Fibrillar systems in cell motility

Human breast epithelium in vitro: the re-expression of structural and functional cellular differentiation in long-term culture

Fragments of human breast epithelium, devoid of all stromal and basal lamina components, which maintain their in vivo topological organisation can be cultured for up to 28 days within a reconstituted rat-tail-derived collagen matrix. These organoids initially undergo a loss of structural and 3-dimensional organisation, typified by loss of lumina formed by epithelial cells, and myosin from myoepithelial cells. Their subsequent reorganisation is dependent on the presence of serum, insulin, hydrocortisone, and cholera toxin in tissue culture medium. After this preliminary phase, a reduction in the concentration of serum, insulin, hydrocortisone, and cholera toxin is necessary to allow the structural differentiation of epithelial and myoepithelial cells. The myoepithelial cells also regain their ability to produce the basal lamina component laminin. The use of bovine-dermal collagen as the matrix, rather than rat-tail-derived collagen is shown to result in more stable organisation and differentiation of the organoids. The successful use of single-cell pellets (derived by trypsinisation of the organoids) in place of organoids in such cultures illustrates that there is no requirement for pre-existing cell/cell contact or topological organisation of cells prior to embedding within the collagen matrix.

Human epithelial cell intermediate filaments: isolation, purification, and characterization

Intermediate filaments (IF) isolated from human epithelial cells (HeLa) can be disassembled in 8 M urea and reassembled in phosphate-buffered solutions containing greater than 0.1 mg/ml IF protein. Eight proteins were associated with HeLa IF after several disassembly-reassembly cycles as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE). A rabbit antiserum directed against HeLa IF contained antibodies to most of these proteins. The immunofluorescence pattern that was seen in HeLa cells with this antiserum is complex. It consisted of a juxtanuclear accumulation of IF protein and a weblike array of cytoplasmic fibers extending to the cell border. Following preadsorption with individual HeLa IF proteins, the immunofluorescence pattern in HeLa cells was altered to suggest the presence of at least two distinct IF networks. The amino acid composition and alpha-helix content (approximately 38%) of HeLa IF proteins was similar to the values obtained for other IF proteins. One-dimensional peptide maps show extensive homology between the major HeLa IF protein of 55,000-mol-wt and a similar 55,000-mol-wt protein obtained from hamster fibroblasts (BHK-21). HeLa 55,000-mol-wt homopolymer IF assembled under conditions similar to those required for BHK-21 55,000-mol-wt homopolymers. Several other proteins present in HeLa IF preparations may be keratin-like structural proteins. The results obtained in these studies indicate that the major HeLa IF protein is the same major IF structural protein found in fibroblasts. Ultrastructural studies of HeLa cells revealed two distinct IF organizational stages including bundles and loose arrays. In addition, in vitro reconstituted HeLa IF also exhibited these two organizational states.

The effect of cytochalasin B on chick mesoderm cells as studied by scanning electron microscopy

The effects of cytochalasin B (CCB) on chick mesoderm cells in vivo was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The embryos were mounted for New Culture and the mesoderm exposed by dissecting off the endoderm. Cytochalasin B was suspended in saline and the embryos flooded with the suspension. Control embryos were treated with saline alone. The embryos were reincubated for varying times at 37 degrees C. In the treated embryos the mesoderm cells were rounded and separated from each other. Many had long branched processes and rough surfaces. These changes became more pronounced as treatment time was increased. They were also reversible on reincubating treated embryos in the absence of cytochalasin B. The morphological changes produced by CCB are thought to be due to an effect on the cytoskeleton, either a direct disruptive effect or detachment of skeletal microfilaments from the cell membrane. There may also be a direct removal of cell surface materials leading to the observed surface roughening of treated cells.

Functions of cytoplasmic fibers in intracellular movements in BHK-21 cells

After trypsinization and replating, BHK-21 cells spread and change shape from a rounded to a fibroblastic form. Time-lapse movies of spreading cells reveal that organelles are redistributed by saltatory movements from a juxtanuclear position into the expanding regions of cytoplasm. Bidirectional saltations are seen along the long axes of fully spread cells. As the spreading process progresses, the pattern of saltatory movements changes and the average speed of saltations increases from 1.7 MICROMETER/S during the early stages of spreading to 2.3 micrometer/s in fully spread cells. Correlative electron microscope studies indicate that the patterns of saltatory movements that lead to the redistribution of organelles during spreading are closely related to changes in the degree of assembly, organization, and distribution of microtubules and 10-nm filaments. Colchicine (10 microgram/ml of culture medium) reversibly disassembles the microtubule-10-nm filament complexes which form during cell spreading. This treatment results in the disappearance of microtubules and the appearance of a juxtanuclear accumulation of 10-nm filaments. These changes closely parallel an inhibition of saltatory movements. Within 30 min after the addition of the colchicine, pseudopod-like extensions form rapidly at the cell periphery, and adjacent organelles are seen to stream into them. The pseudopods contain extensive arrays of actinlike microfilament bundles which bind skeletal-muscle heavy meromyosin (HMM). Therefore, in the presence of colchicine, intracellular movements are altered from a normal saltatory pattern into a pattern reminiscent of the type of cytoplasmic streaming seen in amoeboid organisms. The streaming may reflect either the activity or the contractility of submembranous microfilament bundles. Streaming activity is not seen in cells containing well-organized microtubule-10-nm filament complexes.

