Sample records for early endocytic vesicles

  1. Rab1a regulates sorting of early endocytic vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Mukhopadhyay, Aparna; Quiroz, Jose A.

    2014-01-01

    We previously reported that Rab1a is associated with asialoorosomucoid (ASOR)-containing early endocytic vesicles, where it is required for their microtubule-based motility. In Rab1a knockdown (KD) cell lines, ASOR failed to segregate from its receptor and, consequently, did not reach lysosomes for degradation, indicating a defect in early endosome sorting. Although Rab1 is required for Golgi/endoplasmic reticulum trafficking, this process was unaffected, likely due to retained expression of Rab1b in these cells. The present study shows that Rab1a has a more general role in endocytic vesicle processing that extends to EGF and transferrin (Tfn) trafficking. Compared with results in control Huh7 cells, EGF accumulated in aggregates within Rab1a KD cells, failing to reach lysosomal compartments. Tfn, a prototypical example of recycling cargo, accumulated in a Rab11-mediated slow-recycling compartment in Rab1a KD cells, in contrast to control cells, which sort Tfn into a fast-recycling Rab4 compartment. These data indicate that Rab1a is an important regulator of early endosome sorting for multiple cargo species. The effectors and accessory proteins recruited by Rab1a to early endocytic vesicles include the minus-end-directed kinesin motor KifC1, while others remain to be discovered. PMID:24407591

  2. Single Vesicle Analysis of Endocytic Fission on Microtubules In Vitro

    PubMed Central

    Wolkoff, Allan W.

    2016-01-01

    Following endocytosis, internalized molecules are found within intracellular vesicles and tubules that move along the cytoskeleton and undergo fission, as demonstrated here using primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Although the use of depolymerizing drugs has shown that the cytoskeleton is not required to segregate endocytic protein, many studies suggest that the cytoskeleton is involved in the segregation of protein in normal cells. To investigate whether cytoskeletal-based movement results in the segregation of protein, we tracked the contents of vesicles during in vitro microscopy assays. These studies showed that the addition of ATP causes fission of endocytic contents along microtubules, resulting in the segregation of proteins that are targeted for different cellular compartments. The plasma membrane proteins, sodium (Na+) taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (ntcp) and transferrin receptor, segregated from asialoorosomucoid (ASOR), an endocytic ligand that is targeted for degradation. Epidermal growth factor receptor, which is degraded, and the asialoglycoprotein receptor, which remains partially bound to ASOR, segregated less efficiently from ASOR. Vesicles containing ntcp and transferrin receptor had reduced fission in the absence of ASOR, suggesting that fission is regulated to allow proteins to segregate. A single round of fission resulted in 6.5-fold purification of ntcp from ASOR, and 25% of the resulting vesicles were completely depleted of the endocytic ligand. PMID:18284582

  3. A role for microtubules in sorting endocytic vesicles in rat hepatocytes.

    PubMed Central

    Goltz, J S; Wolkoff, A W; Novikoff, P M; Stockert, R J; Satir, P

    1992-01-01

    The vectorial nature of hepatocyte receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME) and its susceptibility to cytoskeletal disruptors has suggested that a polarized network of microtubules plays a vital role in directed movement during sorting. Using as markers a well-known ligand, asialoorosomucoid, and its receptor, we have isolated endocytic vesicles that bind directly to and interact with stabilized endogenous hepatocyte microtubules at specific times during a synchronous, experimentally initiated, single wave of RME. Both ligand- and receptor-containing vesicles copelleted with microtubules in the absence of ATP but did not pellet under similar conditions when microtubules were not polymerized. When 5 mM ATP was added to preparations of microtubule-bound vesicles, ligand-containing vesicles were released into the supernatant, while receptor-containing vesicles remained immobilized on the microtubules. Release of ligand-containing vesicles from microtubules was prevented by monensin treatment during the endocytic wave. Several proteins, including the microtubule motor protein cytoplasmic dynein, were present in these preparations and were released from microtubule pellets by ATP addition concomitantly with ligand. These results suggest that receptor domains within the endosome can be immobilized by attachment to microtubules so that, following monensin-sensitive dissociation of ligand from receptor, ligand-containing vesicles can be pulled along microtubules away from the receptor domains by a motor molecule, such as cytoplasmic dynein, thereby delineating sorting. Images PMID:1353884

  4. In vitro fusion of endocytic vesicles is inhibited by cyclin A-cdc2 kinase.

    PubMed Central

    Woodman, P G; Adamczewski, J P; Hunt, T; Warren, G

    1993-01-01

    Receptor-mediated endocytosis and recycling are inhibited in mitotic mammalian cells, and previous studies have shown that inhibition of endocytic vesicle fusion in vitro occurs via cyclin B-cdc2 kinase. To test for the ability of cyclin A-cdc2 kinase to inhibit endocytic vesicle fusion, we employed recombinant cyclin A proteins. Addition of cyclin A to interphase extracts activated a histone kinase and markedly reduced the efficiency of endocytic vesicle fusion. By a number of criteria, inhibition of fusion was shown to be due to the action of cyclin A, via the mitosis-specific cdc2 kinase, and not an indirect effect through cyclin B. Two-stage incubations were used to demonstrate that at least one target of cyclin A-cdc2 kinase is a cytosolic component of the fusion apparatus. Reconstitution experiments showed that this component was also modified in mitotic cytosols and was unaffected by N-ethyl maleimide treatment. Images PMID:8334308

  5. In vitro fusion of endocytic vesicles is inhibited by cyclin A-cdc2 kinase.

    PubMed

    Woodman, P G; Adamczewski, J P; Hunt, T; Warren, G

    1993-05-01

    Receptor-mediated endocytosis and recycling are inhibited in mitotic mammalian cells, and previous studies have shown that inhibition of endocytic vesicle fusion in vitro occurs via cyclin B-cdc2 kinase. To test for the ability of cyclin A-cdc2 kinase to inhibit endocytic vesicle fusion, we employed recombinant cyclin A proteins. Addition of cyclin A to interphase extracts activated a histone kinase and markedly reduced the efficiency of endocytic vesicle fusion. By a number of criteria, inhibition of fusion was shown to be due to the action of cyclin A, via the mitosis-specific cdc2 kinase, and not an indirect effect through cyclin B. Two-stage incubations were used to demonstrate that at least one target of cyclin A-cdc2 kinase is a cytosolic component of the fusion apparatus. Reconstitution experiments showed that this component was also modified in mitotic cytosols and was unaffected by N-ethyl maleimide treatment.

  6. Endocytic pathway rapidly delivers internalized molecules to lysosomes: an analysis of vesicle trafficking, clustering and mass transfer.

    PubMed

    Pangarkar, Chinmay; Dinh, Anh-Tuan; Mitragotri, Samir

    2012-08-20

    Lysosomes play a critical role in intracellular drug delivery. For enzyme-based therapies, they represent a potential target site whereas for nucleic acid or many protein drugs, they represent the potential degradation site. Either way, understanding the mechanisms and processes involved in routing of materials to lysosomes after cellular entry is of high interest to the field of drug delivery. Most therapeutic cargoes other than small hydrophobic molecules enter the cells through endocytosis. Endocytosed cargoes are routed to lysosomes via microtubule-based transport and are ultimately shared by various lysosomes via tethering and clustering of endocytic vesicles followed by exchange of their contents. Using a combined experimental and numerical approach, here we studied the rates of mass transfer into and among the endocytic vesicles in a model cell line, 3T3 fibroblasts. In order to understand the relationship of mass transfer with microtubular transport and vesicle clustering, we varied both properties through various pharmacological agents. At the same time, microtubular transport and vesicle clustering were modeled through diffusion-advection equations and the Smoluchowski equations, respectively. Our analysis revealed that the rate of mass transfer is optimally related to microtubular transport and clustering properties of vesicles. Further, the rate of mass transfer is highest in the innate state of the cell. Any perturbation to either microtubular transport or vesicle aggregation led to reduced mass transfer to lysosome. These results suggest that in the absence of an external intervention the endocytic pathway appears to maximize molecular delivery to lysosomes. Strategies are discussed to reduce mass transfer to lysosomes so as to extend the residence time of molecules in endosomes or late endosomes, thus potentially increasing the likelihood of their escape before disposition in the lysosomes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Gap junction turnover is achieved by the internalization of small endocytic double-membrane vesicles.

    PubMed

    Falk, Matthias M; Baker, Susan M; Gumpert, Anna M; Segretain, Dominique; Buckheit, Robert W

    2009-07-01

    Double-membrane-spanning gap junction (GJ) channels cluster into two-dimensional arrays, termed plaques, to provide direct cell-to-cell communication. GJ plaques often contain circular, channel-free domains ( approximately 0.05-0.5 mum in diameter) identified >30 y ago and termed nonjunctional membrane (NM) domains. We show, by expressing the GJ protein connexin43 (Cx43) tagged with green fluorescent protein, or the novel photoconvertible fluorescent protein Dendra2, that NM domains appear to be remnants generated by the internalization of small GJ channel clusters that bud over time from central plaque areas. Channel clusters internalized within seconds forming endocytic double-membrane GJ vesicles ( approximately 0.18-0.27 mum in diameter) that were degraded by lysosomal pathways. Surprisingly, NM domains were not repopulated by surrounding channels and instead remained mobile, fused with each other, and were expelled at plaque edges. Quantification of internalized, photoconverted Cx43-Dendra2 vesicles indicated a GJ half-life of 2.6 h that falls within the estimated half-life of 1-5 h reported for GJs. Together with previous publications that revealed continuous accrual of newly synthesized channels along plaque edges and simultaneous removal of channels from plaque centers, our data suggest how the known dynamic channel replenishment of functional GJ plaques can be achieved. Our observations may have implications for the process of endocytic vesicle budding in general.

  8. Hydrodynamic liver gene transfer mechanism involves transient sinusoidal blood stasis and massive hepatocyte endocytic vesicles.

    PubMed

    Crespo, A; Peydró, A; Dasí, F; Benet, M; Calvete, J J; Revert, F; Aliño, S F

    2005-06-01

    The present study contributes to clarify the mechanism underlying the high efficacy of hepatocyte gene transfer mediated by hydrodynamic injection. Gene transfer experiments were performed employing the hAAT gene, and the efficacy and differential identification in mouse plasma of human transgene versus mouse gene was assessed by ELISA and proteomic procedures, respectively. By applying different experimental strategies such as cumulative dose-response efficacy, hemodynamic changes reflected by venous pressures, intravital microscopy, and morphological changes established by transmission electron microscopy, we found that: (a) cumulative multiple doses of transgene by hydrodynamic injection are efficient and well tolerated, resulting in therapeutic plasma levels of hAAT; (b) hydrodynamic injection mediates a transient inversion of intrahepatic blood flow, with circulatory stasis for a few minutes mainly in pericentral vein sinusoids; (c) transmission electron microscopy shows hydrodynamic injection to promote massive megafluid endocytic vesicles among hepatocytes around the central vein but not in hepatocytes around the periportal vein. We suggest that the mechanism of hydrodynamic liver gene transfer involves transient inversion of intrahepatic flow, sinusoidal blood stasis, and massive fluid endocytic vesicles in pericentral vein hepatocytes.

  9. Endocytic vesicle rupture is a conserved mechanism of cellular invasion by amyloid proteins.

    PubMed

    Flavin, William P; Bousset, Luc; Green, Zachary C; Chu, Yaping; Skarpathiotis, Stratos; Chaney, Michael J; Kordower, Jeffrey H; Melki, Ronald; Campbell, Edward M

    2017-10-01

    Numerous pathological amyloid proteins spread from cell to cell during neurodegenerative disease, facilitating the propagation of cellular pathology and disease progression. Understanding the mechanism by which disease-associated amyloid protein assemblies enter target cells and induce cellular dysfunction is, therefore, key to understanding the progressive nature of such neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we utilized an imaging-based assay to monitor the ability of disease-associated amyloid assemblies to rupture intracellular vesicles following endocytosis. We observe that the ability to induce vesicle rupture is a common feature of α-synuclein (α-syn) assemblies, as assemblies derived from WT or familial disease-associated mutant α-syn all exhibited the ability to induce vesicle rupture. Similarly, different conformational strains of WT α-syn assemblies, but not monomeric or oligomeric forms, efficiently induced vesicle rupture following endocytosis. The ability to induce vesicle rupture was not specific to α-syn, as amyloid assemblies of tau and huntingtin Exon1 with pathologic polyglutamine repeats also exhibited the ability to induce vesicle rupture. We also observe that vesicles ruptured by α-syn are positive for the autophagic marker LC3 and can accumulate and fuse into large, intracellular structures resembling Lewy bodies in vitro. Finally, we show that the same markers of vesicle rupture surround Lewy bodies in brain sections from PD patients. These data underscore the importance of this conserved endocytic vesicle rupture event as a damaging mechanism of cellular invasion by amyloid assemblies of multiple neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins, and suggest that proteinaceous inclusions such as Lewy bodies form as a consequence of continued fusion of autophagic vesicles in cells unable to degrade ruptured vesicles and their amyloid contents.

  10. Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicles enter human epithelial cells via an endocytic pathway and are sorted to lysosomal compartments.

    PubMed

    Furuta, Nobumichi; Tsuda, Kayoko; Omori, Hiroko; Yoshimori, Tamotsu; Yoshimura, Fuminobu; Amano, Atsuo

    2009-10-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen, secretes outer membrane vesicles (MVs) that contain major virulence factors, including major fimbriae and proteases termed gingipains, although it is not confirmed whether MVs enter host cells. In this study, we analyzed the mechanisms involved in the interactions of P. gingivalis MVs with human epithelial cells. Our results showed that MVs swiftly adhered to HeLa and immortalized human gingival epithelial cells in a fimbria-dependent manner and then entered via a lipid raft-dependent endocytic pathway. The intracellular MVs were subsequently routed to early endosome antigen 1-associated compartments and then were sorted to lysosomal compartments within 90 min, suggesting that intracellular MVs were ultimately degraded by the cellular digestive machinery. However, P. gingivalis MVs remained there for over 24 h and significantly induced acidified compartment formation after being taken up by the cellular digestive machinery. In addition, MV entry was shown to be mediated by a novel pathway for transmission of bacterial products into host cells, a Rac1-regulated pinocytic pathway that is independent of caveolin, dynamin, and clathrin. Our findings indicate that P. gingivalis MVs efficiently enter host cells via an endocytic pathway and survive within the endocyte organelles for an extended period, which provides better understanding of the role of MVs in the etiology of periodontitis.

  11. Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis

    PubMed Central

    Saheki, Yasunori; De Camilli, Pietro

    2012-01-01

    Neurons can sustain high rates of synaptic transmission without exhausting their supply of synaptic vesicles. This property relies on a highly efficient local endocytic recycling of synaptic vesicle membranes, which can be reused for hundreds, possibly thousands, of exo-endocytic cycles. Morphological, physiological, molecular, and genetic studies over the last four decades have provided insight into the membrane traffic reactions that govern this recycling and its regulation. These studies have shown that synaptic vesicle endocytosis capitalizes on fundamental and general endocytic mechanisms but also involves neuron-specific adaptations of such mechanisms. Thus, investigations of these processes have advanced not only the field of synaptic transmission but also, more generally, the field of endocytosis. This article summarizes current information on synaptic vesicle endocytosis with an emphasis on the underlying molecular mechanisms and with a special focus on clathrin-mediated endocytosis, the predominant pathway of synaptic vesicle protein internalization. PMID:22763746

  12. Porphyromonas gingivalis Outer Membrane Vesicles Enter Human Epithelial Cells via an Endocytic Pathway and Are Sorted to Lysosomal Compartments ▿

    PubMed Central

    Furuta, Nobumichi; Tsuda, Kayoko; Omori, Hiroko; Yoshimori, Tamotsu; Yoshimura, Fuminobu; Amano, Atsuo

    2009-01-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen, secretes outer membrane vesicles (MVs) that contain major virulence factors, including major fimbriae and proteases termed gingipains, although it is not confirmed whether MVs enter host cells. In this study, we analyzed the mechanisms involved in the interactions of P. gingivalis MVs with human epithelial cells. Our results showed that MVs swiftly adhered to HeLa and immortalized human gingival epithelial cells in a fimbria-dependent manner and then entered via a lipid raft-dependent endocytic pathway. The intracellular MVs were subsequently routed to early endosome antigen 1-associated compartments and then were sorted to lysosomal compartments within 90 min, suggesting that intracellular MVs were ultimately degraded by the cellular digestive machinery. However, P. gingivalis MVs remained there for over 24 h and significantly induced acidified compartment formation after being taken up by the cellular digestive machinery. In addition, MV entry was shown to be mediated by a novel pathway for transmission of bacterial products into host cells, a Rac1-regulated pinocytic pathway that is independent of caveolin, dynamin, and clathrin. Our findings indicate that P. gingivalis MVs efficiently enter host cells via an endocytic pathway and survive within the endocyte organelles for an extended period, which provides better understanding of the role of MVs in the etiology of periodontitis. PMID:19651865

  13. Anaesthetics stop diverse plant organ movements, affect endocytic vesicle recycling and ROS homeostasis, and block action potentials in Venus flytraps.

    PubMed

    Yokawa, K; Kagenishi, T; Pavlovic, A; Gall, S; Weiland, M; Mancuso, S; Baluška, F

    2017-12-11

    Anaesthesia for medical purposes was introduced in the 19th century. However, the physiological mode of anaesthetic drug actions on the nervous system remains unclear. One of the remaining questions is how these different compounds, with no structural similarities and even chemically inert elements such as the noble gas xenon, act as anaesthetic agents inducing loss of consciousness. The main goal here was to determine if anaesthetics affect the same or similar processes in plants as in animals and humans. A single-lens reflex camera was used to follow organ movements in plants before, during and after recovery from exposure to diverse anaesthetics. Confocal microscopy was used to analyse endocytic vesicle trafficking. Electrical signals were recorded using a surface AgCl electrode. Mimosa leaves, pea tendrils, Venus flytraps and sundew traps all lost both their autonomous and touch-induced movements after exposure to anaesthetics. In Venus flytrap, this was shown to be due to the loss of action potentials under diethyl ether anaesthesia. The same concentration of diethyl ether immobilized pea tendrils. Anaesthetics also impeded seed germination and chlorophyll accumulation in cress seedlings. Endocytic vesicle recycling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance, as observed in intact Arabidopsis root apex cells, were also affected by all anaesthetics tested. Plants are sensitive to several anaesthetics that have no structural similarities. As in animals and humans, anaesthetics used at appropriate concentrations block action potentials and immobilize organs via effects on action potentials, endocytic vesicle recycling and ROS homeostasis. Plants emerge as ideal model objects to study general questions related to anaesthesia, as well as to serve as a suitable test system for human anaesthesia. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Sphingosine Kinase 1 Cooperates with Autophagy to Maintain Endocytic Membrane Trafficking.

    PubMed

    Young, Megan M; Takahashi, Yoshinori; Fox, Todd E; Yun, Jong K; Kester, Mark; Wang, Hong-Gang

    2016-11-01

    Sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) associates with early endocytic membranes during endocytosis; however, the role of sphingosine or sphingosine-1-phosphate as the critical metabolite in endocytic trafficking has not been established. Here, we demonstrate that the recruitment of Sphk1 to sphingosine-enriched endocytic vesicles and the generation of sphingosine-1-phosphate facilitate membrane trafficking along the endosomal pathway. Exogenous sphingosine and sphingosine-based Sphk1 inhibitors induce the Sphk1-dependent fusion of endosomal membranes to accumulate enlarged late endosomes and amphisomes enriched in sphingolipids. Interestingly, Sphk1 also appears to facilitate endosomal fusion independent of its catalytic activity, given that catalytically inactive Sphk1 G82D is recruited to endocytic membranes by sphingosine or sphingosine-based Sphk1 inhibitor and promotes membrane fusion. Furthermore, we reveal that the clearance of enlarged endosomes is dependent on the activity of ceramide synthase, lysosomal biogenesis, and the restoration of autophagic flux. Collectively, these studies uncover intersecting roles for Sphk1, sphingosine, and autophagic machinery in endocytic membrane trafficking. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. APPL endosomes are not obligatory endocytic intermediates but act as stable cargo-sorting compartments

    PubMed Central

    Kalaidzidis, Inna; Miaczynska, Marta; Brewińska-Olchowik, Marta; Hupalowska, Anna; Ferguson, Charles; Parton, Robert G.; Kalaidzidis, Yannis

    2015-01-01

    Endocytosis allows cargo to enter a series of specialized endosomal compartments, beginning with early endosomes harboring Rab5 and its effector EEA1. There are, however, additional structures labeled by the Rab5 effector APPL1 whose role in endocytic transport remains unclear. It has been proposed that APPL1 vesicles are transport intermediates that convert into EEA1 endosomes. Here, we tested this model by analyzing the ultrastructural morphology, kinetics of cargo transport, and stability of the APPL1 compartment over time. We found that APPL1 resides on a tubulo-vesicular compartment that is capable of sorting cargo for recycling or degradation and that displays long lifetimes, all features typical of early endosomes. Fitting mathematical models to experimental data rules out maturation of APPL1 vesicles into EEA1 endosomes as a primary mechanism for cargo transport. Our data suggest instead that APPL1 endosomes represent a distinct population of Rab5-positive sorting endosomes, thus providing important insights into the compartmental organization of the early endocytic pathway. PMID:26459602

  16. Traffic jam hypothesis: Relationship between endocytic dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease.

    PubMed

    Kimura, Nobuyuki; Yanagisawa, Katsuhiko

    2017-07-08

    Membrane trafficking pathways, like the endocytic pathway, carry out fundamental cellular processes that are essential for normal functioning. One such process is regulation of cell surface receptor signaling. A growing body of evidence suggests that β-amyloid protein (Aβ) plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Cleavage of Aβ from its precursor, β-amyloid precursor protein (APP), occurs through the endocytic pathway in neuronal cells. In early-stage AD, intraneuronal accumulation of abnormally enlarged endosomes is common, indicating that endosome trafficking is disrupted. Strikingly, genome-wide association studies reveal that several endocytosis-related genes are associated with AD onset. Also, recent studies demonstrate that alteration in endocytosis induces not only Aβ pathology but also the propagation of tau protein pathology, another key pathological feature of AD. Endocytic dysfunction can disrupt neuronal physiological functions, such as synaptic vesicle transport and neurotransmitter release. Thus, "traffic jams" in the endocytic pathway may be involved in AD pathogenesis and may serve as a novel target for the development of new therapeutics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Clathrin-independent pathways do not contribute significantly to endocytic flux.

    PubMed

    Bitsikas, Vassilis; Corrêa, Ivan R; Nichols, Benjamin J

    2014-09-17

    Several different endocytic pathways have been proposed to function in mammalian cells. Clathrin-coated pits are well defined, but the identity, mechanism and function of alternative pathways have been controversial. Here we apply universal chemical labelling of plasma membrane proteins to define all primary endocytic vesicles, and labelling of specific proteins with a reducible SNAP-tag substrate. These approaches provide high temporal resolution and stringent discrimination between surface-connected and intracellular membranes. We find that at least 95% of the earliest detectable endocytic vesicles arise from clathrin-coated pits. GPI-anchored proteins, candidate cargoes for alternate pathways, are also found to enter the cell predominantly via coated pits. Experiments employing a mutated clathrin adaptor reveal distinct mechanisms for sorting into coated pits, and thereby explain differential effects on the uptake of transferrin and GPI-anchored proteins. These data call for a revision of models for the activity and diversity of endocytic pathways in mammalian cells.

