periportal (PV) regions of the liver. This analysis (Table 1) showed that hepatocytes from E were larger than those in C and W groups. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum decreased in E and increased in W compared to C values.

Triple Fixation For Electron Microscopy

1968 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 90-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Hayat
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Electron Beam ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Myelin Sheath ◽  
Good Deal ◽  
Granular Structure ◽  
Oxidizing Agent ◽  
Fixation Technique ◽  
Large Clusters

Potassium permanganate has been successfully employed to study membranous structures such as endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, plastids, plasma membrane and myelin sheath. Since KMnO4 is a strong oxidizing agent, deposition of manganese or its oxides account for some of the observed contrast in the lipoprotein membranes, but a good deal of it is due to the removal of background proteins either by dehydration agents or by volatalization under the electron beam. Tissues fixed with KMnO4 exhibit somewhat granular structure because of the deposition of large clusters of stain molecules. The gross arrangement of membranes can also be modified. Since the aim of a good fixation technique is to preserve satisfactorily the cell as a whole and not the best preservation of only a small part of it, a combination of a mixture of glutaraldehyde and acrolein to obtain general preservation and KMnO4 to enhance contrast was employed to fix plant embryos, green algae and fungi.

Image quality vs data obtainment in biological electron microscopy

1986 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 42-43
Author(s):  
J. E. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Electron Beam ◽  
Image Quality ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Fluorescent Screen ◽  
Embedding Medium

In the early years of biological electron microscopy, scientists had their hands full attempting to describe the cellular microcosm that was suddenly before them on the fluorescent screen. Mitochondria, Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, and other myriad organelles were being examined, micrographed, and documented in the literature. A major problem of that early period was the development of methods to cut sections thin enough to study under the electron beam. A microtome designed in 1943 moved the specimen toward a rotary “Cyclone” knife revolving at 12,500 RPM, or 1000 times as fast as an ordinary microtome. It was claimed that no embedding medium was necessary or that soft embedding media could be used. Collecting the sections thus cut sounded a little precarious: “The 0.1 micron sections cut with the high speed knife fly out at a tangent and are dispersed in the air. They may be collected... on... screens held near the knife“.

Immunoprobe localization in mammalian embryos

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 32-33
Author(s):  
Patricia G. Calarco ◽  
Margaret C. Siebert
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Relative Lack ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Mammalian Embryos ◽  
Antigen Localization ◽  
Difficult Challenge ◽  
Lowicryl K4m ◽  
Fertilized Egg

Visualization of preimplantation mammalian embryos by electron microscopy is difficult due to the large size of the ircells, their relative lack of internal structure, and their highly hydrated cytoplasm. For example, the fertilized egg of the mouse is a single cell of approximately 75μ in diameter with little organized cytoskelet on and apaucity ofor ganelles such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi material. Thus, techniques that work well on tissues or cell lines are often not adaptable to embryos at either the LM or EM level.Over several years we have perfected techniques for visualization of mammalian embryos by LM and TEM, SEM and for the pre-embedding localization of antigens. Post-embedding antigenlocalization in thin sections of mouse oocytes and embryos has presented a more difficult challenge and has been explored in LR White, LR Gold, soft EPON (after etching of sections), and Lowicryl K4M. To date, antigen localization has only been achieved in Lowicryl-embedded material, although even with polymerization at-40°C, the small ER vesicles characteristic of embryos are unrecognizable.

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