Mobility of Nuclear Components and Genome Functioning.

Cell nucleus is characterized by strong compartmentalization of structural components in its three-dimensional space. Certain genomic functions are accompanied by changes in the localization of chromatin loci and nuclear bodies. Here we review recent data on the mobility of nuclear components and the role of this mobility in genome functioning.

High-throughput analysis of TUNEL-stained sperm using image cytometry.

Sperm DNA integrity is an essential factor for successful fertilization and proper pregnancy progression. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay is commonly used for the estimation of the DNA fragmentation index. Analysis of TUNEL-stained sperm is often performed by flow cytometry, an approach that allows high-throughput analysis but in which any morphological information is lost. In this study, results of an automated image cytometry estimation of TUNEL-stained sperms were presented. The results of visual counting and automatic analysis were closely correlated, indicating that image cytometry is suitable for such analysis and may be applied in a clinical setting. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Subcellular Localization and Detection of Tobacco mosaic virus ORF6 Protein by Immunoelectron Microscopy.

Members of the genus Tobamovirus represent one of the best-characterized groups of plant positive, single stranded RNA viruses. Previous studies have shown that genomes of some tobamoviruses contain not only genes coding for coat protein, movement protein, and the cistron coding for different domains of RNA-polymerase, but also a gene, named ORF6, coding for a poorly conserved small protein. The amino acid sequences of ORF6 proteins encoded by different tobamoviruses are highly divergent. The potential role of ORF6 proteins in replication of tobamoviruses still needs to be elucidated. In this study, using biochemical and immunological methods, we have shown that ORF6 peptide is accumulated after infection in case of two isolates of Tobacco mosaic virus strain U1 (TMV-U1 common and TMV-U1 isolate A15). Unlike virus particles accumulating in the cytoplasm, the product of the ORF6 gene is found mainly in nuclei, which correlates with previously published data about transient expression of ORF6 isolated from TMV-U1. Moreover, we present new data showing the presence of ORF6 genes in genomes of several tobamoviruses. For example, in the genomes of other members of the tobamovirus subgroup 1, including Rehmannia mosaic virus, Paprika mild mottle virus, Tobacco mild green mosaic virus, Tomato mosaic virus, Tomato mottle mosaic virus, and Nigerian tobacco latent virus, sequence comparisons revealed the existence of a similar open reading frame like ORF6 of TMV.

Nucleolar Methyltransferase Fibrillarin: Evolution of Structure and Functions.

Fibrillarin is one of the most studied nucleolar proteins. Its main functions are methylation and processing of pre-rRNA. Fibrillarin is a highly conserved protein; however, in the course of evolution from archaea to eukaryotes, it acquired an additional N-terminal glycine and arginine-rich (GAR) domain. In this review, we discuss the evolution of fibrillarin structure and its relation to the functions of the protein in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

[The role of interphase prenucleolar bodies in the recovery of the nucleolar structure after reversible hypotonic treatment].

Interphase prenucleolar bodies are globular structures which accumulate in large numbers in the nucleoplasm of cultivated cells after hypotonic treatment and subsequent return to isotonic conditions; detailed studies of the role of these structures in the recovery of the nucleolus have not yet been performed. The limited mobility of interphase pronucleoli within the nucleus has been demonstrated. Exchange of the major nucleolar protein B23 between prenucleolar bodies and the surrounding nucleoplasm, rather than stable binding of this protein to the prenucleolar bodies, has been demonstrated using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching method. Gradual accumulation of B23 in the recovering nucleolus with concomitant disappearance of prenucleolar bodies has been demonstrated.

[Detection of replication sites in the nuclei of plant cells using semithin sections].

A novel approach for the detection of replication sites in plant cells nuclei is described. Included nucleotide (EdU) was detected using "click"-chemistry in semithin sections of the material embedded in acrylic resin. The usage of the protocol introduced allows: 1) to preserve the intact morphology of cells, 2) to work with any tissue, and 3) to obtain high-resolution microscopy (especially, axial).

Rapid and massive green fluorescent protein production leads to formation of protein Y-bodies in plant cells.

Although high level of recombinant protein production can be achieved via transient expression in plant cells, the mechanism by which tolerance to the presence of recombinant protein is acquired remains unclear. Here we show that green fluorescent protein (GFP) encoded by an intron-optimized tobacco mosaic viral vector formed large membraneless GFP bodies called Y-bodies that demonstrated mainly perinuclear localization. The Y-bodies were heterogeneous in size, approaching the size of the cell nucleus. Experiments with extracted GFP and live cell imaging showed that Y-bodies included actively fluorescent, non-aggregated, tightly packed GFP molecules. The plant cells probably formed Y-bodies to exclude the recombinant protein from normal physiological turnover.