  18. Clathrin-independent pathways do not contribute significantly to endocytic flux

    PubMed Central

    Bitsikas, Vassilis; Corrêa, Ivan R; Nichols, Benjamin J

    2014-01-01

    Several different endocytic pathways have been proposed to function in mammalian cells. Clathrin-coated pits are well defined, but the identity, mechanism and function of alternative pathways have been controversial. Here we apply universal chemical labelling of plasma membrane proteins to define all primary endocytic vesicles, and labelling of specific proteins with a reducible SNAP-tag substrate. These approaches provide high temporal resolution and stringent discrimination between surface-connected and intracellular membranes. We find that at least 95% of the earliest detectable endocytic vesicles arise from clathrin-coated pits. GPI-anchored proteins, candidate cargoes for alternate pathways, are also found to enter the cell predominantly via coated pits. Experiments employing a mutated clathrin adaptor reveal distinct mechanisms for sorting into coated pits, and thereby explain differential effects on the uptake of transferrin and GPI-anchored proteins. These data call for a revision of models for the activity and diversity of endocytic pathways in mammalian cells. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03970.001 PMID:25232658

  19. Sphingosine and Sphingosine Kinase 1 Involvement in Endocytic Membrane Trafficking*

    PubMed Central

    Lima, Santiago; Milstien, Sheldon; Spiegel, Sarah

    2017-01-01

    The balance between cholesterol and sphingolipids within the plasma membrane has long been implicated in endocytic membrane trafficking. However, in contrast to cholesterol functions, little is still known about the roles of sphingolipids and their metabolites. Perturbing the cholesterol/sphingomyelin balance was shown to induce narrow tubular plasma membrane invaginations enriched with sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1), the enzyme that converts the bioactive sphingolipid metabolite sphingosine to sphingosine-1-phosphate, and suggested a role for sphingosine phosphorylation in endocytic membrane trafficking. Here we show that sphingosine and sphingosine-like SphK1 inhibitors induced rapid and massive formation of vesicles in diverse cell types that accumulated as dilated late endosomes. However, much smaller vesicles were formed in SphK1-deficient cells. Moreover, inhibition or deletion of SphK1 prolonged the lifetime of sphingosine-induced vesicles. Perturbing the plasma membrane cholesterol/sphingomyelin balance abrogated vesicle formation. This massive endosomal influx was accompanied by dramatic recruitment of the intracellular SphK1 and Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs domain-containing proteins endophilin-A2 and endophilin-B1 to enlarged endosomes and formation of highly dynamic filamentous networks containing endophilin-B1 and SphK1. Together, our results highlight the importance of sphingosine and its conversion to sphingosine-1-phosphate by SphK1 in endocytic membrane trafficking. PMID:28049734

  20. Steric and not structure-specific factors dictate the endocytic mechanism of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins

    PubMed Central

    Bhagatji, Pinkesh; Leventis, Rania; Comeau, Jonathan; Refaei, Mohammad

    2009-01-01

    Diverse glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins enter mammalian cells via the clathrin- and dynamin-independent, Arf1-regulated GPI-enriched early endosomal compartment/clathrin-independent carrier endocytic pathway. To characterize the determinants of GPI protein targeting to this pathway, we have used fluorescence microscopic analyses to compare the internalization of artificial lipid-anchored proteins, endogenous membrane proteins, and membrane lipid markers in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Soluble proteins, anchored to cell-inserted saturated or unsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-polyethyleneglycols (PEGs), closely resemble the GPI-anchored folate receptor but differ markedly from the transferrin receptor, membrane lipid markers, and even protein-free PE-PEGs, both in their distribution in peripheral endocytic vesicles and in the manner in which their endocytic uptake responds to manipulations of cellular Arf1 or dynamin activity. These findings suggest that the distinctive endocytic targeting of GPI proteins requires neither biospecific recognition of their GPI anchors nor affinity for ordered-lipid microdomains but is determined by a more fundamental property, the steric bulk of the lipid-anchored protein. PMID:19687251

  1. Compromised fidelity of endocytic synaptic vesicle protein sorting in the absence of stonin 2

    PubMed Central

    Kononenko, Natalia L.; Diril, M. Kasim; Puchkov, Dmytro; Kintscher, Michael; Koo, Seong Joo; Pfuhl, Gerit; Winter, York; Wienisch, Martin; Klingauf, Jürgen; Breustedt, Jörg; Schmitz, Dietmar; Maritzen, Tanja; Haucke, Volker

    2013-01-01

    Neurotransmission depends on the exocytic fusion of synaptic vesicles (SVs) and their subsequent reformation either by clathrin-mediated endocytosis or budding from bulk endosomes. How synapses are able to rapidly recycle SVs to maintain SV pool size, yet preserve their compositional identity, is poorly understood. We demonstrate that deletion of the endocytic adaptor stonin 2 (Stn2) in mice compromises the fidelity of SV protein sorting, whereas the apparent speed of SV retrieval is increased. Loss of Stn2 leads to selective missorting of synaptotagmin 1 to the neuronal surface, an elevated SV pool size, and accelerated SV protein endocytosis. The latter phenotype is mimicked by overexpression of endocytosis-defective variants of synaptotagmin 1. Increased speed of SV protein retrieval in the absence of Stn2 correlates with an up-regulation of SV reformation from bulk endosomes. Our results are consistent with a model whereby Stn2 is required to preserve SV protein composition but is dispensable for maintaining the speed of SV recycling. PMID:23345427

  2. The early endosome: a busy sorting station for proteins at the crossroads

    PubMed Central

    Jovic, Marko; Sharma, Mahak; Rahajeng, Juliati; Caplan, Steve

    2010-01-01

    Summary Endocytosis marks the entry of internalized receptors into the complex network of endocytic trafficking pathways. Endocytic vesicles are rapidly targeted to a distinct membrane-bound endocytic organelle referred to as the early endosome. Despite the existence of numerous internalization routes, early endosomes (EE) serve as a focal point of the endocytic pathway. Sorting events initiated at this compartment determine the subsequent fate of internalized proteins and lipids, destining them either for recycling to the plasma membrane, degradation in lysosomes or delivery to the trans-Golgi network. Sorting of endocytic cargo to the latter compartments is accomplished through the formation of distinct microdomains within early endosomes, through the coordinate recruitment and assembly of the sorting machinery. An elaborate network of interactions between endocytic regulatory proteins ensures synchronized sorting of cargo to microdomains followed by morphological changes at the early endosomal membranes. Consequently, the cargo targeted either for recycling back to the plasma membrane, or for retrograde transport to the trans-Golgi network, localizes to newly-formed tubular membranes. With a high ratio of membrane surface to lumenal volume, these tubules effectively concentrate the recycling cargo, ensuring efficient transport out of the EE. Conversely, receptors sorted for degradation cluster at the flat clathrin lattices involved in invaginations of the limiting membrane, associating with newly formed intralumenal vesicles. In this review we will discuss the characteristics of early endosomes, their role in the regulation of endocytic transport, and their aberrant function in a variety of diseases. PMID:19924646

  3. Diffusional spread and confinement of newly exocytosed synaptic vesicle proteins

    PubMed Central

    Gimber, Niclas; Tadeus, Georgi; Maritzen, Tanja; Schmoranzer, Jan; Haucke, Volker

    2015-01-01

    Neurotransmission relies on the calcium-triggered exocytic fusion of non-peptide neurotransmitter-containing small synaptic vesicles (SVs) with the presynaptic membrane at active zones (AZs) followed by compensatory endocytic retrieval of SV membranes. Here, we study the diffusional fate of newly exocytosed SV proteins in hippocampal neurons by high-resolution time-lapse imaging. Newly exocytosed SV proteins rapidly disperse within the first seconds post fusion until confined within the presynaptic bouton. Rapid diffusional spread and confinement is followed by slow reclustering of SV proteins at the periactive endocytic zone. Confinement within the presynaptic bouton is mediated in part by SV protein association with the clathrin-based endocytic machinery to limit diffusional spread of newly exocytosed SV proteins. These data suggest that diffusion, and axonal escape of newly exocytosed vesicle proteins, are counteracted by the clathrin-based endocytic machinery together with a presynaptic diffusion barrier. PMID:26399746

  4. Diffusional spread and confinement of newly exocytosed synaptic vesicle proteins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gimber, Niclas; Tadeus, Georgi; Maritzen, Tanja; Schmoranzer, Jan; Haucke, Volker

    2015-09-01

    Neurotransmission relies on the calcium-triggered exocytic fusion of non-peptide neurotransmitter-containing small synaptic vesicles (SVs) with the presynaptic membrane at active zones (AZs) followed by compensatory endocytic retrieval of SV membranes. Here, we study the diffusional fate of newly exocytosed SV proteins in hippocampal neurons by high-resolution time-lapse imaging. Newly exocytosed SV proteins rapidly disperse within the first seconds post fusion until confined within the presynaptic bouton. Rapid diffusional spread and confinement is followed by slow reclustering of SV proteins at the periactive endocytic zone. Confinement within the presynaptic bouton is mediated in part by SV protein association with the clathrin-based endocytic machinery to limit diffusional spread of newly exocytosed SV proteins. These data suggest that diffusion, and axonal escape of newly exocytosed vesicle proteins, are counteracted by the clathrin-based endocytic machinery together with a presynaptic diffusion barrier.

  5. Characterization of early and late endocytic compartments of the transferrin cycle. Transferrin receptor antibody blocks erythroid differentiation by trapping the receptor in the early endosome.

    PubMed

    Killisch, I; Steinlein, P; Römisch, K; Hollinshead, R; Beug, H; Griffiths, G

    1992-09-01

    We describe a detailed morphological characterization of the endocytic pathway in differentiating chicken erythroblasts transformed by a temperature-sensitive mutant of avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV). These cells express high levels of transferrin receptors (TfR) when induced to differentiate at 42 degrees C. Biochemical analysis showed that most (approximately 90%) of the internalized 125I-Tf recycled within approximately 30 min while a smaller fraction of 125I-Tf required up to 2 h for recycling. By immunocytochemistry, the bulk of Tf and TfR was localized at the plasma membrane and in tubuloreticular early endosomes. This structure contained coated buds that labelled with an antibody specific for the clathrin light chain. Decreasing amounts of both Tf and TfR were detected in two distal compartments, spherical endosome vesicles resembling multivesicular bodies and the prelysosomal compartment (PLC) enriched in cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor. As shown by fluorescent (FITC-Tf) labelling of living cells, the movement of Tf/TfR complex into these late structures was accompanied by a significant drop in pH from about 6, the value displayed by early endosomes, to values below pH 5.0. Since no detectable 125I-Tf degradation was observed during a 4 h period we believe that the Tf/TfR detected in these late endocytic structures avoids degradation and recycles back to the cell surface. The addition of an anti-TfR monoclonal antibody to the culture medium of these cells blocks their differentiation. Under this condition the antibody-TfR complex was trapped in an early endosome compartment that enlarged to more than twice its normal size. However, this condition did not affect the transport kinetics of horseradish peroxidase from the medium to the PLC.

  6. CCM-3/STRIPAK promotes seamless tube extension through endocytic recycling.

    PubMed

    Lant, Benjamin; Yu, Bin; Goudreault, Marilyn; Holmyard, Doug; Knight, James D R; Xu, Peter; Zhao, Linda; Chin, Kelly; Wallace, Evan; Zhen, Mei; Gingras, Anne-Claude; Derry, W Brent

    2015-03-06

    The mechanisms governing apical membrane assembly during biological tube development are poorly understood. Here, we show that extension of the C. elegans excretory canal requires cerebral cavernous malformation 3 (CCM-3), independent of the CCM1 orthologue KRI-1. Loss of ccm-3 causes canal truncations and aggregations of canaliculular vesicles, which form ectopic lumen (cysts). We show that CCM-3 localizes to the apical membrane, and in cooperation with GCK-1 and STRIPAK, promotes CDC-42 signalling, Golgi stability and endocytic recycling. We propose that endocytic recycling is mediated through the CDC-42-binding kinase MRCK-1, which interacts physically with CCM-3-STRIPAK. We further show canal membrane integrity to be dependent on the exocyst complex and the actin cytoskeleton. This work reveals novel in vivo roles of CCM-3·STRIPAK in regulating tube extension and membrane integrity through small GTPase signalling and vesicle dynamics, which may help explain the severity of CCM3 mutations in patients.

  7. The effect of the size of fluorescent dextran on its endocytic pathway.

    PubMed

    Li, Lei; Wan, Tao; Wan, Min; Liu, Bei; Cheng, Ran; Zhang, Rongying

    2015-05-01

    Fluorescent dextrans are commonly used as macropinocytic probes to study the properties of endocytic cargoes; however, the effect of the size of dextrans on endocytic mechanisms has not been carefully analyzed. By using chemical and siRNA inhibition of individual endocytic pathways, we evaluated the internalization of two commonly used dextrans, Dex10 (dextran 10 kDa) and Dex70 (dextran 70 kDa), in mammalian HeLa cells and Caenorhabditis elegans coelomocytes. We revealed that Dex70 enters these two cell types predominantly via clathrin- and dynamin-independent and amiloride-sensitive macropinocytosis process; Dex10, on the other hand, enters the two cell types through clathrin-/dynamin-dependent micropinocytosis in addition to macropinocytosis. In addition, although different-sized dextrans follow different endocytic processes, they share common post-endocytic events. Herein, though straightforward, our studies support that the size of nanomaterials could play a paramount role in their inclusion into endocytic vesicles and suggest that care should be taken while selecting endocytic pathway markers. Based on our results, we propose that Dex70 is a better probe for macropinocytosis, whereas Dex10 and smaller molecules are better for probing general fluid-phase endocytosis, which includes macropinocytic and micropinocytic processes. © 2015 International Federation for Cell Biology.

  8. Rab4b controls an early endosome sorting event by interacting with the γ-subunit of the clathrin adaptor complex 1.

    PubMed

    Perrin, Laura; Laura, Perrin; Lacas-Gervais, Sandra; Sandra, Lacas-Gervais; Gilleron, Jérôme; Jérôme, Gilleron; Ceppo, Franck; Franck, Ceppo; Prodon, François; François, Prodon; Benmerah, Alexandre; Alexandre, Benmerah; Tanti, Jean-François; Jean-François, Tanti; Cormont, Mireille; Mireille, Cormont

    2013-11-01

    The endocytic pathway is essential for cell homeostasis and numerous small Rab GTPases are involved in its control. The endocytic trafficking step controlled by Rab4b has not been elucidated, although recent data suggested it could be important for glucose homeostasis, synaptic homeostasis or adaptive immunity. Here, we show that Rab4b is required for early endosome sorting of transferrin receptors (TfRs) to the recycling endosomes, and we identified the AP1γ subunit of the clathrin adaptor AP-1 as a Rab4b effector and key component of the machinery of early endosome sorting. We show that internalised transferrin (Tf) does not reach Vamp3/Rab11 recycling endosomes in the absence of Rab4b, whereas it is rapidly recycled back to the plasma membrane. By contrast, overexpression of Rab4b leads to the accumulation of internalised Tf within AP-1- and clathrin-coated vesicles. These vesicles are poor in early and recycling endocytic markers except for TfR and require AP1γ for their formation. Furthermore, the targeted overexpression of the Rab4b-binding domain of AP1γ to early endosome upon its fusion with FYVE domains inhibited the interaction between Rab4b and endogenous AP1γ, and perturbed Tf traffic. We thus proposed that the interaction between early endocytic Rab4b and AP1γ could allow the budding of clathrin-coated vesicles for subsequent traffic to recycling endosomes. The data also uncover a novel type of endosomes, characterised by low abundance of either early or recycling endocytic markers, which could potentially be generated in cell types that naturally express high level of Rab4b.

  9. Safeguards of Neurotransmission: Endocytic Adaptors as Regulators of Synaptic Vesicle Composition and Function

    PubMed Central

    Kaempf, Natalie; Maritzen, Tanja

    2017-01-01

    Communication between neurons relies on neurotransmitters which are released from synaptic vesicles (SVs) upon Ca2+ stimuli. To efficiently load neurotransmitters, sense the rise in intracellular Ca2+ and fuse with the presynaptic membrane, SVs need to be equipped with a stringently controlled set of transmembrane proteins. In fact, changes in SV protein composition quickly compromise neurotransmission and most prominently give rise to epileptic seizures. During exocytosis SVs fully collapse into the presynaptic membrane and consequently have to be replenished to sustain neurotransmission. Therefore, surface-stranded SV proteins have to be efficiently retrieved post-fusion to be used for the generation of a new set of fully functional SVs, a process in which dedicated endocytic sorting adaptors play a crucial role. The question of how the precise reformation of SVs is achieved is intimately linked to how SV membranes are retrieved. For a long time both processes were believed to be two sides of the same coin since Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), the proposed predominant SV recycling mode, will jointly retrieve SV membranes and proteins. However, with the recent proposal of Clathrin-independent SV recycling pathways SV membrane retrieval and SV reformation turn into separable events. This review highlights the progress made in unraveling the molecular mechanisms mediating the high-fidelity retrieval of SV proteins and discusses how the gathered knowledge about SV protein recycling fits in with the new notions of SV membrane endocytosis. PMID:29085282

  10. Dynamic Properties of the Alkaline Vesicle Population at Hippocampal Synapses

    PubMed Central

    Röther, Mareike; Brauner, Jan M.; Ebert, Katrin; Welzel, Oliver; Jung, Jasmin; Bauereiss, Anna; Kornhuber, Johannes; Groemer, Teja W.

    2014-01-01

    In compensatory endocytosis, scission of vesicles from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm is a prerequisite for intravesicular reacidification and accumulation of neurotransmitter molecules. Here, we provide time-resolved measurements of the dynamics of the alkaline vesicle population which appears upon endocytic retrieval. Using fast perfusion pH-cycling in live-cell microscopy, synapto-pHluorin expressing rat hippocampal neurons were electrically stimulated. We found that the relative size of the alkaline vesicle population depended significantly on the electrical stimulus size: With increasing number of action potentials the relative size of the alkaline vesicle population expanded. In contrast to that, increasing the stimulus frequency reduced the relative size of the population of alkaline vesicles. Measurement of the time constant for reacification and calculation of the time constant for endocytosis revealed that both time constants were variable with regard to the stimulus condition. Furthermore, we show that the dynamics of the alkaline vesicle population can be predicted by a simple mathematical model. In conclusion, here a novel methodical approach to analyze dynamic properties of alkaline vesicles is presented and validated as a convenient method for the detection of intracellular events. Using this method we show that the population of alkaline vesicles is highly dynamic and depends both on stimulus strength and frequency. Our results implicate that determination of the alkaline vesicle population size may provide new insights into the kinetics of endocytic retrieval. PMID:25079223

  11. The yeast Arf-GAP Glo3p is required for the endocytic recycling of cell surface proteins.

    PubMed

    Kawada, Daiki; Kobayashi, Hiromu; Tomita, Tsuyoshi; Nakata, Eisuke; Nagano, Makoto; Siekhaus, Daria Elisabeth; Toshima, Junko Y; Toshima, Jiro

    2015-01-01

    Small GTP-binding proteins of the Ras superfamily play diverse roles in intracellular trafficking. Among them, the Rab, Arf, and Rho families function in successive steps of vesicle transport, in forming vesicles from donor membranes, directing vesicle trafficking toward target membranes and docking vesicles onto target membranes. These proteins act as molecular switches that are controlled by a cycle of GTP binding and hydrolysis regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). In this study we explored the role of GAPs in the regulation of the endocytic pathway using fluorescently labeled yeast mating pheromone α-factor. Among 25 non-essential GAP mutants, we found that deletion of the GLO3 gene, encoding Arf-GAP protein, caused defective internalization of fluorescently labeled α-factor. Quantitative analysis revealed that glo3Δ cells show defective α-factor binding to the cell surface. Interestingly, Ste2p, the α-factor receptor, was mis-localized from the plasma membrane to the vacuole in glo3Δ cells. Domain deletion mutants of Glo3p revealed that a GAP-independent function, as well as the GAP activity, of Glo3p is important for both α-factor binding and Ste2p localization at the cell surface. Additionally, we found that deletion of the GLO3 gene affects the size and number of Arf1p-residing Golgi compartments and causes a defect in transport from the TGN to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, we demonstrated that glo3Δ cells were defective in the late endosome-to-TGN transport pathway, but not in the early endosome-to-TGN transport pathway. These findings suggest novel roles for Arf-GAP Glo3p in endocytic recycling of cell surface proteins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. WASH and Tsg101/ALIX-dependent diversion of stress-internalized EGFR from the canonical endocytic pathway

    PubMed Central

    Tomas, Alejandra; Vaughan, Simon O.; Burgoyne, Thomas; Sorkin, Alexander; Hartley, John A.; Hochhauser, Daniel; Futter, Clare E.

    2015-01-01

    Stress exposure triggers ligand-independent EGF receptor (EGFR) endocytosis, but its post-endocytic fate and role in regulating signalling are unclear. We show that the p38 MAP kinase-dependent, EGFR tyrosine kinase (TK)-independent EGFR internalization induced by ultraviolet light C (UVC) or the cancer therapeutic cisplatin, is followed by diversion from the canonical endocytic pathway. Instead of lysosomal degradation or plasma membrane recycling, EGFR accumulates in a subset of LBPA-rich perinuclear multivesicular bodies (MVBs) distinct from those carrying EGF-stimulated EGFR. Stress-internalized EGFR co-segregates with exogenously expressed pre-melanosomal markers OA1 and fibrillar PMEL, following early endosomal sorting by the actin polymerization-promoting WASH complex. Stress-internalized EGFR is retained intracellularly by continued p38 activity in a mechanism involving ubiquitin-independent, ESCRT/ALIX-dependent incorporation onto intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) of MVBs. In contrast to the internalization-independent EGF-stimulated activation, UVC/cisplatin-triggered EGFR activation depends on EGFR internalization and intracellular retention. EGFR signalling from this MVB subpopulation delays apoptosis and might contribute to chemoresistance. PMID:26066081

  13. The endocytic recycling compartment maintains cargo segregation acquired upon exit from the sorting endosome

    PubMed Central

    Xie, Shuwei; Bahl, Kriti; Reinecke, James B.; Hammond, Gerald R. V.; Naslavsky, Naava; Caplan, Steve

    2016-01-01

    The endocytic recycling compartment (ERC) is a series of perinuclear tubular and vesicular membranes that regulates recycling to the plasma membrane. Despite evidence that cargo is sorted at the early/sorting endosome (SE), whether cargo mixes downstream at the ERC or remains segregated is an unanswered question. Here we use three-dimensional (3D) structured illumination microscopy and dual-channel and 3D direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) to obtain new information about ERC morphology and cargo segregation. We show that cargo internalized either via clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) or independently of clathrin (CIE) remains segregated in the ERC, likely on distinct carriers. This suggests that no further sorting occurs upon cargo exit from SE. Moreover, 3D dSTORM data support a model in which some but not all ERC vesicles are tethered by contiguous “membrane bridges.” Furthermore, tubular recycling endosomes preferentially traffic CIE cargo and may originate from SE membranes. These findings support a significantly altered model for endocytic recycling in mammalian cells in which sorting occurs in peripheral endosomes and segregation is maintained at the ERC. PMID:26510502

  14. Decreased function of survival motor neuron protein impairs endocytic pathways

    PubMed Central

    Dimitriadi, Maria; Derdowski, Aaron; Kalloo, Geetika; Maginnis, Melissa S.; O’Hern, Patrick; Bliska, Bryn; Sorkaç, Altar; Nguyen, Ken C. Q.; Cook, Steven J.; Poulogiannis, George; Atwood, Walter J.; Hall, David H.; Hart, Anne C.

