Physiological levels of hydrostatic pressure alter morphology and organization of cytoskeletal and adhesion proteins in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells

The response of human MG-63 osteosarcoma cells to physiological levels of hydrostatic pressure was studied. Cell cultures were subjected to a 20-min, 4-MPa hydrostatic pressure pulse. Adhesion was measured at 20 min and 2 h post-hydrostatic pressure. Morphometric measurements of cell shape and immunofluorescent assays of cytoskeletal and adhesion proteins were done pre- and post-hydrostatic pressure. Pressure-treated cells showed increased adhesion (resistance to deadhesion by trypsinization)-with increased recovery time. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrated increased heterotypic adhesion receptor at cell-cell interfaces and increased alpha 3, beta 1-integrin at cell-substrate interfaces. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrated depolymerization of alpha-tubulin, vimentin, and actin during the pressure pulse. Actin reorganization was slower than that of alpha-tubulin and vimentin, with stress filaments not well organized even after 1 h postpressure. The depolymerization of alpha-tubulin, vimentin, and actin observed at relatively low levels of hydrostatic pressure suggests disintegration of the integrin-cytoskeletal attachment complex. The increased resistance of the cells to trypsinization and the increase in both heterotypic adhesion receptor and the alpha 3, beta 1-integrin at cell interfaces suggest that cells compensate for loss of cytoskeletal integrity by increasing attachment to both adjacent cells and the extracellular matrix.

Evidence that a major portion of cellular potassium is "bound"

In this report we briefly review recent evidence which shows that a substantial proportion of intracellular K+ is "bound" or perturbed from the physicochemical properties expected in dilute aqueous solutions. In addition, we present evidence from electron probe x-ray microanalysis of thin cryosections of cells which indicates that the binding of K+ to anionic groups either carboxyl groups (HCO2) on proteins or to phosphate groups in creatine phosphate (CrP), in adenosine triphosphate, (ATP), in protein and in nucleic acids, are the main determinants of the maintenance of (as differentiated from the generated of) the well known intra- to extracellular K+ concentration difference. The collective evidence suggests that much of cellular K+ is reduced in its mobility and in its chemical activity due to association with negative charge groups (e.g. carboxyl and phosphates). This fact forces abandonment of the misleading assumption that the majority of intracellular K+ and other inorganic ions are as free as would be expected under ideal solution conditions. This realization should have far reaching consequences toward understanding transmembrane movement of water and solutes in cells.