N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor Is Required to Organize Functional Exocytotic Microdomains in Paramecium

In exocytosis, secretory granules contact plasma membrane at sites where microdomains can be observed, which are sometimes marked by intramembranous particle arrays. Such arrays are particularly obvious when membrane fusion is frozen at a subterminal stage, e.g., in neuromuscular junctions and ciliate exocytotic sites. In Paramecium, a genetic approach has shown that the “rosettes” of intramembranous particles are essential for stimulated exocytosis of secretory granules, the trichocysts. The identification of two genes encoding the N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF), a chaperone ATPase involved in organelle docking, prompted us to analyze its potential role in trichocyst exocytosis using a gene-silencing strategy. Here we show that NSF deprivation strongly interferes with rosette assembly but does not disturb the functioning of exocytotic sites already formed. We conclude that rosette organization involves ubiquitous partners of the fusion machinery and discuss where NSF could intervene in this mechanism.

Subpellicular microtubules associate with an intramembranous particle lattice in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii

Application of Fourier analysis techniques to images of isolated, frozen-hydrated subpellicular microtubules from the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii demonstrates a distinctive 32 nm periodicity along the length of the microtubules. A 32 nm longitudinal repeat is also observed in the double rows of intramembranous particles seen in freeze-fracture images of the parasite's pellicle; these rows are thought to overlie the subpellicular microtubules. Remarkably, the 32 nm intramembranous particle periodicity is carried over laterally to the single rows of particles that lie between the microtubule-associated double rows. This creates a two-dimensional particle lattice, with the second dimension at an angle of approximately 75 degrees to the longitudinal rows (depending on position along the length of the parasite). Drugs that disrupt known cytoskeletal components fail to destroy the integrity of the particle lattice. This intramembranous particle organization suggests the existence of multiple cytoskeletal filaments of unknown identity. Filaments associated with the particle lattice provide a possible mechanism for motility and shape change in Toxoplasma: distortion of the lattice may mediate the twirling motility seen upon host-cell lysis, and morphological changes observed during invasion.

Overexpression of occludin, a tight junction-associated integral membrane protein, induces the formation of intracellular multilamellar bodies bearing tight junction-like structures

Occludin is an integral membrane protein localizing at tight junctions with four transmembrane domains. When chicken occludin was overexpressed in insect cells by recombinant baculovirus infection, peculiar multilamellar structures accumulated in the cytoplasm. Partial isolation of these structures indicated that the introduced chicken occludin was highly enriched in these structures. Thin section electron microscopy revealed that each lamella was transformed from intracellular membranous cisternae whose luminal space was completely collapsed, and that in each lamella, outer leaflets of opposing membranes appeared to be fused with no gaps, like tight junctions. Furthermore, in the freeze-fracture replicas of these multilamellar structures, short tight junction-like intramembranous particle strands were occasionally observed, which were specifically labeled by anti-occludin mAb. These observations favor the idea that occludin plays a key role in the formation of tight junctions.

Induction of intramembranous particle clusters in mice with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

In mice with hereditary nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), the inability of vasopressin to increase hydraulic water permeability is reflected in a lack of intramembranous particle (IMP) clusters in apical membranes of inner medullary collecting ducts. The lack arises from anomalously high activity of one or two isozymes of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDE). We asked whether inhibition of these isozymes with rolipram and cilostamide would raise not only the tissue content of cAMP but also and simultaneously restore IMP clusters. Inner medullary collecting ducts from NDI mice were incubated in vitro. Tissue content of cAMP (fmol of cAMP per bundle) and number of IMP clusters (per 100 microns 2 of principal cell apical membrane) were, respectively: control, 44.8 +/- 13.0 and 4.16 +/- 1.49; arginine vasopressin (AVP), 31.7 +/- 8.0 and 3.98 +/- 1.56; rolipram and cilostamide, 109.7 +/- 21.0 and 58.09 +/- 15.74; and AVP plus rolipram and cilostamide, 305.7 +/- 75 and 48.63 +/- 11.03 (with the last four values showing significant difference from control and AVP only, respectively). In addition, treating NDI mice with rolipram and cilostamide in vivo reduced their high fluid turnover. We conclude that failure by AVP to increase cAMP in cells of collecting ducts, which results from anomalously high activity of one or two specific isozymes of cAMP-PDE, is the major or sole cause for the excretion of hypotonic urine in NDI mice (DI +/+ Severe strain).

Effect of transbilayer phospholipid distribution on erythrocyte fusion

Phospholipid packing has been suggested as a relevant variable in the control of membrane fusion events. To test this possibility in a model system, a comparison was made of the fusability of erythrocytes with a normal asymmetric transbilayer distribution of plasma membrane phospholipids (tightly packed exterior lipids) and erythrocytes with a symmetric transbilayer distribution of phospholipids (more loosely packed exterior lipids), using polyethylene glycol as fusogen. Not only were lipid-symmetric cells more readily fused, but fusions of mixtures of lipid-symmetric and lipid-asymmetric cells indicated that both fusing partners must have a symmetric distribution for fusion to be enhanced. Lipid-symmetric cells may fuse more readily because loose packing of the exterior lipids enhances hydrophobic interactions between cells. Alternatively, enhanced membrane fluidity may facilitate intramembranous particle clustering, previously implicated as a potentiator of fusion. Finally, exposure of phosphatidylserine on the surface of lipid-symmetric erythrocytes may be responsible for their enhanced fusion.

Changes in microvilli and Golgi-associated membranes of lepidopteran cells induced by an insecticidally active bacterial δ-endotoxin

The δ-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki was fed to late larvae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, to determine its effect on the anterior midgut epithelium, which was examined ultrastructurally at intervals thereafter. The cells of the midgut are primarily of the columnar and goblet variety and the effects of the toxin were more pronounced on the former. Tissues examined after only 1–5 min of exposure to the toxin already revealed fine-structural alterations. These were most notably changes in the microvilli and membranes associated spatially with the Golgi complex: vacuoles associated with its maturing face became enlarged. This effect was intensified with more-extensive exposure to the toxin, resulting in an increase in both vacuoles and the number of lysosomal bodies, many containing myelin-like formations; some of these arose as autophagic vacuoles. There seemed to be no consistent increase in endocytotic activity at the apical border, however. The intramembranous particle population of the microvilli of the columnar cells showed some slight changes with toxin treatment; alterations in microvillar contours also occured. The intercellular septate and gap junctions on the lateral borders were sometimes disrupted and with time often became internalized. It seems, then, that the toxin initially modifies the microvillar membranes and subsequently the Golgi-associated saccules are affected, giving rise to vacuoles and lysosomes.