    2016-01-01

    Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by depletion of the ubiquitously expressed survival motor neuron (SMN) protein, with 1 in 40 Caucasians being heterozygous for a disease allele. SMN is critical for the assembly of numerous ribonucleoprotein complexes, yet it is still unclear how reduced SMN levels affect motor neuron function. Here, we examined the impact of SMN depletion in Caenorhabditis elegans and found that decreased function of the SMN ortholog SMN-1 perturbed endocytic pathways at motor neuron synapses and in other tissues. Diminished SMN-1 levels caused defects in C. elegans neuromuscular function, and smn-1 genetic interactions were consistent with an endocytic defect. Changes were observed in synaptic endocytic proteins when SMN-1 levels decreased. At the ultrastructural level, defects were observed in endosomal compartments, including significantly fewer docked synaptic vesicles. Finally, endocytosis-dependent infection by JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) was reduced in human cells with decreased SMN levels. Collectively, these results demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that SMN depletion causes defects in endosomal trafficking that impair synaptic function, even in the absence of motor neuron cell death. PMID:27402754

  15. Decreased function of survival motor neuron protein impairs endocytic pathways.

    PubMed

    Dimitriadi, Maria; Derdowski, Aaron; Kalloo, Geetika; Maginnis, Melissa S; O'Hern, Patrick; Bliska, Bryn; Sorkaç, Altar; Nguyen, Ken C Q; Cook, Steven J; Poulogiannis, George; Atwood, Walter J; Hall, David H; Hart, Anne C

    2016-07-26

    Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by depletion of the ubiquitously expressed survival motor neuron (SMN) protein, with 1 in 40 Caucasians being heterozygous for a disease allele. SMN is critical for the assembly of numerous ribonucleoprotein complexes, yet it is still unclear how reduced SMN levels affect motor neuron function. Here, we examined the impact of SMN depletion in Caenorhabditis elegans and found that decreased function of the SMN ortholog SMN-1 perturbed endocytic pathways at motor neuron synapses and in other tissues. Diminished SMN-1 levels caused defects in C. elegans neuromuscular function, and smn-1 genetic interactions were consistent with an endocytic defect. Changes were observed in synaptic endocytic proteins when SMN-1 levels decreased. At the ultrastructural level, defects were observed in endosomal compartments, including significantly fewer docked synaptic vesicles. Finally, endocytosis-dependent infection by JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) was reduced in human cells with decreased SMN levels. Collectively, these results demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that SMN depletion causes defects in endosomal trafficking that impair synaptic function, even in the absence of motor neuron cell death.

  16. A role of the Lowe syndrome protein OCRL in early steps of the endocytic pathway

    PubMed Central

    Erdmann, Kai S.; Mao, Yuxin; McCrea, Heather J.; Zoncu, Roberto; Lee, Sangyoon; Paradise, Summer; Modregger, Jan; Biemesderfer, Daniel; Toomre, Derek; De Camilli, Pietro

    2007-01-01

    Mutations in the inositol 5-phosphatase OCRL are responsible for Lowe syndrome, whose manifestations include mental retardation and renal Fanconi syndrome. OCRL has been implicated in membrane traffic, but disease mechanisms remain unclear. We show that OCRL visits late stage endocytic clathrin coated pits and binds the Rab5 effector APPL1 on peripheral early endosomes. The interaction with APPL1, which is mediated by the ASH-RhoGAP-like domains of OCRL and is abolished by disease mutations, provides a link to protein networks implicated in the reabsorptive function of kidney and in traffic and signaling of growth factor receptors in brain. Crystallographic studies reveal a role of the ASH-RhoGAP-like domains in positioning the phosphatase domain at the membrane interface and a clathrin box protruding from the RhoGAP-like domain. Our results support a role of OCRL in the early endocytic pathway consistent with the predominant localization of its preferred substrates, PI(4,5)P2 and PI(3,4,5)P3, at the cell surface. PMID:17765681

  17. Structures and mechanisms of vesicle coat components and multisubunit tethering complexes

    PubMed Central

    Jackson, Lauren P; Kümmel, Daniel; Reinisch, Karin M; Owen, David J

    2012-01-01

    Eukaryotic cells face a logistical challenge in ensuring prompt and precise delivery of vesicular cargo to specific organelles within the cell. Coat protein complexes select cargo and initiate vesicle formation, while multisubunit tethering complexes participate in the delivery of vesicles to target membranes. Understanding these macromolecular assemblies has greatly benefited from their structural characterization. Recent structural data highlight principles in coat recruitment and uncoating in both the endocytic and retrograde pathways, and studies on the architecture of tethering complexes provide a framework for how they might link vesicles to the respective acceptor compartments and the fusion machinery. PMID:22728063

  18. Interferon-induced Sus scrofa Mx1 blocks endocytic traffic of incoming influenza A virus particles.

    PubMed

    Palm, Mélanie; Garigliany, Mutien-Marie; Cornet, François; Desmecht, Daniel

    2010-01-01

    The interferon-induced Mx proteins of vertebrates are dynamin-like GTPases, some isoforms of which can additionally inhibit the life cycle of certain RNA viruses. Here we show that the porcine Mx1 protein (poMx1) inhibits replication of influenza A virus and we attempt to identify the step at which the viral life cycle is blocked. In infected cells expressing poMx1, the level of transcripts encoding the viral nucleoprotein is significantly lower than normal, even when secondary transcription is prevented by exposure to cycloheximide. This reveals that a pretranscriptional block participates to the anti-influenza activity. Binding and internalization of incoming virus particles are normal in the presence of poMx1 but centripetal traffic to the late endosomes is interrupted. Surprisingly but decisively, poMx1 significantly alters binding of early endosome autoantigen 1 to early endosomes and/or early endosome size and spatial distribution. This is compatible with impairment of traffic of the endocytic vesicles to the late endosomes. INRA, EDP Sciences, 2010.

  19. Role of phosphatidylserine in phospholipid flippase-mediated vesicle transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Takeda, Miyoko; Yamagami, Kanako; Tanaka, Kazuma

    2014-03-01

    Phospholipid flippases translocate phospholipids from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflet of cell membranes to generate and maintain phospholipid asymmetry. The genome of budding yeast encodes four heteromeric flippases (Drs2p, Dnf1p, Dnf2p, and Dnf3p), which associate with the Cdc50 family noncatalytic subunit, and one monomeric flippase Neo1p. Flippases have been implicated in the formation of transport vesicles, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. We show here that overexpression of the phosphatidylserine synthase gene CHO1 suppresses defects in the endocytic recycling pathway in flippase mutants. This suppression seems to be mediated by increased cellular phosphatidylserine. Two models can be envisioned for the suppression mechanism: (i) phosphatidylserine in the cytoplasmic leaflet recruits proteins for vesicle formation with its negative charge, and (ii) phosphatidylserine flipping to the cytoplasmic leaflet induces membrane curvature that supports vesicle formation. In a mutant depleted for flippases, a phosphatidylserine probe GFP-Lact-C2 was still localized to endosomal membranes, suggesting that the mere presence of phosphatidylserine in the cytoplasmic leaflet is not enough for vesicle formation. The CHO1 overexpression did not suppress the growth defect in a mutant depleted or mutated for all flippases, suggesting that the suppression was dependent on flippase-mediated phospholipid flipping. Endocytic recycling was not blocked in a mutant lacking phosphatidylserine or depleted in phosphatidylethanolamine, suggesting that a specific phospholipid is not required for vesicle formation. These results suggest that flippase-dependent vesicle formation is mediated by phospholipid flipping, not by flipped phospholipids.

  20. Rab14 and Its Exchange Factor FAM116 Link Endocytic Recycling and Adherens Junction Stability in Migrating Cells

    PubMed Central

    Linford, Andrea; Yoshimura, Shin-ichiro; Bastos, Ricardo Nunes; Langemeyer, Lars; Gerondopoulos, Andreas; Rigden, Daniel J.; Barr, Francis A.

    2012-01-01

    Summary Rab GTPases define the vesicle trafficking pathways underpinning cell polarization and migration. Here, we find that Rab4, Rab11, and Rab14 and the candidate Rab GDP-GTP exchange factors (GEFs) FAM116A and AVL9 are required for cell migration. Rab14 and its GEF FAM116A localize to and act on an intermediate compartment of the transferrin-recycling pathway prior to Rab11 and after Rab5 and Rab4. This Rab14 intermediate recycling compartment has specific functions in migrating cells discrete from early and recycling endosomes. Rab14-depleted cells show increased N-cadherin levels at junctional complexes and cannot resolve cell-cell junctions. This is due to decreased shedding of cell-surface N-cadherin by the ADAM family protease ADAM10/Kuzbanian. In FAM116A- and Rab14-depleted cells, ADAM10 accumulates in a transferrin-positive endocytic compartment, and the cell-surface level of ADAM10 is correspondingly reduced. FAM116 and Rab14 therefore define an endocytic recycling pathway needed for ADAM protease trafficking and regulation of cell-cell junctions. PMID:22595670

  1. Exosomes surf on filopodia to enter cells at endocytic hot spots, traffic within endosomes, and are targeted to the ER.

    PubMed

    Heusermann, Wolf; Hean, Justin; Trojer, Dominic; Steib, Emmanuelle; von Bueren, Stefan; Graff-Meyer, Alexandra; Genoud, Christel; Martin, Katrin; Pizzato, Nicolas; Voshol, Johannes; Morrissey, David V; Andaloussi, Samir E L; Wood, Matthew J; Meisner-Kober, Nicole C

    2016-04-25

    Exosomes are nanovesicles released by virtually all cells, which act as intercellular messengers by transfer of protein, lipid, and RNA cargo. Their quantitative efficiency, routes of cell uptake, and subcellular fate within recipient cells remain elusive. We quantitatively characterize exosome cell uptake, which saturates with dose and time and reaches near 100% transduction efficiency at picomolar concentrations. Highly reminiscent of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, exosomes are recruited as single vesicles to the cell body by surfing on filopodia as well as filopodia grabbing and pulling motions to reach endocytic hot spots at the filopodial base. After internalization, exosomes shuttle within endocytic vesicles to scan the endoplasmic reticulum before being sorted into the lysosome as their final intracellular destination. Our data quantify and explain the efficiency of exosome internalization by recipient cells, establish a new parallel between exosome and virus host cell interaction, and suggest unanticipated routes of subcellular cargo delivery. © 2016 Heusermann et al.

  2. Exosomes surf on filopodia to enter cells at endocytic hot spots, traffic within endosomes, and are targeted to the ER

    PubMed Central

    Hean, Justin; Trojer, Dominic; Steib, Emmanuelle; von Bueren, Stefan; Graff-Meyer, Alexandra; Genoud, Christel; Martin, Katrin; Pizzato, Nicolas; Voshol, Johannes; Morrissey, David V.; Andaloussi, Samir E.L.; Wood, Matthew J.

    2016-01-01

    Exosomes are nanovesicles released by virtually all cells, which act as intercellular messengers by transfer of protein, lipid, and RNA cargo. Their quantitative efficiency, routes of cell uptake, and subcellular fate within recipient cells remain elusive. We quantitatively characterize exosome cell uptake, which saturates with dose and time and reaches near 100% transduction efficiency at picomolar concentrations. Highly reminiscent of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, exosomes are recruited as single vesicles to the cell body by surfing on filopodia as well as filopodia grabbing and pulling motions to reach endocytic hot spots at the filopodial base. After internalization, exosomes shuttle within endocytic vesicles to scan the endoplasmic reticulum before being sorted into the lysosome as their final intracellular destination. Our data quantify and explain the efficiency of exosome internalization by recipient cells, establish a new parallel between exosome and virus host cell interaction, and suggest unanticipated routes of subcellular cargo delivery. PMID:27114500

  3. Altered TGF-β endocytic trafficking contributes to the increased signaling in Marfan syndrome.

    PubMed

    Siegert, Anna-Maria; Serra-Peinado, Carla; Gutiérrez-Martínez, Enric; Rodríguez-Pascual, Fernando; Fabregat, Isabel; Egea, Gustavo

    2018-02-01

    The main cardiovascular alteration in Marfan syndrome (MFS) is the formation of aortic aneurysms in which augmented TGF-β signaling is reported. However, the primary role of TGF-β signaling as a molecular link between the genetic mutation of fibrillin-1 and disease onset is controversial. The compartmentalization of TGF-β endocytic trafficking has been shown to determine a signaling response in which clathrin-dependent internalization leads to TGF-β signal propagation, and caveolin-1 (CAV-1) associated internalization leads to signal abrogation. We here studied the contribution of endocytic trafficking compartmentalization to increased TGF-β signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) from MFS patients. We examined molecular components involved in clathrin- (SARA, SMAD2) and caveolin-1- (SMAD7, SMURF2) dependent endocytosis. Marfan VSMC showed higher recruitment of SARA and SMAD2 to membranes and their increased interaction with TGF-β receptor II, as well as higher colocalization of SARA with the early endosome marker EEA1. We assessed TGF-β internalization using a biotinylated ligand (b-TGF-β), which colocalized equally with either EEA1 or CAV-1 in VSMC from Marfan patients and controls. However, in Marfan cells, colocalization of b-TGF-β with SARA and EEA1 was increased and accompanied by decreased colocalization with CAV-1 at EEA1-positive endosomes. Moreover, Marfan VSMC showed higher transcriptional levels and membrane enrichment of RAB5. Our results indicate that increased RAB5-associated SARA localization to early endosomes facilitates its TGF-β receptor binding and phosphorylation of signaling mediator SMAD2 in Marfan VSMC. This is accompanied by a reduction of TGF-β sorting into multifunctional vesicles containing cargo from both internalization pathways. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Rapid kinetics of endocytosis at rod photoreceptor synapses depends upon endocytic load and calcium.

    PubMed

    Cork, Karlene M; Thoreson, Wallace B

    2014-05-01

    Release from rods is triggered by the opening of L-type Ca2+ channels that lie beneath synaptic ribbons. After exocytosis, vesicles are retrieved by compensatory endocytosis. Previous work showed that endocytosis is dynamin-dependent in rods but dynamin-independent in cones. We hypothesized that fast endocytosis in rods may also differ from cones in its dependence upon the amount of Ca2+ influx and/or endocytic load. We measured exocytosis and endocytosis from membrane capacitance (C m) changes evoked by depolarizing steps in voltage clamped rods from tiger salamander retinal slices. Similar to cones, the time constant for endocytosis in rods was quite fast, averaging <200 ms. We manipulated Ca2+ influx and the amount of vesicle release by altering the duration and voltage of depolarizing steps. Unlike cones, endocytosis kinetics in rods slowed after increasing Ca2+ channel activation with longer step durations or more strongly depolarized voltage steps. Endocytosis kinetics also slowed as Ca2+ buffering was decreased by replacing BAPTA (10 or 1 mM) with the slower Ca2+ buffer EGTA (5 or 0.5 mM) in the pipette solution. These data provide further evidence that endocytosis mechanisms differ in rods and cones and suggest that endocytosis in rods is regulated by both endocytic load and local Ca2+ levels.

  5. Rapid kinetics of endocytosis at rod photoreceptor synapses depends upon endocytic load and calcium

    PubMed Central

    CORK, KARLENE M.; THORESON, WALLACE B.

    2015-01-01

    Release from rods is triggered by the opening of L-type Ca2+ channels that lie beneath synaptic ribbons. After exocytosis, vesicles are retrieved by compensatory endocytosis. Previous work showed that endocytosis is dynamin-dependent in rods but dynamin-independent in cones. We hypothesized that fast endocytosis in rods may also differ from cones in its dependence upon the amount of Ca2+ influx and/or endocytic load. We measured exocytosis and endocytosis from membrane capacitance (Cm) changes evoked by depolarizing steps in voltage clamped rods from tiger salamander retinal slices. Similar to cones, the time constant for endocytosis in rods was quite fast, averaging <200 ms. We manipulated Ca2+ influx and the amount of vesicle release by altering the duration and voltage of depolarizing steps. Unlike cones, endocytosis kinetics in rods slowed after increasing Ca2+ channel activation with longer step durations or more strongly depolarized voltage steps. Endocytosis kinetics also slowed as Ca2+ buffering was decreased by replacing BAPTA (10 or 1 mM) with the slower Ca2+ buffer EGTA (5 or 0.5 mM) in the pipette solution. These data provide further evidence that endocytosis mechanisms differ in rods and cones and suggest that endocytosis in rods is regulated by both endocytic load and local Ca2+ levels. PMID:24735554

  6. Regulation of endocytic recycling by C. elegans Rab35 and its regulator RME-4, a coated-pit protein

    PubMed Central

    Sato, Miyuki; Sato, Ken; Liou, Willisa; Pant, Saumya; Harada, Akihiro; Grant, Barth D

    2008-01-01

    Using Caenorhabditis elegans genetic screens, we identified receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME)-4 and RME-5/RAB-35 as important regulators of yolk endocytosis in vivo. In rme-4 and rab-35 mutants, yolk receptors do not accumulate on the plasma membrane as would be expected in an internalization mutant, rather the receptors are lost from cortical endosomes and accumulate in dispersed small vesicles, suggesting a defect in receptor recycling. Consistent with this, genetic tests indicate the RME-4 and RAB-35 function downstream of clathrin, upstream of RAB-7, and act synergistically with recycling regulators RAB-11 and RME-1. We find that RME-4 is a conserved DENN domain protein that binds to RAB-35 in its GDP-loaded conformation. GFP–RME-4 also physically interacts with AP-2, is enriched on clathrin-coated pits, and requires clathrin but not RAB-5 for cortical association. GFP–RAB-35 localizes to the plasma membrane and early endocytic compartments but is lost from endosomes in rme-4 mutants. We propose that RME-4 functions on coated pits and/or vesicles to recruit RAB-35, which in turn functions in the endosome to promote receptor recycling. PMID:18354496

  7. Storage vesicles in neurons are related to Golgi complex alterations in mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB.

    PubMed

    Vitry, Sandrine; Bruyère, Julie; Hocquemiller, Michaël; Bigou, Stéphanie; Ausseil, Jérôme; Colle, Marie-Anne; Prévost, Marie-Christine; Heard, Jean Michel

    2010-12-01

    The accumulation of intracellular storage vesicles is a hallmark of lysosomal storage diseases. Neither the identity nor origin of these implicated storage vesicles have yet been established. The vesicles are often considered as lysosomes, endosomes, and/or autophagosomes that are engorged with undigested materials. Our studies in the mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB, a lysosomal storage disease that induces neurodegeneration, showed that large storage vesicles in cortical neurons did not receive material from either the endocytic or autophagy pathway, which functioned normally. Storage vesicles expressed GM130, a Golgi matrix protein, which mediates vesicle tethering in both pre- and cis-Golgi compartments. However, other components of the tethering/fusion complex were not associated with GM130 on storage vesicles, likely accounting for both the resistance of the vesicles to brefeldin A and the alteration of Golgi ribbon architecture, which comprised distended cisterna connected to LAMP1-positive storage vesicles. We propose that alteration in the GM130-mediated control of vesicle trafficking in pre-Golgi and Golgi compartments affects Golgi biogenesis and gives rise to a dead-end storage compartment. Vesicle accumulation, Golgi disorganization, and alterations of other GM130 functions may account for neuron dysfunction and death.

  8. Interplay of autophagy, receptor tyrosine kinase signalling and endocytic trafficking

    PubMed Central

    Fraser, Jane; Cabodevilla, Ainara G.; Simpson, Joanne; Gammoh, Noor

    2017-01-01

    Vesicular trafficking events play key roles in the compartmentalization and proper sorting of cellular components. These events have crucial roles in sensing external signals, regulating protein activities and stimulating cell growth or death decisions. Although mutations in vesicle trafficking players are not direct drivers of cellular transformation, their activities are important in facilitating oncogenic pathways. One such pathway is the sensing of external stimuli and signalling through receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). The regulation of RTK activity by the endocytic pathway has been extensively studied. Compelling recent studies have begun to highlight the association between autophagy and RTK signalling. The influence of this interplay on cellular status and its relevance in disease settings will be discussed here. PMID:29233871

  9. BAD-LAMP defines a subset of early endocytic organelles in subpopulations of cortical projection neurons.

    PubMed

    David, Alexandre; Tiveron, Marie-Catherine; Defays, Axel; Beclin, Christophe; Camosseto, Voahirana; Gatti, Evelina; Cremer, Harold; Pierre, Philippe

    2007-01-15

    The brain-associated LAMP-like molecule (BAD-LAMP) is a new member of the family of lysosome associated membrane proteins (LAMPs). In contrast to other LAMPs, which show a widespread expression, BAD-LAMP expression in mice is confined to the postnatal brain and therein to neuronal subpopulations in layers II/III and V of the neocortex. Onset of expression strictly parallels cortical synaptogenesis. In cortical neurons, the protein is found in defined clustered vesicles, which accumulate along neurites where it localizes with phosphorylated epitopes of neurofilament H. In primary neurons, BAD-LAMP is endocytosed, but is not found in classical lysosomal/endosomal compartments. Modification of BAD-LAMP by addition of GFP revealed a cryptic lysosomal retention motif, suggesting that the cytoplasmic tail of BAD-LAMP is actively interacting with, or modified by, molecules that promote its sorting away from lysosomes. Analysis of BAD-LAMP endocytosis in transfected HeLa cells provided evidence that the protein recycles to the plasma membrane through a dynamin/AP2-dependent mechanism. Thus, BAD-LAMP is an unconventional LAMP-like molecule and defines a new endocytic compartment in specific subtypes of cortical projection neurons. The striking correlation between the appearance of BAD-LAMP and cortical synatogenesis points towards a physiological role of this vesicular determinant for neuronal function.

  10. Distinct effect of actin cytoskeleton disassembly on exo- and endocytic events in a membrane patch of rat melanotrophs.

    PubMed

    Chowdhury, Helena H; Kreft, Marko; Zorec, Robert

    2002-12-15

    We used the cell-attached mode of patch-clamp technique to measure discrete attofarad steps in membrane capacitance (C(m)), reporting area changes in the plasma membrane due to unitary exocytic and endocytic events. To investigate the role of the actin cytoskeleton in elementary exocytic and endocytic events, neuroendocrine rat melanotrophs were treated with Clostridium spiroforme toxin (CST), which specifically depolymerises F-actin. The average amplitude of exocytic events was not significantly different in control and in CST-treated cells. However, the amplitude of endocytic events was significantly smaller in CST-treated cells as compared to controls. The frequency of exocytic events increased by 2-fold in CST-treated cells relative to controls. In control cells the average frequency of exocytic events (upsilon;(exo)) was lower than the frequency of endocytic events (upsilon;(endo)) with a ratio upsilon;(exo)/upsilon;(endo) < 1. In the toxin treated cells, the predominant process was exocytosis with a ratio (upsilon;(exo)/upsilon;(endo) > 1). To study the coupling between the two processes, the slopes of regression lines relating upsilon;(exo) and upsilon;(endo) in a given patch of membrane were studied. The slopes of regression lines were similar, whereas the line intercepts with the y-axis were significantly different. The increased frequency of unitary exocytic events in CST-treated cells is consistent with the view, that the actin cytoskeleton acts as a barrier for exocytosis. While the disassembly of the actin cytoskeleton diminishes the size of unitary endocytic events, suggesting an important role of the actin cytoskeleton in determining the size of endocytic vesicles, the coupling between exocytosis and endocytosis in a given patch of membrane was independent of the state of the actin cytoskeleton.