[Chromatin folding in human spermatozoa. I. Dynamics of chromatin remodelling in differentiating human spermatids].

Changes in chromatin structure at different stages of differentiation of human spermatids were studied. It was shown that, in nuclei of early spermatids, chromatin is loosely packed and its structural element is an 8-nm fiber. This "elementary" fiber is predominant at the initial stages of differentiation; in the course of maturation, it is replaced by globular elements approximately 60 nm in diameter. In intermediate spermatids, these globules start to condense into fibrillar aggregates and reduce their diameter to 30-40 nm. At all stages of spermatid maturation, except the final stages, these globules are convergence centers for elementary fibers. This remodelling process is vectored and directed from the apical (acrosomal) to the basal pole of the nucleus. In mature spermatids, the elementary 8-nm fibers are almost absent and the major components are 40-nm fibrillar aggregates. The nuclei of mature spermatids are structurally identical with the nuclei of spermatozoa with the so-called "immature chromatin," which are commonly found in a low proportion in sperm samples from healthy donors and may prevail over the normal cells in spermiogenetic disorders. The cause of this differentiation blockade remains unknown. Possibly, the formation of intermolecular bonds between protamines, which are required for the final stages of chromatin condensation, is blocked in a part of spermatids. The results of this study are discussed in comparison with the known models of nucleoprotamine chromatin organization in human spermatozoa.

[Nuclear matrix organization of the chromocenters in cultured murine fibroblasts].

In the current work, the structural organization of nuclear matrix of pericentromeric heterochromatin blocks (chromocenters) inside cultured murine fibroblasts was investigated. After 2 M NaCl extraction without DNase I treatment, chromocenters were extremely swelled, and it was impossible to detect them using conventional electron microscopy. Using immunogolding with anti-topoisomerase IIalpha antibody, we demonstrated that residual chromocenters were subdivided into numerous discrete aggregates. After 2 M NaCl extraction with DNase I treatment, the residual chromocenters appeared as a dense meshwork of thin fibers, and using this feature, the residual chromocenters were easily distinguished from the rest of nuclear matrix. After extraction with dextran sulfate and heparin, the chromocenters were decondensed, and chromatin complexes having rosette organization (central core from which numerous DNA fibers radiated) were seen. Probably, the appearance of these rosettes was a consequence of incomplete chromatin extraction. Thus, the nuclear matrix of pericentromeric chromosome regions in cultured murine fibroblasts differs morphologically from the rest of nuclear matrix.

[The cytological indicators of the overall suppression of protein synthesis as revealed by staining with a new monoclonal antibody].

In this work we describe how the nucleolus reacts to inhibition of protein synthesis as revealed by labeling with a new monoclonal antibody A3. In normal cells A3 antigen is observed as numerous foci within the nucleolus. During mitosis A3 antigen is located in a few foci on chromosomes. Regions of A3 localization are susceptible to pepsin treatment but are not susceptible to RNAse A treatment. This fact indicates that A3 antigen is of protein nature. On the ultra structural level, A3 antigen is localized primarily at the periphery of fibrillar centers. Taken together these properties of A3 antigen suggest that it's a component of the RNA polymerase I transcription machinery. A3 antigen has an intriguing property, namely, an ability to migrate from the nucleolus to the nucleoplasm upon inhibition of protein synthesis with anisomycin, puromycin or cycloheximide. The obtained results show that the localization of A3 antigen revealed by the new monoclonal antibody may serve as a cytological indicator of the overall level of protein synthesis in vitro.

[The role of DNA methylation and histone modifications in structural maintainance of heterochromatin domains (chromocenters)].

