The development of Drosophila embryos after partial u.v. irradiation

Development ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-408
Author(s):  
M. Bownes ◽  
K. Sander

U.v. irradiation of the anterior pole of nuclear multiplication stage Drosophila eggs produces embryos with defective anterior structures. At a low frequency embryos resembling some phenotypes of the bicaudal syndrome of Drosophila were observed. These embryos had no head or thorax and the eight abdominal segments were spread to the anterior of the embryo. Sometimes spiracles, characteristic of the most posterior embryonic segment were observed at the anterior of the embryo. The development of these embryos was followed, and abnormalities occurred as early as blastoderm formation. The extent of the blastoderm defects correlated well with the final abnormality in the embryo.

Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 1233-1243 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.M. Macdonald ◽  
K. Kerr ◽  
J.L. Smith ◽  
A. Leask

Deployment of the bicoid morphogen gradient in early Drosophila embryos requires the prelocalization of bicoid mRNA to the anterior pole of the egg. This anterior localization is mediated by a cis-acting localization signal contained within the 3′ untranslated region of the bicoid mRNA. Here we use a series of bicoid transgenes carrying small deletions in the 3′ untranslated region to survey for functional elements that constitute the localization signal. We identify and characterize one essential element, BLE1, which specifically directs the early steps of localization. In addition, we find that many deletions within the bicoid mRNA 3′ untranslated region impair but do not prevent localization. One such deletion specifically interferes with a later step in localization. Thus the bicoid mRNA localization signal appears to consist of multiple different elements, each responsible for different steps in the localization process.


1995 ◽  
Vol 169 (1) ◽  
pp. 384-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoru Kobayashi ◽  
Reiko Amikura ◽  
Akira Nakamura ◽  
Hiromitsu Saito ◽  
Masukichi Okada

Author(s):  
K. Hama

The lateral line organs of the sea eel consist of canal and pit organs which are different in function. The former is a low frequency vibration detector whereas the latter functions as an ion receptor as well as a mechano receptor.The fine structure of the sensory epithelia of both organs were studied by means of ordinary transmission electron microscope, high voltage electron microscope and of surface scanning electron microscope.The sensory cells of the canal organ are polarized in front-caudal direction and those of the pit organ are polarized in dorso-ventral direction. The sensory epithelia of both organs have thinner surface coats compared to the surrounding ordinary epithelial cells, which have very thick fuzzy coatings on the apical surface.


Author(s):  
Robert E. Nordquist ◽  
J. Hill Anglin ◽  
Michael P. Lerner

A human breast carcinoma cell line (BOT-2) was derived from an infiltrating duct carcinoma (1). These cells were shown to have antigens that selectively bound antibodies from breast cancer patient sera (2). Furthermore, these tumor specific antigens could be removed from the living cells by low frequency sonication and have been partially characterized (3). These proteins have been shown to be around 100,000 MW and contain approximately 6% hexose and hexosamines. However, only the hexosamines appear to be available for lectin binding. This study was designed to use Concanavalin A (Con A) and Ricinus Communis (Ricin) agglutinin for the topagraphical localization of D-mannopyranosyl or glucopyranosyl and D-galactopyranosyl or DN- acetyl glactopyranosyl configurations on BOT-2 cell surfaces.


Author(s):  
P. A. Marsh ◽  
T. Mullens ◽  
D. Price

It is possible to exceed the guaranteed resolution on most electron microscopes by careful attention to microscope parameters essential for high resolution work. While our experience is related to a Philips EM-200, we hope that some of these comments will apply to all electron microscopes.The first considerations are vibration and magnetic fields. These are usually measured at the pre-installation survey and must be within specifications. It has been our experience, however, that these factors can be greatly influenced by the new facilities and therefore must be rechecked after the installation is completed. The relationship between the resolving power of an EM-200 and the maximum tolerable low frequency interference fields in milli-Oerstedt is 10 Å - 1.9, 8 Å - 1.4, 6 Å - 0.8.