  11. Distinct effect of actin cytoskeleton disassembly on exo- and endocytic events in a membrane patch of rat melanotrophs

    PubMed Central

    Chowdhury, Helena H; Kreft, Marko; Zorec, Robert

    2002-01-01

    We used the cell-attached mode of patch-clamp technique to measure discrete attofarad steps in membrane capacitance (Cm), reporting area changes in the plasma membrane due to unitary exocytic and endocytic events. To investigate the role of the actin cytoskeleton in elementary exocytic and endocytic events, neuroendocrine rat melanotrophs were treated with Clostridium spiroforme toxin (CST), which specifically depolymerises F-actin. The average amplitude of exocytic events was not significantly different in control and in CST-treated cells. However, the amplitude of endocytic events was significantly smaller in CST-treated cells as compared to controls. The frequency of exocytic events increased by 2-fold in CST-treated cells relative to controls. In control cells the average frequency of exocytic events (νexo) was lower than the frequency of endocytic events (νendo) with a ratio νexo/νendo < 1. In the toxin treated cells, the predominant process was exocytosis with a ratio (νexo/νendo > 1). To study the coupling between the two processes, the slopes of regression lines relating νexo and νendo in a given patch of membrane were studied. The slopes of regression lines were similar, whereas the line intercepts with the y-axis were significantly different. The increased frequency of unitary exocytic events in CST-treated cells is consistent with the view, that the actin cytoskeleton acts as a barrier for exocytosis. While the disassembly of the actin cytoskeleton diminishes the size of unitary endocytic events, suggesting an important role of the actin cytoskeleton in determining the size of endocytic vesicles, the coupling between exocytosis and endocytosis in a given patch of membrane was independent of the state of the actin cytoskeleton. PMID:12482893

  12. Ca{sup 2+}-dependent mobility of vesicles capturing anti-VGLUT1 antibodies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stenovec, Matjaz; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology - Molecular Cell Physiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloska 4, 1000 Ljubljana; Kreft, Marko

    2007-11-01

    Several aspects of secretory vesicle cycle have been studied in the past, but vesicle trafficking in relation to the fusion site is less well understood. In particular, the mobility of recaptured vesicles that traffic back toward the central cytoplasm is still poorly defined. We exposed astrocytes to antibodies against the vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1), a marker of glutamatergic vesicles, to fluorescently label vesicles undergoing Ca{sup 2+}-dependent exocytosis and examined their number, fluorescence intensity, and mobility by confocal microscopy. In nonstimulated cells, immunolabeling revealed discrete fluorescent puncta, indicating that VGLUT1 vesicles, which are approximately 50 nm in diameter, cycle slowlymore » between the plasma membrane and the cytoplasm. When the cytosolic Ca{sup 2+} level was raised with ionomycin, the number and fluorescence intensity of the puncta increased, likely because the VGLUT1 epitopes were more accessible to the extracellularly applied antibodies following Ca{sup 2+}-triggered exocytosis. In nonstimulated cells, the mobility of labeled vesicles was limited. In stimulated cells, many vesicles exhibited directional mobility that was abolished by cytoskeleton-disrupting agents, indicating dependence on intact cytoskeleton. Our findings show that postfusion vesicle mobility is regulated and may likely play a role in synaptic vesicle cycle, and also more generally in the genesis and removal of endocytic vesicles.« less

  13. Subdiffractional tracking of internalized molecules reveals heterogeneous motion states of synaptic vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Morrow, Isabel C.; Harper, Callista B.

    2016-01-01

    Our understanding of endocytic pathway dynamics is severely restricted by the diffraction limit of light microscopy. To address this, we implemented a novel technique based on the subdiffractional tracking of internalized molecules (sdTIM). This allowed us to image anti–green fluorescent protein Atto647N-tagged nanobodies trapped in synaptic vesicles (SVs) from live hippocampal nerve terminals expressing vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2)–pHluorin with 36-nm localization precision. Our results showed that, once internalized, VAMP2–pHluorin/Atto647N–tagged nanobodies exhibited a markedly lower mobility than on the plasma membrane, an effect that was reversed upon restimulation in presynapses but not in neighboring axons. Using Bayesian model selection applied to hidden Markov modeling, we found that SVs oscillated between diffusive states or a combination of diffusive and transport states with opposite directionality. Importantly, SVs exhibiting diffusive motion were relatively less likely to switch to the transport motion. These results highlight the potential of the sdTIM technique to provide new insights into the dynamics of endocytic pathways in a wide variety of cellular settings. PMID:27810917

  14. The F-Box Protein Rcy1p Is Involved in Endocytic Membrane Traffic and Recycling Out of an Early Endosome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    PubMed Central

    Wiederkehr, Andreas; Avaro, Sandrine; Prescianotto-Baschong, Cristina; Haguenauer-Tsapis, Rosine; Riezman, Howard

    2000-01-01

    In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, endocytic material is transported through different membrane-bound compartments before it reaches the vacuole. In a screen for mutants that affect membrane trafficking along the endocytic pathway, we have identified a novel mutant disrupted for the gene YJL204c that we have renamed RCY1 (recycling 1). Deletion of RCY1 leads to an early block in the endocytic pathway before the intersection with the vacuolar protein sorting pathway. Mutation of RCY1 leads to the accumulation of an enlarged compartment that contains the t-SNARE Tlg1p and lies close to areas of cell expansion. In addition, endocytic markers such as Ste2p and the fluorescent dyes, Lucifer yellow and FM4-64, were found in a similar enlarged compartment after their internalization. To determine whether rcy1Δ is defective for recycling, we have developed an assay that measures the recycling of previously internalized FM4-64. This method enables us to follow the recycling pathway in yeast in real time. Using this assay, it could be demonstrated that recycling of membranes is rapid in S. cerevisiae and that a major fraction of internalized FM4-64 is secreted back into the medium within a few minutes. The rcy1Δ mutant is strongly defective in recycling. PMID:10769031

  15. Multivariate proteomic profiling identifies novel accessory proteins of coated vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Antrobus, Robin; Hirst, Jennifer; Bhumbra, Gary S.; Kozik, Patrycja; Jackson, Lauren P.; Sahlender, Daniela A.

    2012-01-01

    Despite recent advances in mass spectrometry, proteomic characterization of transport vesicles remains challenging. Here, we describe a multivariate proteomics approach to analyzing clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) from HeLa cells. siRNA knockdown of coat components and different fractionation protocols were used to obtain modified coated vesicle-enriched fractions, which were compared by stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative mass spectrometry. 10 datasets were combined through principal component analysis into a “profiling” cluster analysis. Overall, 136 CCV-associated proteins were predicted, including 36 new proteins. The method identified >93% of established CCV coat proteins and assigned >91% correctly to intracellular or endocytic CCVs. Furthermore, the profiling analysis extends to less well characterized types of coated vesicles, and we identify and characterize the first AP-4 accessory protein, which we have named tepsin. Finally, our data explain how sequestration of TACC3 in cytosolic clathrin cages causes the severe mitotic defects observed in auxilin-depleted cells. The profiling approach can be adapted to address related cell and systems biological questions. PMID:22472443

  16. Population Distribution Analyses Reveal a Hierarchy of Molecular Players Underlying Parallel Endocytic Pathways

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Gagan D.; Howes, Mark T.; Chandran, Ruma; Das, Anupam; Menon, Sindhu; Parton, Robert G.; Sowdhamini, R.; Thattai, Mukund; Mayor, Satyajit

    2014-01-01

    Single-cell-resolved measurements reveal heterogeneous distributions of clathrin-dependent (CD) and -independent (CLIC/GEEC: CG) endocytic activity in Drosophila cell populations. dsRNA-mediated knockdown of core versus peripheral endocytic machinery induces strong changes in the mean, or subtle changes in the shapes of these distributions, respectively. By quantifying these subtle shape changes for 27 single-cell features which report on endocytic activity and cell morphology, we organize 1072 Drosophila genes into a tree-like hierarchy. We find that tree nodes contain gene sets enriched in functional classes and protein complexes, providing a portrait of core and peripheral control of CD and CG endocytosis. For 470 genes we obtain additional features from separate assays and classify them into early- or late-acting genes of the endocytic pathways. Detailed analyses of specific genes at intermediate levels of the tree suggest that Vacuolar ATPase and lysosomal genes involved in vacuolar biogenesis play an evolutionarily conserved role in CG endocytosis. PMID:24971745

  17. Stochastic Modeling of the Clathrin-dependent and -independent Endocytic Pathways

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Hua; Dutta, Prashanta; Liu, Jin

    2017-11-01

    Endocytosis is one of the important processes that bioparticles use to enter the cells. During endocytosis the membrane-bound vesicles are formed by the invagination of plasma membrane as a result of interactions among many proteins and cytoskeletons. The clathrin-mediated endocytosis is one of the most significant form of endocytosis, where the dynamic assembly of clathrin-coated pits play a critical role. While herpes simplex virus-1 has recently shown to infect cell by a novel phagocytosis-like endocytic pathway where actin polymerization may facilitate the viral entry. In this work, we propose a stochastic model for both clathrin-dependent and -independent endocytic pathways based on Monte Carlo simulations. The important roles of clathrin coating and actin cytoskeleton as well as the impact of other biological parameters are studied. Our preliminary results indicate that there exist an intermediate particle size and ligand density that maximize the internalization efficiency. Below a critical size or surface ligand density, it is difficult for the entry of a single particle, which means clustering may needed for more efficient internalization. We also find that lower membrane bending rigidity may help promote the bioparticle entry. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01GM122081.

  18. SNX9 - a prelude to vesicle release.

    PubMed

    Lundmark, Richard; Carlsson, Sven R

    2009-01-01

    The sorting nexin SNX9 has, in the past few years, been singled out as an important protein that participates in fundamental cellular activities. SNX9 binds strongly to dynamin and is partly responsible for the recruitment of this GTPase to sites of endocytosis. SNX9 also has a high capacity for modulation of the membrane and might therefore participate in the formation of the narrow neck of endocytic vesicles before scission occurs. Once assembled on the membrane, SNX9 stimulates the GTPase activity of dynamin to facilitate the scission reaction. It has also become clear that SNX9 has the ability to activate the actin regulator N-WASP in a membrane-dependent manner to coordinate actin polymerization with vesicle release. In this Commentary, we summarize several aspects of SNX9 structure and function in the context of membrane remodeling, discuss its interplay with various interaction partners and present a model of how SNX9 might work in endocytosis.

  19. Differential Requirements in Endocytic Trafficking for Penetration of Dengue Virus

    PubMed Central

    Acosta, Eliana G.; Castilla, Viviana; Damonte, Elsa B.

    2012-01-01

    The entry of DENV into the host cell appears to be a very complex process which has been started to be studied in detail. In this report, the route of functional intracellular trafficking after endocytic uptake of dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1) strain HW, DENV-2 strain NGC and DENV-2 strain 16681 into Vero cells was studied by using a susceptibility to ammonium chloride assay, dominant negative mutants of several members of the family of cellular Rab GTPases that participate in regulation of transport through endosome vesicles and immunofluorescence colocalization. Together, the results presented demonstrate that in spite of the different internalization route among viral serotypes in Vero cells and regardless of the viral strain, DENV particles are first transported to early endosomes in a Rab5-dependent manner. Then a Rab7-dependent pathway guides DENV-2 16681 to late endosomes, whereas a yet unknown sorting event controls the transport of DENV-2 NGC, and most probably DENV-1 HW, to the perinuclear recycling compartments where fusion membrane would take place releasing nucleocapsid into the cytoplasm. Besides the demonstration of a different intracellular trafficking for two DENV-2 strains that shared the initial clathrin-independent internalization route, these studies proved for the first time the involvement of the slow recycling pathway for DENV-2 productive infection. PMID:22970315

  20. Evaluation of nanoparticles as endocytic tracers in cellular microbiology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yuying; Hensel, Michael

    2013-09-01

    The study of pathogen interactions with eukaryotic host cells requires the introduction of fluorescent probes to visualize processes such as endocytosis, intracellular transport or host cell manipulation by the pathogen. Here, three types of fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs), i.e. Rhodamine-labeled polymethacrylate (PMA) NPs, silica NPs and gold NPs, were employed to label the host cellular endolysosomal system and monitor manipulations by the pathogen Salmonella enterica. Using live cell imaging, we investigated the performance of NPs in cellular uptake, labeling of endocytic vesicles and lysosomes, as well as interaction with the pathogen. We show that fluorescent gold and silica, but not PMA NPs appropriately label host cell structures and efficiently track rearrangements of the host endosomal system by the activities of intracellular Salmonella. Silica NPs slightly aggregated and located in Salmonella-induced compartments as isolated dots, while gold NPs distributed uniformly inside such structures. Both silica and gold NPs exhibited no adverse impact on either host cells or pathogens, and are versatile tools for infection biology.The study of pathogen interactions with eukaryotic host cells requires the introduction of fluorescent probes to visualize processes such as endocytosis, intracellular transport or host cell manipulation by the pathogen. Here, three types of fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs), i.e. Rhodamine-labeled polymethacrylate (PMA) NPs, silica NPs and gold NPs, were employed to label the host cellular endolysosomal system and monitor manipulations by the pathogen Salmonella enterica. Using live cell imaging, we investigated the performance of NPs in cellular uptake, labeling of endocytic vesicles and lysosomes, as well as interaction with the pathogen. We show that fluorescent gold and silica, but not PMA NPs appropriately label host cell structures and efficiently track rearrangements of the host endosomal system by the activities of intracellular

  1. Rab15 Effector Protein: A Novel Protein for Receptor Recycling from the Endocytic Recycling CompartmentD⃞

    PubMed Central

    Strick, David J.; Elferink, Lisa A.

    2005-01-01

    Sorting endosomes and the endocytic recycling compartment are critical intracellular stores for the rapid recycling of internalized membrane receptors to the cell surface in multiple cell types. However, the molecular mechanisms distinguishing fast receptor recycling from sorting endosomes and slow receptor recycling from the endocytic recycling compartment remain poorly understood. We previously reported that Rab15 differentially regulates transferrin receptor trafficking through sorting endosomes and the endocytic recycling compartment, suggesting a role for distinct Rab15-effector interactions at these endocytic compartments. In this study, we identified the novel protein Rab15 effector protein (REP15) as a binding partner for Rab15-GTP. REP15 is compartment specific, colocalizing with Rab15 and Rab11 on the endocytic recycling compartment but not with Rab15, Rab4, or early endosome antigen 1 on sorting endosomes. REP15 interacts directly with Rab15-GTP but not with Rab5 or Rab11. Consistent with its localization, REP15 overexpression and small interfering RNA-mediated depletion inhibited transferrin receptor recycling from the endocytic recycling compartment, without affecting receptor entry into or recycling from sorting endosomes. Our data identify REP15 as a compartment-specific protein for receptor recycling from the endocytic recycling compartment, highlighting that the rapid and slow modes of transferrin receptor recycling are mechanistically distinct pathways. PMID:16195351

  2. Spatial and Temporal Regulation of Receptor Endocytosis in Neuronal Dendrites Revealed by Imaging of Single Vesicle Formation.

    PubMed

    Rosendale, Morgane; Jullié, Damien; Choquet, Daniel; Perrais, David

    2017-02-21

    Endocytosis in neuronal dendrites is known to play a critical role in synaptic transmission and plasticity such as long-term depression (LTD). However, the inability to detect endocytosis directly in living neurons has hampered studies of its dynamics and regulation. Here, we visualized the formation of individual endocytic vesicles containing pHluorin-tagged receptors with high temporal resolution in the dendrites of cultured hippocampal neurons. We show that transferrin receptors (TfRs) are constitutively internalized at optically static clathrin-coated structures. These structures are slightly enriched near synapses that represent preferential sites for the endocytosis of postsynaptic AMPA-type receptors (AMPARs), but not for non-synaptic TfRs. Moreover, the frequency of AMPAR endocytosis events increases after the induction of NMDAR-dependent chemical LTD, but the activity of perisynaptic endocytic zones is not differentially regulated. We conclude that endocytosis is a highly dynamic and stereotyped process that internalizes receptors in precisely localized endocytic zones. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Post-fusion structural changes and their roles in exocytosis and endocytosis of dense-core vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Chiang, Hsueh-Cheng; Shin, Wonchul; Zhao, Wei-Dong; Hamid, Edaeni; Sheng, Jiansong; Baydyuk, Maryna; Wen, Peter J.; Jin, Albert; Momboisse, Fanny; Wu, Ling-Gang

    2014-01-01

    Vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane generates an Ω-shaped membrane profile. Its pore is thought to dilate until flattening (full-collapse), followed by classical endocytosis to retrieve vesicles. Alternatively, the pore may close (kiss-and-run), but the triggering mechanisms and its endocytic roles remain poorly understood. Here, using confocal and STED imaging of dense-core vesicles, we find that fusion-generated Ω-profiles may enlarge or shrink while maintaining vesicular membrane proteins. Closure of fusion-generated Ω-profiles, which produces various sizes of vesicles, is the dominant mechanism mediating rapid and slow endocytosis within ~1–30 s. Strong calcium influx triggers dynamin-mediated closure. Weak calcium influx does not promote closure, but facilitates the merging of Ω-profiles with the plasma membrane via shrinking rather than full-collapse. These results establish a model, termed Ω-exo-endocytosis, in which the fusion-generated Ω-profile may shrink to merge with the plasma membrane, change in size, or change in size then close in response to calcium, which is the main mechanism to retrieve dense-core vesicles. PMID:24561832

  4. Endocytic Crosstalk: Cavins, Caveolins, and Caveolae Regulate Clathrin-Independent Endocytosis

    PubMed Central

    Chaudhary, Natasha; Gomez, Guillermo A.; Howes, Mark T.; Lo, Harriet P.; McMahon, Kerrie-Ann; Rae, James A.; Schieber, Nicole L.; Hill, Michelle M.; Gaus, Katharina; Yap, Alpha S.; Parton, Robert G.

    2014-01-01

    Several studies have suggested crosstalk between different clathrin-independent endocytic pathways. However, the molecular mechanisms and functional relevance of these interactions are unclear. Caveolins and cavins are crucial components of caveolae, specialized microdomains that also constitute an endocytic route. Here we show that specific caveolar proteins are independently acting negative regulators of clathrin-independent endocytosis. Cavin-1 and Cavin-3, but not Cavin-2 or Cavin-4, are potent inhibitors of the clathrin-independent carriers/GPI-AP enriched early endosomal compartment (CLIC/GEEC) endocytic pathway, in a process independent of caveola formation. Caveolin-1 (CAV1) and CAV3 also inhibit the CLIC/GEEC pathway upon over-expression. Expression of caveolar protein leads to reduction in formation of early CLIC/GEEC carriers, as detected by quantitative electron microscopy analysis. Furthermore, the CLIC/GEEC pathway is upregulated in cells lacking CAV1/Cavin-1 or with reduced expression of Cavin-1 and Cavin-3. Inhibition by caveolins can be mimicked by the isolated caveolin scaffolding domain and is associated with perturbed diffusion of lipid microdomain components, as revealed by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) studies. In the absence of cavins (and caveolae) CAV1 is itself endocytosed preferentially through the CLIC/GEEC pathway, but the pathway loses polarization and sorting attributes with consequences for membrane dynamics and endocytic polarization in migrating cells and adult muscle tissue. We also found that noncaveolar Cavin-1 can act as a modulator for the activity of the key regulator of the CLIC/GEEC pathway, Cdc42. This work provides new insights into the regulation of noncaveolar clathrin-independent endocytosis by specific caveolar proteins, illustrating multiple levels of crosstalk between these pathways. We show for the first time a role for specific cavins in regulating the CLIC/GEEC pathway, provide a new tool to

  5. Overlapping Role of Dynamin Isoforms in Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis

    PubMed Central

    Raimondi, Andrea; Ferguson, Shawn M.; Lou, Xuelin; Armbruster, Moritz; Paradise, Summer; Giovedi, Silvia; Messa, Mirko; Kono, Nao; Takasaki, Junko; Cappello, Valentina; O’Toole, Eileen; Ryan, Timothy A.; De Camilli, Pietro

    2011-01-01

    The existence of neuron specific endocytic protein isoforms raises questions about their importance for specialized neuronal functions. Dynamin, a GTPase implicated in the fission reaction of endocytosis, is encoded by three genes, two of which, dynamin 1 and 3, are highly expressed in neurons. We show that dynamin 3, thought to play a predominantly postsynaptic role, has a major presynaptic function. While lack of dynamin 3 does not produce an overt phenotype in mice, it worsens the dynamin 1 KO phenotype, leading to perinatal lethality and a more severe defect in activity-dependent synaptic vesicle endocytosis. Thus, dynamin 1 and 3, which together account for the overwhelming majority of brain dynamin, cooperate in supporting optimal rates of synaptic vesicle endocytosis. Persistence of synaptic transmission in their absence indicates that if dynamin plays essential functions in neurons, such functions can be achieved by the very low levels of dynamin 2. PMID:21689597

  6. CALM Regulates Clathrin-Coated Vesicle Size and Maturation by Directly Sensing and Driving Membrane Curvature

    PubMed Central

    Miller, Sharon E.; Mathiasen, Signe; Bright, Nicholas A.; Pierre, Fabienne; Kelly, Bernard T.; Kladt, Nikolay; Schauss, Astrid; Merrifield, Christien J.; Stamou, Dimitrios; Höning, Stefan; Owen, David J.

    2015-01-01

    Summary The size of endocytic clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) is remarkably uniform, suggesting that it is optimized to achieve the appropriate levels of cargo and lipid internalization. The three most abundant proteins in mammalian endocytic CCVs are clathrin and the two cargo-selecting, clathrin adaptors, CALM and AP2. Here we demonstrate that depletion of CALM causes a substantial increase in the ratio of “open” clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) to “necked”/“closed” CCVs and a doubling of CCP/CCV diameter, whereas AP2 depletion has opposite effects. Depletion of either adaptor, however, significantly inhibits endocytosis of transferrin and epidermal growth factor. The phenotypic effects of CALM depletion can be rescued by re-expression of wild-type CALM, but not with CALM that lacks a functional N-terminal, membrane-inserting, curvature-sensing/driving amphipathic helix, the existence and properties of which are demonstrated. CALM is thus a major factor in controlling CCV size and maturation and hence in determining the rates of endocytic cargo uptake. PMID:25898166

  7. The Endocytic Adaptor Eps15 Controls Marginal Zone B Cell Numbers

    PubMed Central

    Pozzi, Benedetta; Amodio, Stefania; Lucano, Caterina; Sciullo, Anna; Ronzoni, Simona; Castelletti, Daniela; Adler, Thure; Treise, Irina; Betsholtz, Ingrid Holmberg; Rathkolb, Birgit; Busch, Dirk H.; Wolf, Eckhard; Fuchs, Helmut; Gailus-Durner, Valérie; de Angelis, Martin Hrabě; Betsholtz, Christer; Casola, Stefano; Di Fiore, Pier Paolo; Offenhäuser, Nina

    2012-01-01

    Eps15 is an endocytic adaptor protein involved in clathrin and non-clathrin mediated endocytosis. In Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster lack of Eps15 leads to defects in synaptic vesicle recycling and synapse formation. We generated Eps15-KO mice to investigate its function in mammals. Eps15-KO mice are born at the expected Mendelian ratio and are fertile. Using a large-scale phenotype screen covering more than 300 parameters correlated to human disease, we found that Eps15-KO mice did not show any sign of disease or neural deficits. Instead, altered blood parameters pointed to an immunological defect. By competitive bone marrow transplantation we demonstrated that Eps15-KO hematopoietic precursor cells were more efficient than the WT counterparts in repopulating B220+ bone marrow cells, CD19− thymocytes and splenic marginal zone (MZ) B cells. Eps15-KO mice showed a 2-fold increase in MZ B cell numbers when compared with controls. Using reverse bone marrow transplantation, we found that Eps15 regulates MZ B cell numbers in a cell autonomous manner. FACS analysis showed that although MZ B cells were increased in Eps15-KO mice, transitional and pre-MZ B cell numbers were unaffected. The increase in MZ B cell numbers in Eps15 KO mice was not dependent on altered BCR signaling or Notch activity. In conclusion, in mammals, the endocytic adaptor protein Eps15 is a regulator of B-cell lymphopoiesis. PMID:23226392

