Cuticle comparative analyses between endo- and ecto-parasitoids using electron microscopy and genomic approaches

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiale Wang
Author(s):  
Gisella C.S. Chagas ◽  
Renata A.S. Alitto ◽  
Helena Serrano ◽  
Gabriela Granadier ◽  
Pablo D.B. Guilherme ◽  
...  

AbstractThe genera Ophiophragmus and Amphiodia are amphiurids that are considered taxonomically difficult due to their great resemblance, few diagnostic characters and synonymy problems. Our aim is to redescribe the species using scanning electron microscopy and morphometry of diagnostic structures, and to provide new information for the identification of these Ophiuroidea. Five Amphiodia spp. and six Ophiophragmus spp. recorded in Brazil were rigorously redescribed. The descriptions include new diagnostic characters derived from external morphology, arm microstructures and morphometry. We also provided comparative analyses of species with shared characters such as Amphiodia riisei and Amphiodia trychna. The geographic and bathymetric distributions of the studied species were updated, and new records are provided. All the information presented may be used in taxonomic, ecological and phylogenetic studies, helping to fill gaps in the knowledge of the biodiversity, ecology and evolution of these Ophiuroidea. Conclusively, all the tools applied here assisted in the identification of genera and species and could be useful in other taxonomic studies of Echinodermata.


2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (18) ◽  
pp. 8074-8084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Martin ◽  
Sheng Cao ◽  
Jose O. Maldonado ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Louis M. Mansky

ABSTRACTThe Gag protein is the main retroviral structural protein, and its expression alone is usually sufficient for production of virus-like particles (VLPs). In this study, we sought to investigate—in parallel comparative analyses—Gag cellular distribution, VLP size, and basic morphological features using Gag expression constructs (Gag or Gag-YFP, where YFP is yellow fluorescent protein) created from all representative retroviral genera:Alpharetrovirus,Betaretrovirus,Deltaretrovirus,Epsilonretrovirus,Gammaretrovirus,Lentivirus, andSpumavirus. We analyzed Gag cellular distribution by confocal microscopy, VLP budding by thin-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and general morphological features of the VLPs by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). Punctate Gag was observed near the plasma membrane for all Gag constructs tested except for the representativeBeta- andEpsilonretrovirusGag proteins. This is the first report ofEpsilonretrovirusGag localizing to the nucleus of HeLa cells. While VLPs were not produced by the representativeBeta- andEpsilonretrovirusGag proteins, the other Gag proteins produced VLPs as confirmed by TEM, and morphological differences were observed by cryo-TEM. In particular, we observedDeltaretrovirus-like particles with flat regions of electron density that did not follow viral membrane curvature,Lentivirus-like particles with a narrow range and consistent electron density, suggesting a tightly packed Gag lattice, andSpumavirus-like particles with large envelope protein spikes and no visible electron density associated with a Gag lattice. Taken together, these parallel comparative analyses demonstrate for the first time the distinct morphological features that exist among retrovirus-like particles. Investigation of these differences will provide greater insights into the retroviral assembly pathway.IMPORTANCEComparative analysis among retroviruses has been critically important in enhancing our understanding of retroviral replication and pathogenesis, including that of important human pathogens such as human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HIV-1. In this study, parallel comparative analyses have been used to study Gag expression and virus-like particle morphology among representative retroviruses in the known retroviral genera. Distinct differences were observed, which enhances current knowledge of the retroviral assembly pathway.


Author(s):  
S. K. Aggarwal ◽  
P. McAllister ◽  
R. W. Wagner ◽  
B. Rosenberg

Uranyl acetate has been used as an electron stain for en bloc staining as well as for staining ultrathin sections in conjunction with various lead stains (Fig. 1). Present studies reveal that various platinum compounds also show promise as electron stains. Certain platinum compounds have been shown to be effective anti-tumor agents. Of particular interest are the compounds with either uracil or thymine as one of the ligands (cis-Pt(II)-uracil; cis-Pt(II)-thymine). These compounds are amorphous, highly soluble in water and often exhibit an intense blue coloration. These compounds show enough electron density to be used as stains for electron microscopy. Most of the studies are based on various cell lines (human AV, cells, human lymphoma cells, KB cells, Sarcoma-180 ascites cells, chick fibroblasts and HeLa cells) while studies on tissue blocks are in progress.