Author(s):  
W.F. Marshall ◽  
A.F. Dernburg ◽  
B. Harmon ◽  
J.W. Sedat

Interactions between chromatin and nuclear envelope (NE) have been implicated in chromatin condensation, gene regulation, nuclear reassembly, and organization of chromosomes within the nucleus. To further investigate the physiological role played by such interactions, it will be necessary to determine which loci specifically interact with the nuclear envelope. This will not only facilitate identification of the molecular determinants of this interaction, but will also allow manipulation of the pattern of chromatin-NE interactions to probe possible functions. We have developed a microscopic approach to detect and map chromatin-NE interactions inside intact cells.Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is used to localize specific chromosomal regions within the nucleus of Drosophila embryos and anti-lamin immunofluorescence is used to detect the nuclear envelope. Widefield deconvolution microscopy is then used to obtain a three-dimensional image of the sample (Fig. 1). The nuclear surface is represented by a surface-harmonic expansion (Fig 2). A statistical test for association of the FISH spot with the surface is then performed.


Author(s):  
G. Y. Fan ◽  
J. M. Cowley

It is well known that the structure information on the specimen is not always faithfully transferred through the electron microscope. Firstly, the spatial frequency spectrum is modulated by the transfer function (TF) at the focal plane. Secondly, the spectrum suffers high frequency cut-off by the aperture (or effectively damping terms such as chromatic aberration). While these do not have essential effect on imaging crystal periodicity as long as the low order Bragg spots are inside the aperture, although the contrast may be reversed, they may change the appearance of images of amorphous materials completely. Because the spectrum of amorphous materials is continuous, modulation of it emphasizes some components while weakening others. Especially the cut-off of high frequency components, which contribute to amorphous image just as strongly as low frequency components can have a fundamental effect. This can be illustrated through computer simulation. Imaging of a whitenoise object with an electron microscope without TF limitation gives Fig. 1a, which is obtained by Fourier transformation of a constant amplitude combined with random phases generated by computer.


Author(s):  
M. T. Postek ◽  
A. E. Vladar

Fully automated or semi-automated scanning electron microscopes (SEM) are now commonly used in semiconductor production and other forms of manufacturing. The industry requires that an automated instrument must be routinely capable of 5 nm resolution (or better) at 1.0 kV accelerating voltage for the measurement of nominal 0.25-0.35 micrometer semiconductor critical dimensions. Testing and proving that the instrument is performing at this level on a day-by-day basis is an industry need and concern which has been the object of a study at NIST and the fundamentals and results are discussed in this paper.In scanning electron microscopy, two of the most important instrument parameters are the size and shape of the primary electron beam and any image taken in a scanning electron microscope is the result of the sample and electron probe interaction. The low frequency changes in the video signal, collected from the sample, contains information about the larger features and the high frequency changes carry information of finer details. The sharper the image, the larger the number of high frequency components making up that image. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of an SEM image can be employed to provide qualitiative and ultimately quantitative information regarding the SEM image quality.


Author(s):  
William Theurkauf

Cell division in eucaryotes depends on coordinated changes in nuclear and cytoskeletal components. In Drosophila melanogaster embryos, the first 13 nuclear divisions occur without cytokinesis. During the final four divisions, nuclei divide in a uniform monolayer at the surface of the embryo. These surface divisions are accompanied by dramatic changes in cortical actin and microtubule structure (Karr and Alberts, 1986), and inhibitor studies indicate that these changes are essential to orderly mitosis (Zalokar and Erk, 1976). Because the early embryo is syncytial, fluorescent probes introduced by microinjection are incorporated in structures associated with all of the nuclei in the blastoderm. In addition, the nuclei divide synchronously every 10 to 20 min. These characteristics make the syncytial blastoderm embryo an excellent system for the analysis of mitotic reorganization of both nuclear and cytoskeletal elements. However, the Drosophila embryo is a large cell, and resolution of cytoskeletal filaments and nuclear structure is hampered by out-of focus signal.


1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 52-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail L. MacLean ◽  
Andrew Stuart ◽  
Robert Stenstrom

Differences in real ear sound pressure levels (SPLs) with three portable stereo system (PSS) earphones (supraaural [Sony Model MDR-44], semiaural [Sony Model MDR-A15L], and insert [Sony Model MDR-E225]) were investigated. Twelve adult men served as subjects. Frequency response, high frequency average (HFA) output, peak output, peak output frequency, and overall RMS output for each PSS earphone were obtained with a probe tube microphone system (Fonix 6500 Hearing Aid Test System). Results indicated a significant difference in mean RMS outputs with nonsignificant differences in mean HFA outputs, peak outputs, and peak output frequencies among PSS earphones. Differences in mean overall RMS outputs were attributed to differences in low-frequency effects that were observed among the frequency responses of the three PSS earphones. It is suggested that one cannot assume equivalent real ear SPLs, with equivalent inputs, among different styles of PSS earphones.


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