  8. Localization and role of MYO-1, an endocytic protein in hyphae of Neurospora crassa.

    PubMed

    Lara-Rojas, Fernando; Bartnicki-García, Salomón; Mouriño-Pérez, Rosa R

    2016-03-01

    The subapical endocytic collar is a prominent feature of hyphae of Neurospora crassa. It comprises a dynamic collection of actin patches associated with a number of proteins required for endocytosis, namely, ARP-2/3 complex, fimbrin, coronin, etc. We presently show that MYO-1 is another key component of this endocytic collar. A myo-1 sequence was identified in the genome of N. crassa and used it to generate a strain with a myo-1-sgfp allele under the ccg1 promoter. Examination of living hyphae by confocal microscopy, revealed MYO-1-GFP located mainly as a dynamic collection of small patches arranged in collar-like fashion in the hyphal subapex. Dual tagging showed MYO-1-GFP partially colocalized with two other endocytic proteins, fimbrin and coronin. MYO-1 was also present during septum formation. By recovering a viable strain, albeit severely inhibited, after deletion of myo-1, it was possible to investigate the phenotypic consequences of the elimination of MYO-1. Deletion of myo-1 caused a severe reduction in growth rate (95%), near absence of aerial mycelium and no conidiation. A reduced uptake of the lipophilic dye FM4-64 indicated a deficiency in endocytosis in the Δmyo-1 mutant. Hyphae were produced by the Δmyo-1 mutant but their morphogenesis was severely affected; hyphal morphology was distorted displaying irregular periods of isotropic and polarized growth. The morphological alterations were accompanied, and presumably caused, by a disruption in the organization and dynamics of a myosin-deprived actin cytoskeleton that, ultimately, compromised the stability and function of the Spitzenkörper as a vesicle supply center. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Fast retrieval and autonomous regulation of single spontaneously recycling synaptic vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Leitz, Jeremy; Kavalali, Ege T

    2014-01-01

    Presynaptic terminals release neurotransmitters spontaneously in a manner that can be regulated by Ca2+. However, the mechanisms underlying this regulation are poorly understood because the inherent stochasticity and low probability of spontaneous fusion events has curtailed their visualization at individual release sites. Here, using pH-sensitive optical probes targeted to synaptic vesicles, we visualized single spontaneous fusion events and found that they are retrieved extremely rapidly with faster re-acidification kinetics than their action potential-evoked counterparts. These fusion events were coupled to postsynaptic NMDA receptor-driven Ca2+ signals, and at elevated Ca2+ concentrations there was an increase in the number of vesicles that would undergo fusion. Furthermore, spontaneous vesicle fusion propensity in a synapse was Ca2+-dependent but regulated autonomously: independent of evoked fusion probability at the same synapse. Taken together, these results expand classical quantal analysis to incorporate endocytic and exocytic phases of single fusion events and uncover autonomous regulation of spontaneous fusion. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03658.001 PMID:25415052

  10. The late endocytic Rab39a GTPase regulates the interaction between multivesicular bodies and chlamydial inclusions.

    PubMed

    Gambarte Tudela, Julian; Capmany, Anahi; Romao, Maryse; Quintero, Cristian; Miserey-Lenkei, Stephanie; Raposo, Graca; Goud, Bruno; Damiani, Maria Teresa

    2015-08-15

    Given their obligate intracellular lifestyle, Chlamydia trachomatis ensure that they have access to multiple host sources of essential lipids by interfering with vesicular transport. These bacteria hijack Rab6-, Rab11- and Rab14-controlled trafficking pathways to acquire sphingomyelin from the Golgi complex. Another important source of sphingolipids, phospholipids and cholesterol are multivesicular bodies (MVBs). Despite their participation in chlamydial inclusion development and bacterial replication, the molecular mechanisms mediating the interaction between MVBs and chlamydial inclusions remain unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that Rab39a labels a subset of late endocytic vesicles - mainly MVBs - that move along microtubules. Moreover, Rab39a is actively recruited to chlamydial inclusions throughout the pathogen life cycle by a bacterial-driven process that depends on the Rab39a GTP- or GDP-binding state. Interestingly, Rab39a participates in the delivery of MVBs and host sphingolipids to maturing chlamydial inclusions, thereby promoting inclusion growth and bacterial development. Taken together, our findings indicate that Rab39a favours chlamydial replication and infectivity. This is the first report showing that a late endocytic Rab GTPase is involved in chlamydial infection development. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  11. Syndapin/SDPN-1 is required for endocytic recycling and endosomal actin association in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine

    PubMed Central

    Gleason, Adenrele M.; Nguyen, Ken C. Q.; Hall, David H.; Grant, Barth D.

    2016-01-01

    Syndapin/pascin-family F-BAR domain proteins bind directly to membrane lipids and are associated with actin dynamics at the plasma membrane. Previous reports also implicated mammalian syndapin 2 in endosome function during receptor recycling, but precise analysis of a putative recycling function for syndapin in mammalian systems is difficult because of its effects on the earlier step of endocytic uptake and potential redundancy among the three separate genes that encode mammalian syndapin isoforms. Here we analyze the endocytic transport function of the only Caenorhabditis elegans syndapin, SDPN-1. We find that SDPN-1 is a resident protein of the early and basolateral recycling endosomes in the C. elegans intestinal epithelium, and sdpn-1 deletion mutants display phenotypes indicating a block in basolateral recycling transport. sdpn-1 mutants accumulate abnormal endosomes positive for early endosome and recycling endosome markers that are normally separate, and such endosomes accumulate high levels of basolateral recycling cargo. Furthermore, we observed strong colocalization of endosomal SDPN-1 with the F-actin biosensor Lifeact and found that loss of SDPN-1 greatly reduced Lifeact accumulation on early endosomes. Taken together, our results provide strong evidence for an in vivo function of syndapin in endocytic recycling and suggest that syndapin promotes transport via endosomal fission. PMID:27630264

  12. An Acidic Cluster in the Cytosolic Domain of Human Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein B Is a Signal for Endocytosis from the Plasma Membrane

    PubMed Central

    Tugizov, Sharof; Maidji, Ekaterina; Xiao, Jianqiao; Pereira, Lenore

    1999-01-01

    We previously reported that human cytomegalovirus (CMV) glycoprotein B (gB) is transported to apical membranes in CMV-infected polarized retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells and in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells constitutively expressing gB. The cytosolic domain of gB contains a cluster of acidic amino acids, a motif that plays a pivotal role in vectorial trafficking in polarized epithelial cells and may also function as a signal for entry into the endocytic pathway. Here we compared gB internalization and recycling to the plasma membrane in CMV-infected human fibroblasts (HF) and ARPE-19 cells by using antibody-internalization experiments. Immunofluorescence and quantitative assays showed that gB was internalized from the cell surface into clathrin-coated transport vesicles and then recycled to the plasma membrane. gB colocalized with clathrin-coated vesicles containing the transferrin receptor in the early endocytic/recycling pathway, indicating that gB traffics in this pathway. The specific role of the acidic cluster in regulating the sorting of gB-containing vesicles in the early endocytic/recycling pathway was examined in MDCK cells expressing mutated gB derivatives. Immunofluorescence assays showed that derivatives lacking the acidic cluster were impaired in internalization and failed to recycle. These findings, together with our earlier observation that the acidic cluster is a key determinant for targeting gB molecules to apical membranes in epithelial cells, establish that this signal is recognized by cellular proteins that participate in polarized sorting and transport in the early endocytic/recycling pathway. PMID:10482621

  13. EHD proteins: Key conductors of endocytic transport

    PubMed Central

    Naslavsky, Naava; Caplan, Steve

    2010-01-01

    Regulation of endocytic transport is controlled by an elaborate network of proteins. Rab GTP-binding proteins and their effectors have well-defined roles in mediating specific endocytic transport steps, but until recently, less was known about the four mammalian dynamin-like C-terminal Eps15 Homology Domain (EHD) proteins that also regulate endocytic events. In recent years, however, great strides have been made in understanding the structure and function of these unique proteins. Indeed, a growing body of literature addresses EHD protein structure, interactions with binding partners, functions in mammalian cells, and the generation of various new model systems. Accordingly, this is now an opportune time to pause and review the function and mechanisms of action of EHD proteins, and to highlight some of the challenges and future directions for the field. PMID:21067929

  14. The CD63-Syntenin-1 Complex Controls Post-Endocytic Trafficking of Oncogenic Human Papillomaviruses.

    PubMed

    Gräßel, Linda; Fast, Laura Aline; Scheffer, Konstanze D; Boukhallouk, Fatima; Spoden, Gilles A; Tenzer, Stefan; Boller, Klaus; Bago, Ruzica; Rajesh, Sundaresan; Overduin, Michael; Berditchevski, Fedor; Florin, Luise

    2016-08-31

    Human papillomaviruses enter host cells via a clathrin-independent endocytic pathway involving tetraspanin proteins. However, post-endocytic trafficking required for virus capsid disassembly remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that the early trafficking pathway of internalised HPV particles involves tetraspanin CD63, syntenin-1 and ESCRT-associated adaptor protein ALIX. Following internalisation, viral particles are found in CD63-positive endosomes recruiting syntenin-1, a CD63-interacting adaptor protein. Electron microscopy and immunofluorescence experiments indicate that the CD63-syntenin-1 complex controls delivery of internalised viral particles to multivesicular endosomes. Accordingly, infectivity of high-risk HPV types 16, 18 and 31 as well as disassembly and post-uncoating processing of viral particles was markedly suppressed in CD63 or syntenin-1 depleted cells. Our analyses also present the syntenin-1 interacting protein ALIX as critical for HPV infection and CD63-syntenin-1-ALIX complex formation as a prerequisite for intracellular transport enabling viral capsid disassembly. Thus, our results identify the CD63-syntenin-1-ALIX complex as a key regulatory component in post-endocytic HPV trafficking.

  15. Regulation of endocytic traffic by Rho GTPases.

    PubMed Central

    Qualmann, Britta; Mellor, Harry

    2003-01-01

    The members of the Rho subfamily of small GTPases are key regulators of the actin cytoskeleton. However, recent studies have provided evidence for multiple additional roles for these signalling proteins in controlling endocytic traffic. Here we review our current understanding of Rho GTPase action within the endocytic pathway and examine the potential points of convergence with the more established, actin-based functions of these signalling proteins. PMID:12564953

  16. Inositol Depletion Restores Vesicle Transport in Yeast Phospholipid Flippase Mutants

    PubMed Central

    Yamagami, Kanako; Yamamoto, Takaharu; Sakai, Shota; Mioka, Tetsuo; Sano, Takamitsu; Igarashi, Yasuyuki; Tanaka, Kazuma

    2015-01-01

    In eukaryotic cells, type 4 P-type ATPases function as phospholipid flippases, which translocate phospholipids from the exoplasmic leaflet to the cytoplasmic leaflet of the lipid bilayer. Flippases function in the formation of transport vesicles, but the mechanism remains unknown. Here, we isolate an arrestin-related trafficking adaptor, ART5, as a multicopy suppressor of the growth and endocytic recycling defects of flippase mutants in budding yeast. Consistent with a previous report that Art5p downregulates the inositol transporter Itr1p by endocytosis, we found that flippase mutations were also suppressed by the disruption of ITR1, as well as by depletion of inositol from the culture medium. Interestingly, inositol depletion suppressed the defects in all five flippase mutants. Inositol depletion also partially restored the formation of secretory vesicles in a flippase mutant. Inositol depletion caused changes in lipid composition, including a decrease in phosphatidylinositol and an increase in phosphatidylserine. A reduction in phosphatidylinositol levels caused by partially depleting the phosphatidylinositol synthase Pis1p also suppressed a flippase mutation. These results suggest that inositol depletion changes the lipid composition of the endosomal/TGN membranes, which results in vesicle formation from these membranes in the absence of flippases. PMID:25781026

  17. Membrane order in the plasma membrane and endocytic recycling compartment.

    PubMed

    Iaea, David B; Maxfield, Frederick R

    2017-01-01

    The cholesterol content of membranes plays an important role in organizing membranes for signal transduction and protein trafficking as well as in modulating the biophysical properties of membranes. While the properties of model or isolated membranes have been extensively studied, there has been little evaluation of internal membranes in living cells. Here, we use a Nile Red based probe, NR12S, and ratiometric live cell imaging, to analyze the membrane order of the plasma membrane and endocytic recycling compartment. We find that after a brief incubation to allow endocytosis, NR12S is distributed between the plasma membrane and the endocytic recycling compartment. The NR12S reports that the endocytic recycling compartment is more highly ordered than the plasma membrane. We also find that the plasma membrane and the endocytic recycling compartment are differentially affected by altering cellular cholesterol levels. The membrane order of the plasma membrane, but not the endocytic recycling compartment, is altered significantly when cellular cholesterol content is increased or decreased by 20%. These results demonstrate that changes in cellular cholesterol differentially alter membrane order within different organelles.

  18. On the entry of an emerging arbovirus into host cells: Mayaro virus takes the highway to the cytoplasm through fusion with early endosomes and caveolae-derived vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Carvalho, Carlos A.M.; Silva, Jerson L.; Oliveira, Andréa C.

    2017-01-01

    Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an emergent sylvatic alphavirus in South America, related to sporadic outbreaks of a chikungunya-like human febrile illness accompanied by severe arthralgia. Despite its high potential for urban emergence, MAYV is still an obscure virus with scarce information about its infection cycle, including the corresponding early events. Even for prototypical alphaviruses, the cell entry mechanism still has some rough edges to trim: although clathrin-mediated endocytosis is quoted as the putative route, alternative paths as distinct as direct virus genome injection through the cell plasma membrane seems to be possible. Our aim was to clarify crucial details on the entry route exploited by MAYV to gain access into the host cell. Tracking the virus since its first contact with the surface of Vero cells by fluorescence microscopy, we show that its entry occurs by a fast endocytic process and relies on fusion with acidic endosomal compartments. Moreover, blocking clathrin-mediated endocytosis or depleting cholesterol from the cell membrane leads to a strong inhibition of viral infection, as assessed by plaque assays. Following this clue, we found that early endosomes and caveolae-derived vesicles are both implicated as target membranes for MAYV fusion. Our findings unravel the very first events that culminate in a productive infection by MAYV and shed light on potential targets for a rational antiviral therapy, besides providing a better comprehension of the entry routes exploited by alphaviruses to get into the cell. PMID:28462045

  19. MAA-1, a novel acyl-CoA-binding protein involved in endosomal vesicle transport in Caenorhabditis elegans.

    PubMed

    Larsen, Morten K; Tuck, Simon; Faergeman, Nils J; Knudsen, Jens

    2006-10-01

    The budding and fission of vesicles during membrane trafficking requires many proteins, including those that coat the vesicles, adaptor proteins that recruit components of the coat, and small GTPases that initiate vesicle formation. In addition, vesicle formation in vitro is promoted by the hydrolysis of acyl-CoA lipid esters. The mechanisms by which these lipid esters are directed to the appropriate membranes in vivo, and their precise roles in vesicle biogenesis, are not yet understood. Here, we present the first report on membrane associated ACBP domain-containing protein-1 (MAA-1), a novel membrane-associated member of the acyl-CoA-binding protein family. We show that in Caenorhabditis elegans, MAA-1 localizes to intracellular membrane organelles in the secretory and endocytic pathway and that mutations in maa-1 reduce the rate of endosomal recycling. A lack of maa-1 activity causes a change in endosomal morphology. Although in wild type, many endosomal organelles have long tubular protrusions, loss of MAA-1 activity results in loss of the tubular domains, suggesting the maa-1 is required for the generation or maintenance of these domains. Furthermore, we demonstrate that MAA-1 binds fatty acyl-CoA in vitro and that this ligand-binding ability is important for its function in vivo. Our results are consistent with a role for MAA-1 in an acyl-CoA-dependent process during vesicle formation.

  20. Extracellular Vesicles from Parasitic Helminths Contain Specific Excretory/Secretory Proteins and Are Internalized in Intestinal Host Cells

    PubMed Central

    Marcilla, Antonio; Trelis, María; Cortés, Alba; Sotillo, Javier; Cantalapiedra, Fernando; Minguez, María Teresa; Valero, María Luz; Sánchez del Pino, Manuel Mateo; Muñoz-Antoli, Carla; Toledo, Rafael; Bernal, Dolores

    2012-01-01

    The study of host-parasite interactions has increased considerably in the last decades, with many studies focusing on the identification of parasite molecules (i.e. surface or excretory/secretory proteins (ESP)) as potential targets for new specific treatments and/or diagnostic tools. In parallel, in the last few years there have been significant advances in the field of extracellular vesicles research. Among these vesicles, exosomes of endocytic origin, with a characteristic size ranging from 30–100 nm, carry several atypical secreted proteins in different organisms, including parasitic protozoa. Here, we present experimental evidence for the existence of exosome-like vesicles in parasitic helminths, specifically the trematodes Echinostoma caproni and Fasciola hepatica. These microvesicles are actively released by the parasites and are taken up by host cells. Trematode extracellular vesicles contain most of the proteins previously identified as components of ESP, as confirmed by proteomic, immunogold labeling and electron microscopy studies. In addition to parasitic proteins, we also identify host proteins in these structures. The existence of extracellular vesicles explains the secretion of atypical proteins in trematodes, and the demonstration of their uptake by host cells suggests an important role for these structures in host-parasite communication, as described for other infectious agents. PMID:23029346

  1. Membrane order in the plasma membrane and endocytic recycling compartment

    PubMed Central

    Iaea, David B.; Maxfield, Frederick R.

    2017-01-01

    The cholesterol content of membranes plays an important role in organizing membranes for signal transduction and protein trafficking as well as in modulating the biophysical properties of membranes. While the properties of model or isolated membranes have been extensively studied, there has been little evaluation of internal membranes in living cells. Here, we use a Nile Red based probe, NR12S, and ratiometric live cell imaging, to analyze the membrane order of the plasma membrane and endocytic recycling compartment. We find that after a brief incubation to allow endocytosis, NR12S is distributed between the plasma membrane and the endocytic recycling compartment. The NR12S reports that the endocytic recycling compartment is more highly ordered than the plasma membrane. We also find that the plasma membrane and the endocytic recycling compartment are differentially affected by altering cellular cholesterol levels. The membrane order of the plasma membrane, but not the endocytic recycling compartment, is altered significantly when cellular cholesterol content is increased or decreased by 20%. These results demonstrate that changes in cellular cholesterol differentially alter membrane order within different organelles. PMID:29125865

  2. Early steps of supported bilayer formation probed by single vesicle fluorescence assays.

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Joseph M; Ha, Taekjip; Chu, Steve; Boxer, Steven G

    2002-01-01

    We have developed a single vesicle assay to study the mechanisms of supported bilayer formation. Fluorescently labeled, unilamellar vesicles (30-100 nm diameter) were first adsorbed to a quartz surface at low enough surface concentrations to visualize single vesicles. Fusion and rupture events during the bilayer formation, induced by the subsequent addition of unlabeled vesicles, were detected by measuring two-color fluorescence signals simultaneously. Lipid-conjugated dyes monitored the membrane fusion while encapsulated dyes reported on the vesicle rupture. Four dominant pathways were observed, each exhibiting characteristic two-color fluorescence signatures: 1) primary fusion, in which an unlabeled vesicle fuses with a labeled vesicle on the surface, is signified by the dequenching of the lipid-conjugated dyes followed by rupture and final merging into the bilayer; 2) simultaneous fusion and rupture, in which a labeled vesicle on the surface ruptures simultaneously upon fusion with an unlabeled vesicle; 3) no dequenching, in which loss of fluorescence signal from both dyes occur simultaneously with the final merger into the bilayer; and 4) isolated rupture (pre-ruptured vesicles), in which a labeled vesicle on the surface spontaneously undergoes content loss, a process that occurs with high efficiency in the presence of a high concentration of Texas Red-labeled lipids. Vesicles that have undergone content loss appear to be more fusogenic than intact vesicles. PMID:12496104

  3. Efficient Endocytic Uptake and Maturation in Drosophila Oocytes Requires Dynamitin/p50

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Guojun; Sanghavi, Paulomi; Bollinger, Kathryn E.; Perry, Libby; Marshall, Brendan; Roon, Penny; Tanaka, Tsubasa; Nakamura, Akira; Gonsalvez, Graydon B.

    2015-01-01

    Dynactin is a multi-subunit complex that functions as a regulator of the Dynein motor. A central component of this complex is Dynamitin/p50 (Dmn). Dmn is required for endosome motility in mammalian cell lines. However, the extent to which Dmn participates in the sorting of cargo via the endosomal system is unknown. In this study, we examined the endocytic role of Dmn using the Drosophila melanogaster oocyte as a model. Yolk proteins are internalized into the oocyte via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, trafficked through the endocytic pathway, and stored in condensed yolk granules. Oocytes that were depleted of Dmn contained fewer yolk granules than controls. In addition, these oocytes accumulated numerous endocytic intermediate structures. Particularly prominent were enlarged endosomes that were relatively devoid of Yolk proteins. Ultrastructural and genetic analyses indicate that the endocytic intermediates are produced downstream of Rab5. Similar phenotypes were observed upon depleting Dynein heavy chain (Dhc) or Lis1. Dhc is the motor subunit of the Dynein complex and Lis1 is a regulator of Dynein activity. We therefore propose that Dmn performs its function in endocytosis via the Dynein motor. Consistent with a role for Dynein in endocytosis, the motor colocalized with the endocytic machinery at the oocyte cortex in an endocytosis-dependent manner. Our results suggest a model whereby endocytic activity recruits Dynein to the oocyte cortex. The motor along with its regulators, Dynactin and Lis1, functions to ensure efficient endocytic uptake and maturation. PMID:26265702

  4. A Method for Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles and Characterization of Exosomes from Brain Extracellular Space.

    PubMed

    Pérez-González, Rocío; Gauthier, Sebastien A; Kumar, Asok; Saito, Mitsuo; Saito, Mariko; Levy, Efrat

    2017-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EV), including exosomes, secreted vesicles of endocytic origin, and microvesicles derived from the plasma membrane, have been widely isolated and characterized from conditioned culture media and bodily fluids. The difficulty in isolating EV from tissues, however, has hindered their study in vivo. Here, we describe a novel method designed to isolate EV and characterize exosomes from the extracellular space of brain tissues. The purification of EV is achieved by gentle dissociation of the tissue to free the brain extracellular space, followed by sequential low-speed centrifugations, filtration, and ultracentrifugations. To further purify EV from other extracellular components, they are separated on a sucrose step gradient. Characterization of the sucrose step gradient fractions by electron microscopy demonstrates that this method yields pure EV preparations free of large vesicles, subcellular organelles, or debris. The level of EV secretion and content are determined by assays for acetylcholinesterase activity and total protein estimation, and exosomal identification and protein content are analyzed by Western blot and immuno-electron microscopy. Additionally, we present here a method to delipidate EV in order to improve the resolution of downstream electrophoretic analysis of EV proteins.

  5. Sensing Exocytosis and Triggering Endocytosis at Synapses: Synaptic Vesicle Exocytosis–Endocytosis Coupling

    PubMed Central

    Lou, Xuelin

    2018-01-01

    The intact synaptic structure is critical for information processing in neural circuits. During synaptic transmission, rapid vesicle exocytosis increases the size of never terminals and endocytosis counteracts the increase. Accumulating evidence suggests that SV exocytosis and endocytosis are tightly connected in time and space during SV recycling, and this process is essential for synaptic function and structural stability. Research in the past has illustrated the molecular details of synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis and endocytosis; however, the mechanisms that timely connect these two fundamental events are poorly understood at central synapses. Here we discuss recent progress in SV recycling and summarize several emerging mechanisms by which synapses can “sense” the occurrence of exocytosis and timely initiate compensatory endocytosis. They include Ca2+ sensing, SV proteins sensing, and local membrane stress sensing. In addition, the spatial organization of endocytic zones adjacent to active zones provides a structural basis for efficient coupling between SV exocytosis and endocytosis. Through linking different endocytosis pathways with SV fusion, these mechanisms ensure necessary plasticity and robustness of nerve terminals to meet diverse physiological needs. PMID:29593500

  6. Wild-Type Monomeric α-Synuclein Can Impair Vesicle Endocytosis and Synaptic Fidelity via Tubulin Polymerization at the Calyx of Held.