The effects of DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-aza-C) and histone acetylation inhibitor trichostatine A (TSA) on the structure of pericentric heterochromatin in cultured mouse cells (L929) has been studied. After 48 h of 5-aza-C treatment, about 85% of the cells demonstrate transformation of chromocenters from ovoid to elongated structures. Hypotonic treatment of these cells reveals tandemly arranged DAPI-positive globules, well distinguishable by light microscopy. The same globular units can be revealed in hypotonic-treated control cells. 48 h of TSA treatment causes dramatic decrease in HP 1alpha content in the cells. Chromocenters in 25% of treated cells became highly decondenced and can not be reliably detected by light and electron microscopy. 85% of cells demonstrate globular chromocenters with low HP 1alpha content. Hypotonic treatment causes transformation of compact chromocenters into ring-like structures, which can be either single or clustered. Rings are formed by uniform fiber, in which no globular subunits are detected. The data obtained are discussed concerning several mechanisms of heterochromatin structure maintenance and the roles of epigenetic marks in them.

Trifluralin-induced disorganization of microtubular cytoskeleton alters the development of roots in Hordeum vulgare L.

The extensive use of herbicides in agriculture becomes an important factor in environmental pollution, especially in case of slowly degradable compounds. Some agents act on plants during a long period of time, even if a very low concentration of the herbicide remains in the soil. Here, we investigated the toxicological effect of a low concentration of dinitroaniline herbicide, trifluralin, on growing seedlings of Hordeum vulgare L. Trifluralin in concentration of 1 microg/ml inhibited root growth. The mitotic activity of meristematic cells was suppressed due to the retardation of metaphase progression--alteration that can be caused by cytoskeleton disorder. Using antibodies to alpha-tubulin, we investigated the distribution of microtubules in root meristem cells. During all stages of mitosis, the highly regular system of microtubular cytoskeleton observed in control cells was slightly disorganized. An examination of root structure using light and electron microscopy demonstrated that the cell walls did not form normally during cell division that led to the appearance of large multinucleated cells. Also, the premature (pathological) cell differentiation was induced by trifluralin. A part of differentiating cells showed intracellular structural changes that are consistent with programmed cell death. It seems that the development of alterations in trifluralin-treated roots was due to the microtubular cytoskeleton disorganization.

Cell-to-cell cross-talk between mesenchymal stem cells and cardiomyocytes in co-culture.

The goals of the study were: (1) to explore the communication between human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and rat cardiac myocytes resulting in differentiation of the stem cells and, (2) to evaluate the role of mitochondria in it. Light and fluorescence microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy revealed that after co-cultivation, cells formed intercellular contacts and transient exchange with cytosolic elements could be observed. The transport of cytosolic entity had no specific direction. Noticeably, mitochondria also could be transferred to the recipient cells in a unidirectional fashion (towards cardiomyocytes only). Transmission electron microscopy revealed significant variability in both the diameter of intercellular contacting tubes and their shape. Inside of these nanotubes mitochondria-resembling structures were identified. Moreover, after co-cultivation with cardiomyocytes, expression of human-specific myosin was revealed in MSC. Thus, we speculate that: (1) transport of intracellular elements to MSC possibly can determine the direction of their differentiation and, (2) mitochondria may be involved in the mechanism of the stem cell differentiation. It looks plausible that mitochondrial transfer to recipient cardiomyocytes may be involved in the mechanism of failed myocardium repair after stem cells transplantation.

[Chromosome scaffold and structural integrity of mitotic chromosomes].

Chromosome scaffold represents a continuous protein substructure revealed in isolated metaphase chromosomes after harsh extraction. According to postulates of the widespread radial loop model the scaffold plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of structural integrity of the mitotic chromosomes. Here, the data concerning the structure and major components of the chromosome scaffold are presented. The experiments suggesting that the scaffold represents a system of discrete linker proteins and the data about high mobility of scaffolding proteins are discussed. Furthermore, the data about higher-level chromatin structures (elementary chromonema and 200-250 nm fibers) and behavior of scaffolding proteins are compared. The results presented agree with the idea that at the present stage it is possible to discriminate chromatin complexes, whose structural integrity is not maintained by the chromosome scaffold.

Potato virus X RNA-mediated assembly of single-tailed ternary 'coat protein-RNA-movement protein' complexes.