Biochemical and immunological analysis of rapidly purified 10-nm filaments from baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells

Juxtanuclear birefringent caps (FC) containing 10-nm filaments form during the early stages of baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cell spreading. FC are isolated from spreading cells after replating by treatment with 0.6 M KCl, 1% Triton X-100 (Rohm & Haas Co., Philadelphia, Pa.) and DNase I in phosphate-buffered saline. Purified FC are birefringent and retain the pattern of distribution of 10-nm filaments that is seen in situ. Up to 90% of the FC protein is resolved as two polypeptides of approximately 54,000 and 55,000 molecular weight on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gels. The protein is immunologically and biochemically distinct from tubulin as determined by indirect immunofluorescence, double immunodiffusion, one-dimensional peptide mapping by limited proteolysis in SDS gels, and amino acid analysis. The BHK-21 FC amino acid composition, however, is very similar to that obtained for 10-nm filament protein derived from other sources including brain and smooth muscle. Partial disassembly of 10-nm filaments has been achieved by treatment of FC with 6 mM sodium-potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. The solubilized components assemble into distinct 10-nm filaments upon the addition of 0.171 M sodium chloride.

Plasma membrane motility and proliferation of human glioma cells in agarose and monolayer cultures

Human glioma cells, growing as spherical colonies in agarose gel, or as monolayers on glass or plastic, were studied with time-lapse cinematography and electron microscopy. The cells in the agarose cultured colonies often had ruffling-like membrane structures which were similar in for, although smaller in size, than those observed on monolayer cultured cells. The ruffling-like structures were more frequent at the periphery than in the central regions of the colonies which was in parallel to the proliferative pattern. In time-lapse cinematography it was seen that pinocytotic vacuoles were formed from ruffling membranes in the monolayer cultures. In the transmission electron microscope, such vacuoles were also found near the ruffling-like structures in the agarose cultured cells. In dense monolayer cultures, ruffling and associated pinocytosis were to a large extent transferred from the margin to the upper surface of the cells. This capacity may be an important property for the ability of the malignant cells to attain extreme high cell densities in monolayer cultures and to grow as colonies in agarose cultures. As has been previously shown, the normal counterpart of the gliomas, the glia cells, cannot grow to high densities; they do not ruffle on their upper cell surface and are unable to grow in suspension or agarose culture.

Changes in cell surface and cortical cytoplasmic organization during early embryogenesis in the preimplantation mouse embryo

Membrane topography and organization of cortical cytoskeletal elements and organelles during early embryogenesis of the mouse have been studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy with improved cellular preservation. At the four- and early eight-cell stages, blastomeres are round, and scanning electron microscopy shows a uniform distribution of microvilli over the cell surface. At the onset of morphogenesis, a reorganization of the blastomere surface is observed in which microvilli becomes restricted to an apical region and the basal zone of intercellular contact. As the blastomeres spread on each other during compaction, many microvilli remain in the basal region of imminent cell-cell contacts, but few are present where the cells have completed spreading on each other. Microvilli on the surface of these embryos contain linear arrays of microfilaments with lateral cross bridges. Microtubules and mitochondria become localized beneath the apposed cell membranes during compaction. Arrays of cortical microtubules are aligned parallel to regions of apposed membranes. During cytokinesis, microtubules become redistributed in the region of the mitotic spindle, and fewer microvilli are present on most of the cell surface. The cell surface and cortical changes initiated during compaction are the first manifestations of cell polarity in embryogenesis. These and previous findings are interpreted as evidence that cell surface changes associated with trophoblast development appear as early as the eight-cell stage. Our observations suggest that morphogenesis involves the activation of a developmental program which coordinately controls cortical cytoplasmic and cell surface organization.

Organization and energy-dependent growth of microtubules in cells

The organization and growth of microtubules in cultured mouse macrophages and fibroblasts were examined by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with antibodies to microtubule protein. In macrophages, microtubules converged at a samll region at the cytocenter. During depolymerization, and repolymerization, this region acted as a microtubule organizing center. Microtubule growth was energy-dependent, but unaffected by dibutyryl-adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate, cholera toxin, or dibutyryl-guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate. Fibroblasts, which did not show such a simple microtubule organization as macrophages, contained mainly one or two, but occasionally as many as four, organizing centers during repolymerization. These microtubule organizing centers often appeared as fluorescent rings with a dark center.