    PubMed

    Eguchi, Kohgaku; Taoufiq, Zacharie; Thorn-Seshold, Oliver; Trauner, Dirk; Hasegawa, Masato; Takahashi, Tomoyuki

    2017-06-21

    α-Synuclein is a presynaptic protein the function of which has yet to be identified, but its neuronal content increases in patients of synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease. Chronic overexpression of α-synuclein reportedly expresses various phenotypes of synaptic dysfunction, but the primary target of its toxicity has not been determined. To investigate this, we acutely loaded human recombinant α-synuclein or its pathological mutants in their monomeric forms into the calyces of Held presynaptic terminals in slices from auditorily mature and immature rats of either sex. Membrane capacitance measurements revealed significant and specific inhibitory effects of WT monomeric α-synuclein on vesicle endocytosis throughout development. However, the α-synuclein A53T mutant affected vesicle endocytosis only at immature calyces, whereas the A30P mutant had no effect throughout. The endocytic impairment by WT α-synuclein was rescued by intraterminal coloading of the microtubule (MT) polymerization blocker nocodazole. Furthermore, it was reversibly rescued by presynaptically loaded photostatin-1, a photoswitcheable inhibitor of MT polymerization, in a light-wavelength-dependent manner. In contrast, endocytic inhibition by the A53T mutant at immature calyces was not rescued by nocodazole. Functionally, presynaptically loaded WT α-synuclein had no effect on basal synaptic transmission evoked at a low frequency, but significantly attenuated exocytosis and impaired the fidelity of neurotransmission during prolonged high-frequency stimulation. We conclude that monomeric WT α-synuclein primarily inhibits vesicle endocytosis via MT overassembly, thereby impairing high-frequency neurotransmission. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Abnormal α-synuclein abundance is associated with synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease, but neither the primary target of α-synuclein toxicity nor its mechanism is identified. Here, we loaded monomeric α-synuclein directly into mammalian

  7. Dimerization drives EGFR endocytosis through two sets of compatible endocytic codes.

    PubMed

    Wang, Qian; Chen, Xinmei; Wang, Zhixiang

    2015-03-01

    We have shown previously that epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) endocytosis is controlled by EGFR dimerization. However, it is not clear how the dimerization drives receptor internalization. We propose that EGFR endocytosis is driven by dimerization, bringing two sets of endocytic codes, one contained in each receptor monomer, in close proximity. Here, we tested this hypothesis by generating specific homo- or hetero-dimers of various receptors and their mutants. We show that ErbB2 and ErbB3 homodimers are endocytosis deficient owing to the lack of endocytic codes. Interestingly, EGFR-ErbB2 or EGFR-ErbB3 heterodimers are also endocytosis deficient. Moreover, the heterodimer of EGFR and the endocytosis-deficient mutant EGFRΔ1005-1017 is also impaired in endocytosis. These results indicate that two sets of endocytic codes are required for receptor endocytosis. We found that an EGFR-PDGFRβ heterodimer is endocytosis deficient, although both EGFR and PDGFRβ homodimers are endocytosis-competent, indicating that two compatible sets of endocytic codes are required. Finally, we found that to mediate the endocytosis of the receptor dimer, the two sets of compatible endocytic codes, one contained in each receptor molecule, have to be spatially coordinated. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  8. N-glycans are direct determinants of CFTR folding and stability in secretory and endocytic membrane traffic.

    PubMed

    Glozman, Rina; Okiyoneda, Tsukasa; Mulvihill, Cory M; Rini, James M; Barriere, Herve; Lukacs, Gergely L

    2009-03-23

    N-glycosylation, a common cotranslational modification, is thought to be critical for plasma membrane expression of glycoproteins by enhancing protein folding, trafficking, and stability through targeting them to the ER folding cycles via lectin-like chaperones. In this study, we show that N-glycans, specifically core glycans, enhance the productive folding and conformational stability of a polytopic membrane protein, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), independently of lectin-like chaperones. Defective N-glycosylation reduces cell surface expression by impairing both early secretory and endocytic traffic of CFTR. Conformational destabilization of the glycan-deficient CFTR induces ubiquitination, leading to rapid elimination from the cell surface. Ubiquitinated CFTR is directed to lysosomal degradation instead of endocytic recycling in early endosomes mediated by ubiquitin-binding endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) adaptors Hrs (hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate) and TSG101. These results suggest that cotranslational N-glycosylation can exert a chaperone-independent profolding change in the energetic of CFTR in vivo as well as outline a paradigm for the peripheral trafficking defect of membrane proteins with impaired glycosylation.

  9. Quantum dot-loaded monofunctionalized DNA icosahedra for single-particle tracking of endocytic pathways.

    PubMed

    Bhatia, Dhiraj; Arumugam, Senthil; Nasilowski, Michel; Joshi, Himanshu; Wunder, Christian; Chambon, Valérie; Prakash, Ved; Grazon, Chloé; Nadal, Brice; Maiti, Prabal K; Johannes, Ludger; Dubertret, Benoit; Krishnan, Yamuna

    2016-12-01

    Functionalization of quantum dots (QDs) with a single biomolecular tag using traditional approaches in bulk solution has met with limited success. DNA polyhedra consist of an internal void bounded by a well-defined three-dimensional structured surface. The void can house cargo and the surface can be functionalized with stoichiometric and spatial precision. Here, we show that monofunctionalized QDs can be realized by encapsulating QDs inside DNA icosahedra and functionalizing the DNA shell with an endocytic ligand. We deployed the DNA-encapsulated QDs for real-time imaging of three different endocytic ligands-folic acid, galectin-3 (Gal3) and the Shiga toxin B-subunit (STxB). Single-particle tracking of Gal3- or STxB-functionalized QD-loaded DNA icosahedra allows us to monitor compartmental dynamics along endocytic pathways. These DNA-encapsulated QDs, which bear a unique stoichiometry of endocytic ligands, represent a new class of molecular probes for quantitative imaging of endocytic receptor dynamics.

  10. Early Exposure to General Anesthesia Disrupts Spatial Organization of Presynaptic Vesicles in Nerve Terminals of the Developing Rat Subiculum.

    PubMed

    Lunardi, N; Oklopcic, A; Prillaman, M; Erisir, A; Jevtovic-Todorovic, V

    2015-10-01

    Exposure to general anesthesia (GA) during critical stages of brain development induces widespread neuronal apoptosis and causes long-lasting behavioral deficits in numerous animal species. Although several studies have focused on the morphological fate of neurons dying acutely by GA-induced developmental neuroapoptosis, the effects of an early exposure to GA on the surviving synapses remain unclear. The aim of this study is to study whether exposure to GA disrupts the fine regulation of the dynamic spatial organization and trafficking of synaptic vesicles in presynaptic terminals. We exposed postnatal day 7 (PND7) rat pups to a clinically relevant anesthetic combination of midazolam, nitrous oxide, and isoflurane and performed a detailed ultrastructural analysis of the synaptic vesicle architecture at presynaptic terminals in the subiculum of rats at PND 12. In addition to a significant decrease in the density of presynaptic vesicles, we observed a reduction of docked vesicles, as well as a reduction of vesicles located within 100 nm from the active zone, in animals 5 days after an initial exposure to GA. We also found that the synaptic vesicles of animals exposed to GA are located more distally with respect to the plasma membrane than those of sham control animals and that the distance between presynaptic vesicles is increased in GA-exposed animals compared to sham controls. We report that exposure of immature rats to GA during critical stages of brain development causes significant disruption of the strategic topography of presynaptic vesicles within the nerve terminals of the subiculum.

  11. EARP, a multisubunit tethering complex involved in endocytic recycling

    PubMed Central

    Schindler, Christina; Chen, Yu; Pu, Jing; Guo, Xiaoli; Bonifacino, Juan S.

    2015-01-01

    Recycling of endocytic receptors to the cell surface involves passage through a series of membrane-bound compartments by mechanisms that are poorly understood. In particular, it is unknown if endocytic recycling requires the function of multisubunit tethering complexes, as is the case for other intracellular trafficking pathways. Herein we describe a tethering complex named Endosome-Associated Recycling Protein (EARP) that is structurally related to the previously described Golgi-Associated Retrograde Protein (GARP) complex. Both complexes share the Ang2, Vps52 and Vps53 subunits, but EARP comprises an uncharacterized protein, Syndetin, in place of the Vps54 subunit of GARP. This change determines differential localization of EARP to recycling endosomes and GARP to the Golgi complex. EARP interacts with the target-SNARE Syntaxin 6 and various cognate SNAREs. Depletion of Syndetin or Syntaxin 6 delays recycling of internalized transferrin to the cell surface. These findings implicate EARP in canonical membrane-fusion events in the process of endocytic recycling. PMID:25799061

  12. Isolation and characterization of multivesicular bodies from rat hepatocytes: an organelle distinct from secretory vesicles of the Golgi apparatus

    PubMed Central

    1985-01-01

    Hepatocytes of estradiol-treated rats, which express many low density lipoprotein receptors, rapidly accumulate intravenously injected low density lipoprotein in multivesicular bodies (MVBs). We have isolated MVBs and Golgi apparatus fractions from livers of estradiol-treated rats. MVB fractions were composed mainly of large vesicles, approximately 0.55 micron diam, filled with remnantlike very low density lipoproteins, known to be taken up into hepatocytes by receptor- mediated endocytosis. MVBs also contained numerous small vesicles, 0.05- 0.07 micron in diameter, and had two types of appendages: one fingerlike and electron dense and the other saclike and electron lucent. MVBs contained little galactosyltransferase or arylsulfatase activity, and content lipoproteins were largely intact. Very low density lipoproteins from Golgi fractions, which are derived to a large extent from secretory vesicles, were larger than those of MVB fractions and contained newly synthesized triglycerides. Membranes of MVBs contained much more cholesterol and less protein than did Golgi membranes. We conclude that two distinct lipoprotein-filled organelles are located in the bile canalicular pole of hepatocytes. MVBs, a major prelysosomal organelle of low density in the endocytic pathway, contain remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, whereas secretory vesicles of the Golgi apparatus contain nascent very low density lipoproteins. PMID:3988801

  13. Disruption of the endocytic protein HIP1 results in neurological deficits and decreased AMPA receptor trafficking.

    PubMed

    Metzler, Martina; Li, Bo; Gan, Lu; Georgiou, John; Gutekunst, Claire-Anne; Wang, Yushan; Torre, Enrique; Devon, Rebecca S; Oh, Rosemary; Legendre-Guillemin, Valerie; Rich, Mark; Alvarez, Christine; Gertsenstein, Marina; McPherson, Peter S; Nagy, Andras; Wang, Yu Tian; Roder, John C; Raymond, Lynn A; Hayden, Michael R

    2003-07-01

    Huntingtin interacting protein 1 (HIP1) is a recently identified component of clathrin-coated vesicles that plays a role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. To explore the normal function of HIP1 in vivo, we created mice with targeted mutation in the HIP1 gene (HIP1(-/-)). HIP1(-/-) mice develop a neurological phenotype by 3 months of age manifest with a failure to thrive, tremor and a gait ataxia secondary to a rigid thoracolumbar kyphosis accompanied by decreased assembly of endocytic protein complexes on liposomal membranes. In primary hippocampal neurons, HIP1 colocalizes with GluR1-containing AMPA receptors and becomes concentrated in cell bodies following AMPA stimulation. Moreover, a profound dose-dependent defect in clathrin-mediated internalization of GluR1-containing AMPA receptors was observed in neurons from HIP1(-/-) mice. Together, these data provide strong evidence that HIP1 regulates AMPA receptor trafficking in the central nervous system through its function in clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

  14. Rab proteins: The key regulators of intracellular vesicle transport

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bhuin, Tanmay; Roy, Jagat Kumar, E-mail: jkroy@bhu.ac.in

    2014-10-15

    Vesicular/membrane trafficking essentially regulates the compartmentalization and abundance of proteins within the cells and contributes in many signalling pathways. This membrane transport in eukaryotic cells is a complex process regulated by a large and diverse array of proteins. A large group of monomeric small GTPases; the Rabs are essential components of this membrane trafficking route. Most of the Rabs are ubiquitously expressed proteins and have been implicated in vesicle formation, vesicle motility/delivery along cytoskeleton elements and docking/fusion at target membranes through the recruitment of effectors. Functional impairments of Rabs affecting transport pathways manifest different diseases. Rab functions are accompanied bymore » cyclical activation and inactivation of GTP-bound and GDP-bound forms between the cytosol and membranes which is regulated by upstream regulators. Rab proteins are characterized by their distinct sub-cellular localization and regulate a wide variety of endocytic, transcytic and exocytic transport pathways. Mutations of Rabs affect cell growth, motility and other biological processes. - Highlights: • Rab proteins regulate different signalling pathways. • Deregulation of Rabs is the fundamental causes of a variety of human diseases. • This paper gives potential directions in developing therapeutic targets. • This paper also gives ample directions for modulating pathways central to normal physiology. • These are the huge challenges for drug discovery and delivery in near future.« less

  15. Extracellular Vesicles as Therapeutic Tools in Cardiovascular Diseases

    PubMed Central

    Fleury, Audrey; Martinez, Maria Carmen; Le Lay, Soazig

    2014-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including microvesicles (MVs) and exosomes, are small vesicles secreted from a wide variety of cells. Whereas MVs are particles released by the outward budding of the plasma membrane, exosomes are derived from endocytic compartments. Secretion of EVs can be enhanced by specific stimuli, and increased plasma circulating levels of EVs have been correlated with pathophysiological situations. MVs, already present in the blood of healthy individuals, are considerably elevated in several cardiovascular diseases associated with inflammation, suggesting that they can mediate deleterious effects such as endothelial dysfunction or thrombosis. Nonetheless, very recent studies also demonstrate that MVs may act as biological information vectors transferring proteins or genetic material to maintain cell homeostasis, favor cell repair, or even promote angiogenesis. Additionally, exosomes have also been shown to have pro-angiogenic and cardio-protective properties. These beneficial effects, therefore, reveal the potential therapeutical use of EVs in the field of cardiovascular medicine and regenerative therapy. In this review, we will provide an update of cellular processes modulated by EVs of specific interest in the treatment of cardiovascular pathologies. A special focus will be made on the morphogen sonic hedgehog (Shh) associated with EVs (EVsShh+), which have been shown to mediate many pro-angiogenic effects. In addition to offer a potential source of cardiovascular markers, therapeutical potential of EVs reveal exciting opportunities to deliver specific agents by non-immunogenic means to cardiovascular system. PMID:25136343

  16. Residues in the Hendra Virus Fusion Protein Transmembrane Domain Are Critical for Endocytic Recycling

    PubMed Central

    Popa, Andreea; Carter, James R.; Smith, Stacy E.; Hellman, Lance; Fried, Michael G.

    2012-01-01

    Hendra virus is a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus classified as a biosafety level four agent. The fusion (F) protein of Hendra virus is critical for promoting viral entry and cell-to-cell fusion. To be fusogenically active, Hendra virus F must undergo endocytic recycling and cleavage by the endosomal/lysosomal protease cathepsin L, but the route of Hendra virus F following internalization and the recycling signals involved are poorly understood. We examined the intracellular distribution of Hendra virus F following endocytosis and showed that it is primarily present in Rab5- and Rab4-positive endosomal compartments, suggesting that cathepsin L cleavage occurs in early endosomes. Hendra virus F transmembrane domain (TMD) residues S490 and Y498 were found to be important for correct Hendra virus F recycling, with the hydroxyl group of S490 and the aromatic ring of Y498 important for this process. In addition, changes in association of isolated Hendra virus F TMDs correlated with alterations to Hendra virus F recycling, suggesting that appropriate TMD interactions play an important role in endocytic trafficking. PMID:22238299

  17. α–Synuclein and PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acids Promote Clathrin Mediated Endocytosis and Synaptic Vesicle Recycling

    PubMed Central

    Ben Gedalya, Tziona; Loeb, Virginie; Israeli, Eitan; Altschuler, Yoram; Selkoe, Dennis J.; Sharon, Ronit

    2009-01-01

    α-Synuclein (αS) is an abundant neuronal cytoplasmic protein implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but its physiological function remains unknown. Consistent with its having structural motifs shared with class A1 apolipoproteins, αS can reversibly associate with membranes and help regulate membrane fatty acid (FA) composition. We previously observed that variations in αS expression level in dopaminergic cultured cells or brains are associated with changes in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels and altered membrane fluidity. We now report that αS acts with PUFAs to enhance the internalization of the membrane-binding dye, FM 1-43. Specifically, αS expression coupled with exposure to physiological levels of certain PUFAs enhanced clathrin-mediated endocytosis in neuronal and non-neuronal cultured cells. Moreover, αS expression and PUFA enhanced basal and evoked synaptic vesicle endocytosis in primary hippocampal cultures of wt and genetically depleted αS mouse brains. We suggest that αS, and PUFAs normally functions in endocytic mechanisms and are specifically involved in synaptic vesicle recycling upon neuronal stimulation. PMID:18980610

  18. Mutations in the gene encoding the Sigma 2 subunit of the adaptor protein 1 complex, AP1S2, cause X-linked mental retardation.

    PubMed

    Tarpey, Patrick S; Stevens, Claire; Teague, Jon; Edkins, Sarah; O'Meara, Sarah; Avis, Tim; Barthorpe, Syd; Buck, Gemma; Butler, Adam; Cole, Jennifer; Dicks, Ed; Gray, Kristian; Halliday, Kelly; Harrison, Rachel; Hills, Katy; Hinton, Jonathon; Jones, David; Menzies, Andrew; Mironenko, Tatiana; Perry, Janet; Raine, Keiran; Richardson, David; Shepherd, Rebecca; Small, Alexandra; Tofts, Calli; Varian, Jennifer; West, Sofie; Widaa, Sara; Yates, Andy; Catford, Rachael; Butler, Julia; Mallya, Uma; Moon, Jenny; Luo, Ying; Dorkins, Huw; Thompson, Deborah; Easton, Douglas F; Wooster, Richard; Bobrow, Martin; Carpenter, Nancy; Simensen, Richard J; Schwartz, Charles E; Stevenson, Roger E; Turner, Gillian; Partington, Michael; Gecz, Jozef; Stratton, Michael R; Futreal, P Andrew; Raymond, F Lucy

    2006-12-01

    In a systematic sequencing screen of the coding exons of the X chromosome in 250 families with X-linked mental retardation (XLMR), we identified two nonsense mutations and one consensus splice-site mutation in the AP1S2 gene on Xp22 in three families. Affected individuals in these families showed mild-to-profound mental retardation. Other features included hypotonia early in life and delay in walking. AP1S2 encodes an adaptin protein that constitutes part of the adaptor protein complex found at the cytoplasmic face of coated vesicles located at the Golgi complex. The complex mediates the recruitment of clathrin to the vesicle membrane. Aberrant endocytic processing through disruption of adaptor protein complexes is likely to result from the AP1S2 mutations identified in the three XLMR-affected families, and such defects may plausibly cause abnormal synaptic development and function. AP1S2 is the first reported XLMR gene that encodes a protein directly involved in the assembly of endocytic vesicles.

  19. Evaluation of different photosensitizers for use in photochemical gene transfection.

    PubMed

    Prasmickaite, L; Høgset, A; Berg, K

    2001-04-01

    Many potentially therapeutic macromolecules, e.g. transgenes used in gene therapy, are taken into the cells by endocytosis, and have to be liberated from endocytic vesicles in order to express a therapeutic function. To achieve this we have developed a new technology, named photochemical internalization (PCI), based on photochemical reactions inducing rupture of endocytic vesicles. The aim of this study was to clarify which properties of photosensitizers are important for obtaining the PCI effect improving gene transfection. The photochemical effect on transfection of human melanoma THX cells has been studied employing photosensitizers with different physicochemical properties and using two gene delivery vectors: the cationic polypeptide polylysine and the cationic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP). Photochemical treatment by photosensitizers that do not localize in endocytic vesicles (tetra[3-hydroxyphenyl]porphyrin and 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX) do not stimulate transfection, irrespective of the gene delivery vector. In contrast, photosensitizers localized in endocytic vesicles stimulate polylysine-mediated transfection, and amphiphilic photosensitizers (disulfonated aluminium phthalocyanine [AlPcS2a] and meso-tetraphenylporphynes) show the strongest positive effect, inducing approximately 10-fold increase in transfection efficiency. In contrast, DOTAP-mediated transfection is inhibited by all photochemical treatments irrespective of the photosensitizer used. Neither AlPcS2a nor Photofrin affects the uptake of the transfecting DNA over the plasma membrane, therefore photochemical permeabilization of endocytic vesicles seems to be the most likely mechanism responsible for the positive PCI effect on gene transfection.

  20. The Na+-Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide Traffics with the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xintao; Wang, Pijun; Wang, Wenjun; Murray, John W.; Wolkoff, Allan W.

    2015-01-01

    Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (ntcp) mediates uptake of bile acids as well as serving as the receptor for hepatitis B virus in human liver. Previous studies showed that ntcp traffics on microtubules between the cell surface and endocytic vesicles. Specific inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC)ζ resulted in loss of microtubule-based motility of these vesicles in vitro and in living cells. The aim of the present study was to characterize the PKCζ target. Incubation of ntcp-containing endocytic vesicles with γ-32P-ATP revealed a 180 kDa phosphoglycoprotein that was identified as the EGF receptor (EGFR). Surface biotinylation of HuH7 cells expressing GFP-ntcp revealed substantially reduced trafficking of ntcp to the cell surface with EGFR knockdown. Microtubule-based motility of ntcp-containing endocytic vesicles was also significantly reduced when they were not associated with EGFR. Ntcp was also found to undergo cellular redistribution upon stimulation of cells with EGF, consistent with a model in which ntcp and EGF-EGFR internalize into common endocytic vesicles from which they segregate, trafficking EGF-EGFR to lysosomes and recycling ntcp to the plasma membrane. EGF regulation of ntcp trafficking may play a heretofore unanticipated role in subcellular targeting of ntcp ligands such as hepatitis B. PMID:26650232

  1. The role of endocytic pathways in cellular uptake of plasma non-transferrin iron

    PubMed Central

    Sohn, Yang-Sung; Ghoti, Hussam; Breuer, William; Rachmilewitz, Eliezer; Attar, Samah; Weiss, Guenter; Cabantchik, Z. Ioav

    2012-01-01

    Background In transfusional siderosis, the iron binding capacity of plasma transferrin is often surpassed, with concomitant generation of non-transferrin-bound iron. Although implicated in tissue siderosis, non-transferrin-bound iron modes of cell ingress remain undefined, largely because of its variable composition and association with macromolecules. Using fluorescent tracing of labile iron in endosomal vesicles and cytosol, we examined the hypothesis that non-transferrin-bound iron fractions detected in iron overloaded patients enter cells via bulk endocytosis. Design and Methods Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry served as analytical tools for tracing non-transferrin-bound iron entry into endosomes with the redox-reactive macromolecular probe Oxyburst-Green and into the cytosol with cell-laden calcein green and calcein blue. Non-transferrin-bound iron-containing media were from sera of polytransfused thalassemia major patients and model iron substances detected in thalassemia major sera; cell models were cultured macrophages, and cardiac myoblasts and myocytes. Results Exposure of cells to ferric citrate together with albumin, or to non-transferrin-bound iron-containing sera from thalassemia major patients caused an increase in labile iron content of endosomes and cytosol in macrophages and cardiac cells. This increase was more striking in macrophages, but in both cell types was largely reduced by co-exposure to non-transferrin-bound iron-containing media with non-penetrating iron chelators or apo-transferrin, or by treatment with inhibitors of endocytosis. Endosomal iron accumulation traced with calcein-green was proportional to input non-transferrin-bound iron levels (r2=0.61) and also preventable by pre-chelation. Conclusions Our studies indicate that macromolecule-associated non-transferrin-bound iron can initially gain access into various cells via endocytic pathways, followed by iron translocation to the cytosol. Endocytic uptake of plasma non

  2. ARH directs megalin to the endocytic recycling compartment to regulate its proteolysis and gene expression

    PubMed Central

    Shah, Mehul; Baterina, Oscar Y.; Taupin, Vanessa

    2013-01-01

    Receptors internalized by endocytosis can return to the plasma membrane (PM) directly from early endosomes (EE; fast recycling) or they can traffic from EE to the endocytic recycling compartment (ERC) and recycle from there (slow recycling). How receptors are sorted for trafficking along these two pathways remains unclear. Here we show that autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia (ARH) is required for trafficking of megalin, a member of the LDL receptor family, from EE to the ERC by coupling it to dynein; in the absence of ARH, megalin returns directly to the PM from EE via the connecdenn2/Rab35 fast recycling pathway. Binding of ARH to the endocytic adaptor AP-2 prevents fast recycling of megalin. ARH-mediated trafficking of megalin to the ERC is necessary for γ-secretase mediated cleavage of megalin and release of a tail fragment that mediates transcriptional repression. These results identify a novel mechanism for sorting receptors for trafficking to the ERC and link ERC trafficking to regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) and expression of megalin. PMID:23836931

  3. Endocytic reawakening of motility in jammed epithelia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malinverno, Chiara; Corallino, Salvatore; Giavazzi, Fabio; Bergert, Martin; Li, Qingsen; Leoni, Marco; Disanza, Andrea; Frittoli, Emanuela; Oldani, Amanda; Martini, Emanuele; Lendenmann, Tobias; Deflorian, Gianluca; Beznoussenko, Galina V.; Poulikakos, Dimos; Ong, Kok Haur; Uroz, Marina; Trepat, Xavier; Parazzoli, Dario; Maiuri, Paolo; Yu, Weimiao; Ferrari, Aldo; Cerbino, Roberto; Scita, Giorgio

    2017-05-01

    Dynamics of epithelial monolayers has recently been interpreted in terms of a jamming or rigidity transition. How cells control such phase transitions is, however, unknown. Here we show that RAB5A, a key endocytic protein, is sufficient to induce large-scale, coordinated motility over tens of cells, and ballistic motion in otherwise kinetically arrested monolayers. This is linked to increased traction forces and to the extension of cell protrusions, which align with local velocity. Molecularly, impairing endocytosis, macropinocytosis or increasing fluid efflux abrogates RAB5A-induced collective motility. A simple model based on mechanical junctional tension and an active cell reorientation mechanism for the velocity of self-propelled cells identifies regimes of monolayer dynamics that explain endocytic reawakening of locomotion in terms of a combination of large-scale directed migration and local unjamming. These changes in multicellular dynamics enable collectives to migrate under physical constraints and may be exploited by tumours for interstitial dissemination.