Author(s):  
Gunter F. Thomas ◽  
M. David Hoggan

In 1968, Sugimura and Yanagawa described a small 25 nm virus like particle in association with the Matsuda strain of infectious canine hepatitis virus (ICHV). Domoto and Yanagawa showed that this particle was dependent on ICHV for its replication in primary dog kidney cell cultures (PDK) and was resistant to heating at 70°C for 10 min, and concluded that it was a canine adeno-associated virus (CAAV). Later studies by Onuma and Yanagawa compared CAAV with the known human serotypes (AAV 1, 2, 3) and AAV-4, known to be associated with African Green Monkeys. Using the complement fixation (CF) test, they found that CAAV was serologically related to AAV-3 and had wide distribution in the dog population of Japan.


Author(s):  
L. D. Ackerman ◽  
S. H. Y. Wei

Mature human dental enamel has presented investigators with several difficulties in ultramicrotomy of specimens for electron microscopy due to its high degree of mineralization. This study explores the possibility of combining ion-milling and high voltage electron microscopy as a means of circumventing the problems of ultramicrotomy.A longitudinal section of an extracted human third molar was ground to a thickness of about 30 um and polarized light micrographs were taken. The specimen was attached to a single hole grid and thinned by argon-ion bombardment at 15° incidence while rotating at 15 rpm. The beam current in each of two guns was 50 μA with an accelerating voltage of 4 kV. A 20 nm carbon coating was evaporated onto the specimen to prevent an electron charge from building up during electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
P.S. Porter ◽  
T. Aoyagi ◽  
R. Matta

Using standard techniques of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), over 1000 human hair defects have been studied. In several of the defects, the pathogenesis of the abnormality has been clarified using these techniques. It is the purpose of this paper to present several distinct morphologic abnormalities of hair and to discuss their pathogenesis as elucidated through techniques of scanning electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
Douglas C. Barker

A number of satisfactory methods are available for the electron microscopy of nicleic acids. These methods concentrated on fragments of nuclear, viral and mitochondrial DNA less than 50 megadaltons, on denaturation and heteroduplex mapping (Davies et al 1971) or on the interaction between proteins and DNA (Brack and Delain 1975). Less attention has been paid to the experimental criteria necessary for spreading and visualisation by dark field electron microscopy of large intact issociations of DNA. This communication will report on those criteria in relation to the ultrastructure of the (approx. 1 x 10-14g) DNA component of the kinetoplast from Trypanosomes. An extraction method has been developed to eliminate native endonucleases and nuclear contamination and to isolate the kinetoplast DNA (KDNA) as a compact network of high molecular weight. In collaboration with Dr. Ch. Brack (Basel [nstitute of Immunology), we studied the conditions necessary to prepare this KDNA Tor dark field electron microscopy using the microdrop spreading technique.


Author(s):  
T. Wichertjes ◽  
E.J. Kwak ◽  
E.F.J. Van Bruggen

Hemocyanin of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) has been studied in nany ways. Recently the structure, dissociation and reassembly was studied using electron microscopy of negatively stained specimens as the method of investigation. Crystallization of the protein proved to be possible and X-ray crystallographic analysis was started. Also fluorescence properties of the hemocyanin after dialysis against Tris-glycine buffer + 0.01 M EDTA pH 8.9 (so called “stripped” hemocyanin) and its fractions II and V were studied, as well as functional properties of the fractions by NMR. Finally the temperature-jump method was used for assaying the oxygen binding of the dissociating molecule and of preparations of isolated subunits. Nevertheless very little is known about the structure of the intact molecule. Schutter et al. suggested that the molecule possibly consists of two halves, combined in a staggered way, the halves themselves consisting of four subunits arranged in a square.


Author(s):  
G. Stöffler ◽  
R.W. Bald ◽  
J. Dieckhoff ◽  
H. Eckhard ◽  
R. Lührmann ◽  
...  

A central step towards an understanding of the structure and function of the Escherichia coli ribosome, a large multicomponent assembly, is the elucidation of the spatial arrangement of its 54 proteins and its three rRNA molecules. The structural organization of ribosomal components has been investigated by a number of experimental approaches. Specific antibodies directed against each of the 54 ribosomal proteins of Escherichia coli have been performed to examine antibody-subunit complexes by electron microscopy. The position of the bound antibody, specific for a particular protein, can be determined; it indicates the location of the corresponding protein on the ribosomal surface.The three-dimensional distribution of each of the 21 small subunit proteins on the ribosomal surface has been determined by immuno electron microscopy: the 21 proteins have been found exposed with altogether 43 antibody binding sites. Each one of 12 proteins showed antibody binding at remote positions on the subunit surface, indicating highly extended conformations of the proteins concerned within the 30S ribosomal subunit; the remaining proteins are, however, not necessarily globular in shape (Fig. 1).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document