Different models have been proposed for the nature of the potexvirus transport form that moves from cell to cell over the infected plant: (i) genomic RNA moves as native virions; or (ii) in vitro-assembled non-virion ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes consisting of viral RNA, coat protein (CP) and movement protein (MP), termed TGBp1, serve as the transport form in vivo. As the structure of these RNPs has not been elucidated, the products assembled in vitro from potato virus X (PVX) RNA, CP and TGBp1 were characterized. The complexes appeared as single-tailed particles (STPs) with a helical, head-like structure composed of CP subunits located at the 5'-proximal region of PVX RNA; the TGBp1 was bound to the terminal CP molecules of the head. Remarkably, no particular non-virion RNP complexes were observed. These data suggest that the CP-RNA interactions resulting in head formation prevailed over TGBp1-RNA binding upon STP assembly from RNA, CP and TGBp1. STPs could be assembled from the 5' end of PVX RNA and CP in the absence of TGBp1. The translational ability of STPs was characterized in a cell-free translation system. STPs lacking TGBp1 were entirely non-translatable; however, they were rendered translatable by binding of TGBp1 to the end of the head. It is suggested that the RNA-mediated assembly of STPs proceeds via two steps. Firstly, non-translatable CP-RNA STPs are produced, due to encapsidation of the 5'-terminal region. Secondly, the TGBp1 molecules bind to the end of a polar head, resulting in conversion of the STPs into a translatable form.

[Structure of the intracellular part of the motility apparatus of halobacteria].

The electron microscopic study of the structure of the motility apparatus of the archaea Halobacterium salinarium 4W12 and Natronobacterium magadii confirmed our earlier observation that the motility apparatus of halobacteria contains an intracellular disk-shaped lamellar structure (DLS). Polar cap structures (PCSs) isolated from the halobacterium were preliminarily identified as the DLSs. The PCSs in complexes with flagella were also isolated from the haloalkaliphilic bacterium N. magadii. The specific structure of the archaeal motility apparatus is discussed.

Structural-functional model of the mitotic chromosome.

In the present review the structural role of noncoding DNA, mechanisms of differential staining of mitotic chromosomes, and structural organization of different levels of DNA compactization are discussed. A structural-functional model of the mitotic chromosome is proposed based on the principle of discreteness of structural levels of DNA compactization.

A higher concentration of an antigen within the nucleolus may prevent its proper recognition by specific antibodies.

Transient transfection of HeLa cells with a plasmid encoding the full-length human fibrillarin fused to a green fluorescent protein (GFP) resulted in two major patterns of intensity of the nucleolar labeling for the chimeric protein: weak and strong. Both patterns were maintained in fibrillarin-GFP expressing cells after fixation with formaldehyde. When the fixed fibrillarin-GFP expressing cells were used for immunolabeling with antibodies to fibrillarin, only the nucleoli with a weak GFP-signal became strongly labeled, whereas those with the heavy signals were only lightly stained, if at all. A similar pattern was observed if the cells were immunolabeled with antibodies to GFP. These observations suggest that an increase in antigen accumulation within the nucleolus, which could take place under various physiological or experimental conditions, could prevent the antigen from being recognized by specific antibodies. These results have implications regarding contradictory data on localization of various nucleolar antigens obtained by conventional immunocytochemistry.

[Preparation and characterization of nuclear matrix/chromosome scaffold in situ].

A method of nuclear matrix and chromosomal scaffold preparation from cultured animal cells was developed. After the high-salt extraction, interphase and mitotic cells were not detached from the coverslips that enabled us to analyse the nuclear matrix and chromosomal scaffold in cells at all mitotic phases. Morphological methods (phase contrast microscopy and electron microscopy of ultrathin sections) did not reveal any structures that could be identified as a chromosomal scaffold. However, after staining with antibodies to XCAP-E and topoisomerase IIalpha some structures were revealed in metaphase cells having both localization and morphology of a chromosomal scaffold. The cell residuals were not stained with antibodies to XCAP-E and topoisomerase IIalpha, if the nuclear matrix and chromosomal scaffold were destabilized by addition of beta-mercaptoethanol.

[Tumor cell proliferative activity in aggressive human lymphomas: the influence of reactive cell admixture on the assessment of proliferative indices].

Uncontrolled proliferation is one of the main features of tumor cells, and therefore proliferative indices provide prognostic information, which might be valuable for treatment selection. However, in aggressive human lymphoid tumors, an admixture of normal (reactive) cells may be available in all organs infiltrated by neoplastic cells. We have presented data on determining proliferative activity using Ki-67 immunostaining, and demonstrated that an admixture of reactive cells could exert significant influence on the assessments of proliferative indices. We developed an experimental approach, which makes it possible to select neoplastic cells from the overall lymphoid population and to assess their proliferative activity - tumor cell proliferative indices. Tumor cell proferative indices determined in large cell lymphomas might be significantly higher than proliferative indices of overall populations, and the use of tumor cell proliferative indices will result in a more accurate assessment of disease prognosis.