  4. Clathrin- and AP-2-binding sites in HIP1 uncover a general assembly role for endocytic accessory proteins.

    PubMed

    Mishra, S K; Agostinelli, N R; Brett, T J; Mizukami, I; Ross, T S; Traub, L M

    2001-12-07

    Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a major pathway for the internalization of macromolecules into the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. The principle coat components, clathrin and the AP-2 adaptor complex, assemble a polyhedral lattice at plasma membrane bud sites with the aid of several endocytic accessory proteins. Here, we show that huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1), a binding partner of huntingtin, copurifies with brain clathrin-coated vesicles and associates directly with both AP-2 and clathrin. The discrete interaction sequences within HIP1 that facilitate binding are analogous to motifs present in other accessory proteins, including AP180, amphiphysin, and epsin. Bound to a phosphoinositide-containing membrane surface via an epsin N-terminal homology (ENTH) domain, HIP1 associates with AP-2 to provide coincident clathrin-binding sites that together efficiently recruit clathrin to the bilayer. Our data implicate HIP1 in endocytosis, and the similar modular architecture and function of HIP1, epsin, and AP180 suggest a common role in lipid-regulated clathrin lattice biogenesis.

  5. Disruption of the endocytic protein HIP1 results in neurological deficits and decreased AMPA receptor trafficking

    PubMed Central

    Metzler, Martina; Li, Bo; Gan, Lu; Georgiou, John; Gutekunst, Claire-Anne; Wang, Yushan; Torre, Enrique; Devon, Rebecca S.; Oh, Rosemary; Legendre-Guillemin, Valerie; Rich, Mark; Alvarez, Christine; Gertsenstein, Marina; McPherson, Peter S.; Nagy, Andras; Wang, Yu Tian; Roder, John C.; Raymond, Lynn A.; Hayden, Michael R.

    2003-01-01

    Huntingtin interacting protein 1 (HIP1) is a recently identified component of clathrin-coated vesicles that plays a role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. To explore the normal function of HIP1 in vivo, we created mice with targeted mutation in the HIP1 gene (HIP1–/–). HIP1–/– mice develop a neurological phenotype by 3 months of age manifest with a failure to thrive, tremor and a gait ataxia secondary to a rigid thoracolumbar kyphosis accompanied by decreased assembly of endocytic protein complexes on liposomal membranes. In primary hippocampal neurons, HIP1 colocalizes with GluR1-containing AMPA receptors and becomes concentrated in cell bodies following AMPA stimulation. Moreover, a profound dose-dependent defect in clathrin-mediated internalization of GluR1-containing AMPA receptors was observed in neurons from HIP1–/– mice. Together, these data provide strong evidence that HIP1 regulates AMPA receptor trafficking in the central nervous system through its function in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. PMID:12839988

  6. Energy transduction inside vesicles, photocatalysis by titanium dioxide and formation of NADH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Summers, David; Noveron, Juan; Rodoni, David; Basa, Ranor

    A number of theories on the origin and early evolution of life have focused on the role of lipid bilayer membrane structures (vesicles). These vesicles are similar to modern cellular membranes , and have been postulated to have been abiotically formed and spontaneously assemble on the prebiotic Earth to provide compartments for early cellular life. They can contain water-soluble species, concentrate species, and have the potential to catalyze reactions. The origin of the use of photochemical energy to drive metabolism (ie. energy transduction) is also one of the central issues in our attempts to understand the origin and evolution of life. When did energy transduction and photosynthesis begin? What was the original system for capturing photochemical energy? How simple can such a system be? It has been postulated that vesicle structures developed the ability to capture and transduce light, providing energy for reactions. It has been shown that pH gradients can be photo-chemically created, but it has been found difficult to couple these to drive chemical reactions. Minerals can introduce a number of properties to a vesicle system. The incorporation of clay particles into vesicles can provide catalytic activity that mediates both vesicle assembly and RNA oligomerization. It is known that colloidal semiconducting mineral particles can act as photocatalysts and drive redox chemistry. We show that encapsulation of these particles has the potential to provide a source of energy transduction inside vesicles, and thereby drive protocellular chemistry and represent a model system for early photosynthesis. TiO2 particles can be incorporated into vesicles and retain their photoactivity through the dehydration/rehydration cycles that have been shown to be able concentrate species inside a vesicle. It is shown that these can be used to produce biochemical species such as enzymatically active NADH in such structures. This system demonstrates a simple energy source inside vesicles

  7. A Coincidence Detection Mechanism Controls PX-BAR Domain-Mediated Endocytic Membrane Remodeling via an Allosteric Structural Switch.

    PubMed

    Lo, Wen-Ting; Vujičić Žagar, Andreja; Gerth, Fabian; Lehmann, Martin; Puchkov, Dymtro; Krylova, Oxana; Freund, Christian; Scapozza, Leonardo; Vadas, Oscar; Haucke, Volker

    2017-11-20

    Clathrin-mediated endocytosis occurs by bending and remodeling of the membrane underneath the coat. Bin-amphiphysin-rvs (BAR) domain proteins are crucial for endocytic membrane remodeling, but how their activity is spatiotemporally controlled is largely unknown. We demonstrate that the membrane remodeling activity of sorting nexin 9 (SNX9), a late-acting endocytic PX-BAR domain protein required for constriction of U-shaped endocytic intermediates, is controlled by an allosteric structural switch involving coincident detection of the clathrin adaptor AP2 and phosphatidylinositol-3,4-bisphosphate (PI(3,4)P 2 ) at endocytic sites. Structural, biochemical, and cell biological data show that SNX9 is autoinhibited in solution. Binding to PI(3,4)P 2 via its PX-BAR domain, and concomitant association with AP2 via sequences in the linker region, releases SNX9 autoinhibitory contacts to enable membrane constriction. Our results reveal a mechanism for restricting the latent membrane remodeling activity of BAR domain proteins to allow spatiotemporal coupling of membrane constriction to the progression of the endocytic pathway. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Regulation of synaptic vesicle recycling by complex formation between intersectin 1 and the clathrin adaptor complex AP2

    PubMed Central

    Pechstein, Arndt; Bacetic, Jelena; Vahedi-Faridi, Ardeschir; Gromova, Kira; Sundborger, Anna; Tomlin, Nikolay; Krainer, Georg; Vorontsova, Olga; Schäfer, Johannes G.; Owe, Simen G.; Cousin, Michael A.; Saenger, Wolfram; Shupliakov, Oleg; Haucke, Volker

    2010-01-01

    Clathrin-mediated synaptic vesicle (SV) recycling involves the spatiotemporally controlled assembly of clathrin coat components at phosphatidylinositiol (4, 5)-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]-enriched membrane sites within the periactive zone. Such spatiotemporal control is needed to coordinate SV cargo sorting with clathrin/AP2 recruitment and to restrain membrane fission and synaptojanin-mediated uncoating until membrane deformation and clathrin coat assembly are completed. The molecular events underlying these control mechanisms are unknown. Here we show that the endocytic SH3 domain-containing accessory protein intersectin 1 scaffolds the endocytic process by directly associating with the clathrin adaptor AP2. Acute perturbation of the intersectin 1-AP2 interaction in lamprey synapses in situ inhibits the onset of SV recycling. Structurally, complex formation can be attributed to the direct association of hydrophobic peptides within the intersectin 1 SH3A-B linker region with the “side sites” of the AP2 α- and β-appendage domains. AP2 appendage association of the SH3A-B linker region inhibits binding of the inositol phosphatase synaptojanin 1 to intersectin 1. These data identify the intersectin-AP2 complex as an important regulator of clathrin-mediated SV recycling in synapses. PMID:20160082

  9. Shrink-wrap Vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Fujikawa, Shelly M.; Chen, Irene A.; Szostak, Jack W.

    2008-01-01

    We describe a simple approach to the controlled removal of molecules from the membrane of large unilamellar vesicles made of fatty acids. Such vesicles shrink dramatically upon mixing with micelles composed of a mixture of fatty acid and phospholipid (POPC), as fatty acid molecules leave the vesicle membrane and accumulate within the mixed micelles. Vesicle shrinkage was confirmed by dynamic light scattering, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of labeled vesicles, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer between lipid dyes incorporated into the vesicle membrane. Most of the encapsulated impermeable solute is retained during shrinkage, becoming concentrated by a factor of at least 50-fold in the final small vesicles. This unprecedented combination of vesicle shrinkage with retention of contents allows for the preparation of small vesicles containing high solute concentrations, and may find applications in liposomal drug delivery. PMID:16342983

  10. Uniform and Janus-like nanoparticles in contact with vesicles: energy landscapes and curvature-induced forces.

    PubMed

    Agudo-Canalejo, Jaime; Lipowsky, Reinhard

    2017-03-15

    Biological membranes and lipid vesicles often display complex shapes with non-uniform membrane curvature. When adhesive nanoparticles with chemically uniform surfaces come into contact with such membranes, they exhibit four different engulfment regimes as recently shown by a systematic stability analysis. Depending on the local curvature of the membrane, the particles either remain free, become partially or completely engulfed by the membrane, or display bistability between free and completely engulfed states. Here, we go beyond stability analysis and develop an analytical theory to leading order in the ratio of particle-to-vesicle size. This theory allows us to determine the local and global energy landscapes of uniform nanoparticles that are attracted towards membranes and vesicles. While the local energy landscape depends only on the local curvature of the vesicle membrane and not on the overall membrane shape, the global energy landscape describes the variation of the equilibrium state of the particle as it probes different points along the membrane surface. In particular, we find that the binding energy of a partially engulfed particle depends on the 'unperturbed' local curvature of the membrane in the absence of the particle. This curvature dependence leads to local forces that pull the partially engulfed particles towards membrane segments with lower and higher mean curvature if the particles originate from the exterior and interior solution, respectively, corresponding to endo- and exocytosis. Thus, for partial engulfment, endocytic particles undergo biased diffusion towards the membrane segments with the lowest membrane curvature, whereas exocytic particles move towards segments with the highest curvature. The curvature-induced forces are also effective for Janus particles with one adhesive and one non-adhesive surface domain. In fact, Janus particles with a strongly adhesive surface domain are always partially engulfed which implies that they provide

  11. Gas vesicles.

    PubMed Central

    Walsby, A E

    1994-01-01

    The gas vesicle is a hollow structure made of protein. It usually has the form of a cylindrical tube closed by conical end caps. Gas vesicles occur in five phyla of the Bacteria and two groups of the Archaea, but they are mostly restricted to planktonic microorganisms, in which they provide buoyancy. By regulating their relative gas vesicle content aquatic microbes are able to perform vertical migrations. In slowly growing organisms such movements are made more efficiently than by swimming with flagella. The gas vesicle is impermeable to liquid water, but it is highly permeable to gases and is normally filled with air. It is a rigid structure of low compressibility, but it collapses flat under a certain critical pressure and buoyancy is then lost. Gas vesicles in different organisms vary in width, from 45 to > 200 nm; in accordance with engineering principles the narrower ones are stronger (have higher critical pressures) than wide ones, but they contain less gas space per wall volume and are therefore less efficient at providing buoyancy. A survey of gas-vacuolate cyanobacteria reveals that there has been natural selection for gas vesicles of the maximum width permitted by the pressure encountered in the natural environment, which is mainly determined by cell turgor pressure and water depth. Gas vesicle width is genetically determined, perhaps through the amino acid sequence of one of the constituent proteins. Up to 14 genes have been implicated in gas vesicle production, but so far the products of only two have been shown to be present in the gas vesicle: GvpA makes the ribs that form the structure, and GvpC binds to the outside of the ribs and stiffens the structure against collapse. The evolution of the gas vesicle is discussed in relation to the homologies of these proteins. Images PMID:8177173

  12. Control of early-formed vesicle cylinders on upper crustal prismatic jointing in compound pāhoehoe lavas of Elephanta Island, western Deccan Traps, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheth, Hetu; Patel, Vanit; Samant, Hrishikesh

    2017-08-01

    Upper crustal prismatic joints and vesicle cylinders, common in pāhoehoe lava flows, form early and late, respectively, and are therefore independent features. However, small-scale compound pāhoehoe lava lobes on Elephanta Island (western Deccan Traps, India), which resemble S-type (spongy) pāhoehoe in some aspects, contain vesicle cylinders which apparently controlled the locations of upper crustal prismatic joints. The lobes are decimeters thick, did not experience inflation after emplacement, and solidified rapidly. They have meter-scale areas that are exceptionally rich in vesicle cylinders (up to 68 cylinders in 1 m2, with a mean spacing of 12.1 cm), separated by cylinder-free areas, and pervasive upper crustal prismatic jointing with T, curved T, and quadruple joint intersections. A majority (≥76.5%) of the cylinders are located exactly on joints or at joint intersections, and were not simply captured by downward growing joints, as the cylinders show no deflection in vertical section. We suggest that large numbers of cylinders originated in a layer of bubble-rich residual liquid at the top of a basal diktytaxitic crystal mush zone which was formed very early (probably within the first few minutes of the emplacement history). The locations where the rising cylinders breached the crust provided weak points or mechanical flaws towards which any existing joints (formed by thermal contraction) propagated. New joints may also have propagated outwards from the cylinders and linked up laterally. Some cylinders breached the crust between the joints, and thus formed a little later than most others. The Elephanta Island example reveals that, whereas thermal contraction is undoubtedly valid as a standard mechanism for forming upper crustal prismatic joints, abundant mechanical flaws (such as large concentrations of early-formed, crust-breaching vesicle cylinders) can also control the joint formation process.

  13. A role of OCRL in clathrin-coated pit dynamics and uncoating revealed by studies of Lowe syndrome cells

    PubMed Central

    Nández, Ramiro; Balkin, Daniel M; Messa, Mirko; Liang, Liang; Paradise, Summer; Czapla, Heather; Hein, Marco Y; Duncan, James S; Mann, Matthias; De Camilli, Pietro

    2014-01-01

    Mutations in the inositol 5-phosphatase OCRL cause Lowe syndrome and Dent's disease. Although OCRL, a direct clathrin interactor, is recruited to late-stage clathrin-coated pits, clinical manifestations have been primarily attributed to intracellular sorting defects. Here we show that OCRL loss in Lowe syndrome patient fibroblasts impacts clathrin-mediated endocytosis and results in an endocytic defect. These cells exhibit an accumulation of clathrin-coated vesicles and an increase in U-shaped clathrin-coated pits, which may result from sequestration of coat components on uncoated vesicles. Endocytic vesicles that fail to lose their coat nucleate the majority of the numerous actin comets present in patient cells. SNX9, an adaptor that couples late-stage endocytic coated pits to actin polymerization and which we found to bind OCRL directly, remains associated with such vesicles. These results indicate that OCRL acts as an uncoating factor and that defects in clathrin-mediated endocytosis likely contribute to pathology in patients with OCRL mutations. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02975.001 PMID:25107275

  14. Endocytic pathways involved in PLGA nanoparticle uptake by grapevine cells and role of cell wall and membrane in size selection.

    PubMed

    Palocci, Cleofe; Valletta, Alessio; Chronopoulou, Laura; Donati, Livia; Bramosanti, Marco; Brasili, Elisa; Baldan, Barbara; Pasqua, Gabriella

    2017-12-01

    PLGA NPs' cell uptake involves different endocytic pathways. Clathrin-independent endocytosis is the main internalization route. The cell wall plays a more prominent role than the plasma membrane in NPs' size selection. In the last years, many studies on absorption and cell uptake of nanoparticles by plants have been conducted, but the understanding of the internalization mechanisms is still largely unknown. In this study, polydispersed and monodispersed poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) were synthesized, and a strategy combining the use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal analysis, fluorescently labeled PLGA NPs, a probe for endocytic vesicles (FM4-64), and endocytosis inhibitors (i.e., wortmannin, ikarugamycin, and salicylic acid) was employed to shed light on PLGA NP cell uptake in grapevine cultured cells and to assess the role of the cell wall and plasma membrane in size selection of PLGA NPs. The ability of PLGA NPs to cross the cell wall and membrane was confirmed by TEM and fluorescence microscopy. A strong adhesion of PLGA NPs to the outer side of the cell wall was observed, presumably due to electrostatic interactions. Confocal microscopy and treatment with endocytosis inhibitors suggested the involvement of both clathrin-dependent and clathrin-independent endocytosis in cell uptake of PLGA NPs and the latter appeared to be the main internalization pathway. Experiments on grapevine protoplasts revealed that the cell wall plays a more prominent role than the plasma membrane in size selection of PLGA NPs. While the cell wall prevents the uptake of PLGA NPs with diameters over 50 nm, the plasma membrane can be crossed by PLGA NPs with a diameter of 500-600 nm.

  15. Resident CAPS on dense-core vesicles docks and primes vesicles for fusion

    PubMed Central

    Kabachinski, Greg; Kielar-Grevstad, D. Michelle; Zhang, Xingmin; James, Declan J.; Martin, Thomas F. J.

    2016-01-01

    The Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of dense-core vesicles in neuroendocrine cells requires a priming step during which SNARE protein complexes assemble. CAPS (aka CADPS) is one of several factors required for vesicle priming; however, the localization and dynamics of CAPS at sites of exocytosis in live neuroendocrine cells has not been determined. We imaged CAPS before, during, and after single-vesicle fusion events in PC12 cells by TIRF micro­scopy. In addition to being a resident on cytoplasmic dense-core vesicles, CAPS was present in clusters of approximately nine molecules near the plasma membrane that corresponded to docked/tethered vesicles. CAPS accompanied vesicles to the plasma membrane and was present at all vesicle exocytic events. The knockdown of CAPS by shRNA eliminated the VAMP-2–dependent docking and evoked exocytosis of fusion-competent vesicles. A CAPS(ΔC135) protein that does not localize to vesicles failed to rescue vesicle docking and evoked exocytosis in CAPS-depleted cells, showing that CAPS residence on vesicles is essential. Our results indicate that dense-core vesicles carry CAPS to sites of exocytosis, where CAPS promotes vesicle docking and fusion competence, probably by initiating SNARE complex assembly. PMID:26700319

  16. Inhibition of Na+−H+ exchange impairs receptor-mediated albumin endocytosis in renal proximal tubule-derived epithelial cells from opossum

    PubMed Central

    Gekle, Michael; Drumm, Karina; Mildenberger, Sigrid; Freudinger, Ruth; Gaßner, Birgit; Silbernagl, Stefan

    1999-01-01

    Receptor-mediated endocytosis is an important mechanism for transport of macromolecules and regulation of cell-surface receptor expression. In renal proximal tubules, receptor-mediated endocytosis mediates the reabsorption of filtered albumin. Acidification of the endocytic compartments is essential because it interferes with ligand-receptor dissociation, vesicle trafficking, fusion events and coat formation. Here we show that the activity of Na+−H+ exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) is important for proper receptor-mediated endocytosis of albumin and endosomal pH homeostasis in a renal proximal tubular cell line (opossum kidney cells) which expresses NHE3 only. Depending on their inhibitory potency with respect to NHE3 and their lipophilicity, the NHE inhibitors EIPA, amiloride and HOE694 differentially reduced albumin endocytosis. The hydrophilic inhibitor HOE642 had no effect. Inhibition of NHE3 led to an alkalinization of early endosomes and to an acidification of the cytoplasm, indicating that Na+−H+ exchange contributes to the acidification of the early endosomal compartment due to the existence of a sufficient Na+ gradient across the endosomal membrane. Exclusive acidification of the cytoplasm with propionic acid or by removal of Na+ induced a significantly smaller reduction in endocytosis than that induced by inhibition of Na+−H+ exchange. Analysis of the inhibitory profiles indicates that in early endosomes and endocytic vesicles NHE3 is of major importance, whereas plasma membrane NHE3 plays a minor role. Thus, NHE3-mediated acidification along the first part of the endocytic pathway plays an important role in receptor-mediated endocytosis. Furthermore, the involvement of NHE3 offers new ways to explain the regulation of receptor-mediated endocytosis. PMID:10545138

  17. Lipid vesicles chaperone an encapsulated RNA aptamer.

    PubMed

    Saha, Ranajay; Verbanic, Samuel; Chen, Irene A

    2018-06-13

    The organization of molecules into cells is believed to have been critical for the emergence of living systems. Early protocells likely consisted of RNA functioning inside vesicles made of simple lipids. However, little is known about how encapsulation would affect the activity and folding of RNA. Here we find that confinement of the malachite green RNA aptamer inside fatty acid vesicles increases binding affinity and locally stabilizes the bound conformation of the RNA. The vesicle effectively 'chaperones' the aptamer, consistent with an excluded volume mechanism due to confinement. Protocellular organization thereby leads to a direct benefit for the RNA. Coupled with previously described mechanisms by which encapsulated RNA aids membrane growth, this effect illustrates how the membrane and RNA might cooperate for mutual benefit. Encapsulation could thus increase RNA fitness and the likelihood that functional sequences would emerge during the origin of life.

  18. Structural and functional impairment of endocytic pathways by retinitis pigmentosa mutant rhodopsin-arrestin complexes

    PubMed Central

    Chuang, Jen-Zen; Vega, Carrie; Jun, Wenjin; Sung, Ching-Hwa

    2004-01-01

    Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous degenerative eye disease. Mutations at Arg135 of rhodopsin are associated with a severe form of autosomal dominant RP. This report presents evidence that Arg135 mutant rhodopsins (e.g., R135L, R135G, and R135W) are hyperphosphorylated and bind with high affinity to visual arrestin. Mutant rhodopsin recruits the cytosolic arrestin to the plasma membrane, and the rhodopsin-arrestin complex is internalized into the endocytic pathway. Furthermore, the rhodopsin-arrestin complexes alter the morphology of endosomal compartments and severely damage receptor-mediated endocytic functions. The biochemical and cellular defects of Arg135 mutant rhodopsins are distinct from those previously described for class I and class II RP mutations, and, hence, we propose that they be named class III. Impaired endocytic activity may underlie the pathogenesis of RP caused by class III rhodopsin mutations. PMID:15232620

  19. Emergence and stability of intermediate open vesicles in disk-to-vesicle transitions.

    PubMed

    Li, Jianfeng; Zhang, Hongdong; Qiu, Feng; Shi, An-Chang

    2013-07-01

    The transition between two basic structures, a disk and an enclosed vesicle, of a finite membrane is studied by examining the minimum energy path (MEP) connecting these two states. The MEP is constructed using the string method applied to continuum elastic membrane models. The results reveal that, besides the commonly observed disk and vesicle, open vesicles (bowl-shaped vesicles or vesicles with a pore) can become stable or metastable shapes. The emergence, stability, and probability distribution of these open vesicles are analyzed. It is demonstrated that open vesicles can be stabilized by higher-order elastic energies. The estimated probability distribution of the different structures is in good agreement with available experiments.

  20. High-speed superresolution imaging of the proteins in fission yeast clathrin-mediated endocytic actin patches

    PubMed Central

    Arasada, Rajesh; Sayyad, Wasim A.; Berro, Julien; Pollard, Thomas D.

    2018-01-01

    To internalize nutrients and cell surface receptors via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, cells assemble at least 50 proteins, including clathrin, clathrin-interacting proteins, actin filaments, and actin binding proteins, in a highly ordered and regulated manner. The molecular mechanism by which actin filament polymerization deforms the cell membrane is unknown, largely due to lack of knowledge about the organization of the regulatory proteins and actin filaments. We used high-speed superresolution localization microscopy of live fission yeast cells to improve the spatial resolution to ∼35 nm with 1-s temporal resolution. The nucleation promoting factors Wsp1p (WASp) and Myo1p (myosin-I) define two independent pathways that recruit Arp2/3 complex, which assembles two zones of actin filaments. Myo1p concentrates at the site of endocytosis and initiates a zone of actin filaments assembled by Arp2/3 complex. Wsp1p appears simultaneously at this site but subsequently moves away from the cell surface as it stimulates Arp2/3 complex to assemble a second zone of actin filaments. Cells lacking either nucleation-promoting factor assemble only one, stationary, zone of actin filaments. These observations support our two-zone hypothesis to explain endocytic tubule elongation and vesicle scission in fission yeast. PMID:29212877

  1. The minute virus of mice exploits different endocytic pathways for cellular uptake

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Garcin, Pierre O.; Panté, Nelly, E-mail: pante@zoology.ubc.ca

    The minute virus of mice, prototype strain (MVMp), is a non-enveloped, single-stranded DNA virus of the family Parvoviridae. Unlike other parvoviruses, the mechanism of cellular uptake of MVMp has not been studied in detail. We analyzed MVMp endocytosis in mouse LA9 fibroblasts and a tumor cell line derived from epithelial–mesenchymal transition through polyomavirus middle T antigen transformation in transgenic mice. By a combination of immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, we found that MVMp endocytosis occurs at the leading edge of migrating cells in proximity to focal adhesion sites. By using drug inhibitors of various endocytic pathways together with immunofluorescence microscopy andmore » flow cytometry analysis, we discovered that MVMp can use a number of endocytic pathways, depending on the host cell type. At least three different mechanisms were identified: clathrin-, caveolin-, and clathrin-independent carrier-mediated endocytosis, with the latter occurring in transformed cells but not in LA9 fibroblasts. - Highlights: • MVMp uptake takes place at the leading edge of migrating cells. • MVMp exploits a variety of endocytic pathways. • MVMp could use clathrin- and caveolin-mediated endocytosis. • MVMp could also use clathrin-independent carriers for cellular uptake.« less

  2. Resident CAPS on dense-core vesicles docks and primes vesicles for fusion.

    PubMed

    Kabachinski, Greg; Kielar-Grevstad, D Michelle; Zhang, Xingmin; James, Declan J; Martin, Thomas F J

    2016-02-15

    The Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis of dense-core vesicles in neuroendocrine cells requires a priming step during which SNARE protein complexes assemble. CAPS (aka CADPS) is one of several factors required for vesicle priming; however, the localization and dynamics of CAPS at sites of exocytosis in live neuroendocrine cells has not been determined. We imaged CAPS before, during, and after single-vesicle fusion events in PC12 cells by TIRF micro-scopy. In addition to being a resident on cytoplasmic dense-core vesicles, CAPS was present in clusters of approximately nine molecules near the plasma membrane that corresponded to docked/tethered vesicles. CAPS accompanied vesicles to the plasma membrane and was present at all vesicle exocytic events. The knockdown of CAPS by shRNA eliminated the VAMP-2-dependent docking and evoked exocytosis of fusion-competent vesicles. A CAPS(ΔC135) protein that does not localize to vesicles failed to rescue vesicle docking and evoked exocytosis in CAPS-depleted cells, showing that CAPS residence on vesicles is essential. Our results indicate that dense-core vesicles carry CAPS to sites of exocytosis, where CAPS promotes vesicle docking and fusion competence, probably by initiating SNARE complex assembly. © 2016 Kabachinski, Kielar-Grevstad, et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  3. Suppression of α-synuclein toxicity and vesicle trafficking defects by phosphorylation at S129 in yeast depends on genetic context

    PubMed Central

    Sancenon, Vicente; Lee, Sue-Ann; Patrick, Christina; Griffith, Janice; Paulino, Amy; Outeiro, Tiago F.; Reggiori, Fulvio; Masliah, Eliezer; Muchowski, Paul J.

    2012-01-01

    The aggregation of α-synuclein (αSyn) is a neuropathologic hallmark of Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. In Lewy bodies, αSyn is extensively phosphorylated, predominantly at serine 129 (S129). Recent studies in yeast have shown that, at toxic levels, αSyn disrupts Rab homeostasis, causing an initial endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi block that precedes a generalized trafficking collapse. However, whether αSyn phosphorylation modulates trafficking defects has not been evaluated. Here, we show that constitutive expression of αSyn in yeast impairs late-exocytic, early-endocytic and/or recycling trafficking. Although members of the casein kinase I (CKI) family phosphorylate αSyn at S129, they attenuate αSyn toxicity and trafficking defects by an S129 phosphorylation-independent mechanism. Surprisingly, phosphorylation of S129 modulates αSyn toxicity and trafficking defects in a manner strictly determined by genetic background. Abnormal endosome morphology, increased levels of the endosome marker Rab5 and co-localization of mammalian CKI with αSyn aggregates are observed in brain sections from αSyn-overexpressing mice and human synucleinopathies. Our results contribute to evidence that suggests αSyn-induced defects in endocytosis, exocytosis and/or recycling of vesicles involved in these cellular processes might contribute to the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies. PMID:22357655

  4. Aurora A drives early signalling and vesicle dynamics during T-cell activation

    PubMed Central

    Blas-Rus, Noelia; Bustos-Morán, Eugenio; Pérez de Castro, Ignacio; de Cárcer, Guillermo; Borroto, Aldo; Camafeita, Emilio; Jorge, Inmaculada; Vázquez, Jesús; Alarcón, Balbino; Malumbres, Marcos; Martín-Cófreces, Noa B.; Sánchez-Madrid, Francisco

    2016-01-01

    Aurora A is a serine/threonine kinase that contributes to the progression of mitosis by inducing microtubule nucleation. Here we have identified an unexpected role for Aurora A kinase in antigen-driven T-cell activation. We find that Aurora A is phosphorylated at the immunological synapse (IS) during TCR-driven cell contact. Inhibition of Aurora A with pharmacological agents or genetic deletion in human or mouse T cells severely disrupts the dynamics of microtubules and CD3ζ-bearing vesicles at the IS. The absence of Aurora A activity also impairs the activation of early signalling molecules downstream of the TCR and the expression of IL-2, CD25 and CD69. Aurora A inhibition causes delocalized clustering of Lck at the IS and decreases phosphorylation levels of tyrosine kinase Lck, thus indicating Aurora A is required for maintaining Lck active. These findings implicate Aurora A in the propagation of the TCR activation signal. PMID:27091106

  5. Vitellogenesis in Bufo arenarum: Identification, characterization and immunolocalization of high molecular mass lipovitellin during oogenesis

    PubMed Central

    O’Brien, Emma D.; Salicioni, Ana M.; Cabada, Marcelo O.; Arranz, Silvia E.

    2009-01-01

    Vitellogenin (Vtg), a large lipoglycophosphoprotein, is the most important precursor of the yolk proteins, and the major source of nutrients for the developing embryo in oviparous species. After its uptake by the oocytes, Vtg is converted into lipovitellins (high and light) and phosvitin, which are deposited into crystalline yolk platelets. We describe here the presence of two high molecular mass lipovitellins isoforms in Bufo arenarum mature oocytes with masses of 113 and 100 kDa, respectively. The amino acid sequence analysis of p113 and p100 peptides showed a high sequence homology between both polypeptides and the complete reported sequences of Xenopus laevis vitellogenin. Using specific antibodies, we determined that the Vtg uptake begins early during oogenesis, at the previtellogenic stage, and continues until oocytes have reached their mature status. In addition, we found that large endocytic vesicles mediate Vtg uptake in stage I oocytes, and that the size of the endocytic vesicles declines with oogenesis progression. In terms of the Vtg protein trafficking, we detected the Vtg precursor (190 kDa) in the liver of estradiol-injected females. Finally, we propose a subclassification of B. arenarum stage-II oocytes into three physiologically and morphologically distinct periods (early, mid and late). PMID:19932187

  6. Vitellogenesis in Bufo arenarum: identification, characterization and immunolocalization of high molecular mass lipovitellin during oogenesis.

    PubMed

    O'Brien, Emma D; Salicioni, Ana M; Cabada, Marcelo O; Arranz, Silvia E

    2010-03-01

    Vitellogenin (Vtg), a large lipoglycophosphoprotein, is the most important precursor of the yolk proteins, and the major source of nutrients for the developing embryo in oviparous species. After its uptake by the oocytes, Vtg is converted into lipovitellins (high and light) and phosvitin, which are deposited into crystalline yolk platelets. We describe here the presence of two high molecular mass lipovitellin isoforms in Bufo arenarum mature oocytes with masses of 113 and 100 kDa, respectively. The amino acid sequence analysis of p113 and p100 peptides showed a high sequence homology between both polypeptides and the complete reported sequences of Xenopus laevis vitellogenin. Using specific antibodies, we determined that the Vtg uptake begins early during oogenesis, at the previtellogenic stage, and continues until oocytes have reached their mature status. In addition, we found that large endocytic vesicles mediate Vtg uptake in stage I oocytes, and that the size of the endocytic vesicles declines with oogenesis progression. In terms of the Vtg protein trafficking, we detected the Vtg precursor (190 kDa) in the liver of estradiol-injected females. Finally, we propose a subclassification of B. arenarum stage II oocytes into three physiologically and morphologically distinct periods (early, mid and late). 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. The Endocytic Recycling Regulatory Protein EHD1 Is Required for Ocular Lens Development

    PubMed Central

    Arya, Priyanka; Rainey, Mark A.; Bhattacharyya, Sohinee; Mohapatra, Bhopal; George, Manju; Kuracha, Murali R; Storck, Matthew D.; Band, Vimla; Govindarajan, Venkatesh; Band, Hamid

    2015-01-01

    The C-terminal Eps15 homology domain-containing (EHD) proteins play a key role in endocytic recycling, a fundamental cellular process that ensures the return of endocytosed membrane components and receptors back to the cell surface. To define the in vivo biological functions of EHD1, we have generated Ehd1 knockout mice and previously reported a requirement of EHD1 for spermatogenesis. Here, we show that approximately 56% of the Ehd1-null mice displayed gross ocular abnormalities, including anophthalmia, aphakia, microphthalmia and congenital cataracts. Histological characterization of ocular abnormalities showed pleiotropic defects that include a smaller or absent lens, persistence of lens stalk and hyaloid vasculature, and deformed optic cups. To test whether these profound ocular defects resulted from the loss of EHD1 in the lens or in non-lenticular tissues, we deleted the Ehd1 gene selectively in the presumptive lens ectoderm using Le-Cre. Conditional Ehd1 deletion in the lens resulted in developmental defects that included thin epithelial layers, small lenses and absence of corneal endothelium. Ehd1 deletion in the lens also resulted in reduced lens epithelial proliferation, survival and expression of junctional proteins E-cadherin and ZO-1. Finally, Le-Cre-mediated deletion of Ehd1 in the lens led to defects in corneal endothelial differentiation. Taken together, these data reveal a unique role for EHD1 in early lens development and suggest a previously unknown link between the endocytic recycling pathway and regulation of key developmental processes including proliferation, differentiation and morphogenesis. PMID:26455409

  8. Vesicle electrohydrodynamics.

    PubMed

    Schwalbe, Jonathan T; Vlahovska, Petia M; Miksis, Michael J

    2011-04-01

    A small amplitude perturbation analysis is developed to describe the effect of a uniform electric field on the dynamics of a lipid bilayer vesicle in a simple shear flow. All media are treated as leaky dielectrics and fluid motion is described by the Stokes equations. The instantaneous vesicle shape is obtained by balancing electric, hydrodynamic, bending, and tension stresses exerted on the membrane. We find that in the absence of ambient shear flow, it is possible that an applied stepwise uniform dc electric field could cause the vesicle shape to evolve from oblate to prolate over time if the encapsulated fluid is less conducting than the suspending fluid. For a vesicle in ambient shear flow, the electric field damps the tumbling motion, leading to a stable tank-treading state.

  9. Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis Occurs on Multiple Timescales and Is Mediated by Formin-Dependent Actin Assembly.

    PubMed

    Soykan, Tolga; Kaempf, Natalie; Sakaba, Takeshi; Vollweiter, Dennis; Goerdeler, Felix; Puchkov, Dmytro; Kononenko, Natalia L; Haucke, Volker

    2017-02-22

    Neurotransmission is based on the exocytic fusion of synaptic vesicles (SVs) followed by endocytic membrane retrieval and the reformation of SVs. Recent data suggest that at physiological temperature SVs are internalized via clathrin-independent ultrafast endocytosis (UFE) within hundreds of milliseconds, while other studies have postulated a key role for clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) of SV proteins on a timescale of seconds to tens of seconds. Here we demonstrate using cultured hippocampal neurons as a model that at physiological temperature SV endocytosis occurs on several timescales from less than a second to several seconds, yet, is largely independent of clathrin. Clathrin-independent endocytosis (CIE) of SV membranes is mediated by actin-nucleating formins such as mDia1, which are required for the formation of presynaptic endosome-like vacuoles from which SVs reform. Our results resolve previous discrepancies in the field and suggest that SV membranes are predominantly retrieved via CIE mediated by formin-dependent actin assembly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Surface LAMP-2 Is an Endocytic Receptor That Diverts Antigen Internalized by Human Dendritic Cells into Highly Immunogenic Exosomes.

    PubMed

    Leone, Dario Armando; Peschel, Andrea; Brown, Markus; Schachner, Helga; Ball, Miriam J; Gyuraszova, Marianna; Salzer-Muhar, Ulrike; Fukuda, Minoru; Vizzardelli, Caterina; Bohle, Barbara; Rees, Andrew J; Kain, Renate

    2017-07-15

    The lysosome-associated membrane protein (LAMP) family includes the dendritic cell endocytic receptors DC-LAMP and CD68, as well as LAMP-1 and LAMP-2. In this study we identify LAMP-1 (CD107a) and LAMP-2 (CD107b) on the surface of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC) and show only LAMP-2 is internalized after ligation by specific Abs, including H4B4, and traffics rapidly but transiently to the MHC class II loading compartment, as does Ag conjugated to H4B4. However, pulsing MoDC with conjugates of primary (keyhole limpet hemocyanin; KLH) and recall (Bet v 1) Ags (H4B4*KLH and H4B4*Bet v 1) induced significantly less CD4 cell proliferation than pulsing with native Ag or Ag conjugated to control mAb (ISO*KLH and ISO*Bet v 1). In H4B4*KLH-pulsed MoDC, the duration of KLH residence in MHC class II loading compartments was significantly reduced, as were surface HLA-DR and DR-bound KLH-derived peptides. Paradoxically, MoDC pulsed with H4B4*KLH, but not the other KLH preparations, induced robust proliferation of CD4 cells separated from them by a transwell membrane, indicating factors in the supernatant were responsible. Furthermore, extracellular vesicles from supernatants of H4B4*KLH-pulsed MoDC contained significantly more HLA-DR and KLH than those purified from control MoDC, and KLH was concentrated specifically in exosomes that were a uniquely effective source of Ag in standard T cell proliferation assays. In summary, we identify LAMP-2 as an endocytic receptor on human MoDC that routes cargo into unusual Ag processing pathways, which reduces surface expression of Ag-derived peptides while selectively enriching Ag within immunogenic exosomes. This novel pathway has implications for the initiation of immune responses both locally and at distant sites. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  11. miR-17-5p Regulates Endocytic Trafficking through Targeting TBC1D2/Armus

    PubMed Central

    Serva, Andrius; Knapp, Bettina; Tsai, Yueh-Tso; Claas, Christoph; Lisauskas, Tautvydas; Matula, Petr; Harder, Nathalie; Kaderali, Lars; Rohr, Karl; Erfle, Holger; Eils, Roland; Braga, Vania; Starkuviene, Vytaute

    2012-01-01

    miRNA cluster miR-17-92 is known as oncomir-1 due to its potent oncogenic function. miR-17-92 is a polycistronic cluster that encodes 6 miRNAs, and can both facilitate and inhibit cell proliferation. Known targets of miRNAs encoded by this cluster are largely regulators of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Here, we show that miRNAs encoded by this cluster and sharing the seed sequence of miR-17 exert their influence on one of the most essential cellular processes – endocytic trafficking. By mRNA expression analysis we identified that regulation of endocytic trafficking by miR-17 can potentially be achieved by targeting of a number of trafficking regulators. We have thoroughly validated TBC1D2/Armus, a GAP of Rab7 GTPase, as a novel target of miR-17. Our study reveals regulation of endocytic trafficking as a novel function of miR-17, which might act cooperatively with other functions of miR-17 and related miRNAs in health and disease. PMID:23285084

  12. Internalization and sorting of a fluorescent analogue of glucosylceramide to the Golgi apparatus of human skin fibroblasts: utilization of endocytic and nonendocytic transport mechanisms

    PubMed Central

    1994-01-01

    We examined the uptake and intracellular transport of the fluorescent glucosylceramide analogue N-[5-(5,7-dimethyl BODIPYTM)-1-pentanoyl]- glucosyl sphingosine (C5-DMB-GlcCer) in human skin fibroblasts, and we compared its behavior to that of the corresponding fluorescent analogues of sphingomyelin, galactosylceramide, and lactosylceramide. All four fluorescent analogues were readily transferred from defatted BSA to the plasma membrane during incubation at 4 degrees C. When cells treated with C5-DMB-GlcCer were washed, warmed to 37 degrees C, and subsequently incubated with defatted BSA to remove fluorescent lipid at the cell surface, strong fluorescence was observed at the Golgi apparatus, as well as weaker labeling at the nuclear envelope and other intracellular membranes. Similar results were obtained with C5-DMB- galactosylceramide, except that labeling of the Golgi apparatus was weaker than with C5-DMB-GlcCer. Internalization of C5-DMB-GlcCer was not inhibited by various treatments, including ATP depletion or warming to 19 degrees C, and biochemical analysis demonstrated that the lipid was not metabolized during its internalization. However, accumulation of C5-DMB-GlcCer at the Golgi apparatus was reduced when cells were treated with a nonfluorescent analogue of glucosylceramide, suggesting that accumulation of C5-DMB-GlcCer at the Golgi apparatus was a saturable process. In contrast, cells treated with C5-DMB-analogues of sphingomyelin or lactosylceramide internalized the fluorescent lipid into a punctate pattern of fluorescence during warming at 37 degrees C, and this process was temperature and energy dependent. These results with C5-DMB-sphingomyelin and C5-DMB-lactosylceramide were analogous to those obtained with another fluorescent analogue of sphingomyelin in which labeling of endocytic vesicles and plasma membrane lipid recycling were documented (Koval, M., and R. E. Pagano. 1990. J. Cell Biol. 111:429-442). Incubation of perforated cells with C5-DMB

  13. The Disease Protein Tulp1 Is Essential for Periactive Zone Endocytosis in Photoreceptor Ribbon Synapses

    PubMed Central

    Wahl, Silke; Magupalli, Venkat Giri; Dembla, Mayur; Katiyar, Rashmi; Schwarz, Karin; Köblitz, Louise; Alpadi, Kannan; Krause, Elmar; Rettig, Jens; Sung, Ching-Hwa; Goldberg, Andrew F. X.

    2016-01-01

    Mutations in the Tulp1 gene cause severe, early-onset retinitis pigmentosa (RP14) in humans. In the retina, Tulp1 is mainly expressed in photoreceptors that use ribbon synapses to communicate with the inner retina. In the present study, we demonstrate that Tulp1 is highly enriched in the periactive zone of photoreceptor presynaptic terminals where Tulp1 colocalizes with major endocytic proteins close to the synaptic ribbon. Analyses of Tulp1 knock-out mice demonstrate that Tulp1 is essential to keep endocytic proteins enriched at the periactive zone and to maintain high levels of endocytic activity close to the synaptic ribbon. Moreover, we have discovered a novel interaction between Tulp1 and the synaptic ribbon protein RIBEYE, which is important to maintain synaptic ribbon integrity. The current findings suggest a new model for Tulp1-mediated localization of the endocytic machinery at the periactive zone of ribbon synapses and offer a new rationale and mechanism for vision loss associated with genetic defects in Tulp1. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mutations in the Tulp1 gene cause severe, early-onset retinitis pigmentosa (RP14) and Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA15) in human patients. In this study, we discovered that the phosphoinositol-4,5-bisphosphate-binding protein Tulp1 is essential for the structural and functional organization of the periactive zone in photoreceptor synapses. Using Tulp1 knock-out mice, we found that Tulp1 is required to enrich major endocytic proteins at the periactive zone next to the synaptic ribbon. We demonstrate that Tulp1 is needed to promote endocytic vesicle retrieval at the periactive zone. Moreover, we discovered a novel interaction between Tulp1 and the synaptic ribbon protein RIBEYE. This newly discovered disease-sensitive interaction provides a molecular model for the control of endocytosis close to the synaptic ribbon. PMID:26911694

  14. Conductive choline transport by alveolar epithelial plasma membrane vesicles.

    PubMed

    Oelberg, D G; Xu, F

    1998-11-01

    Choline is an important substrate in alveolar epithelia for both surfactant production and cellular maintenance. The underlying mechanisms of uptake and sites of membrane transport remain uncertain. To test the hypothesis that choline transport occurs at the basolateral side of alveolar epithelia by both Na+-independent and -dependent mechanisms, plasma membrane vesicles were prepared from the apical and basolateral membranes of mature porcine type II pneumocytes. Choline+ transport was assayed by uptake of [3H]choline+ by enriched apical or basolateral vesicles. In the presence of imposed, inside-negative charge gradients, basolateral vesicles exhibited early overshoot of [3H]choline+ uptake unaffected by the presence or absence of external Na+ (541 +/- 53 vs 564 +/- 79 pmol/mg protein (NS)). High sensitivity to hemicholinium-3 was observed in the presence or absence of Na+. In the absence of inside-negative charge gradients, uptake was reduced 12-fold in the presence or absence of Na+, and external choline+ induced internal alkalization of acidified basolateral vesicles. Accumulative [3H]choline+ uptakes by apical vesicles in the presence or absence of inside-negative charge gradients and Na+ were insignificant. We conclude that predominant choline+ uptake by type II pneumocytes occurs at the basolateral membrane by Na+-independent, electrogenic choline+ conductance. The presence of electroneutral choline+/H+ exchange is suggested. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

  15. Imaging synaptic vesicle recycling by staining and destaining vesicles with FM dyes.

    PubMed

    Hoopmann, Peer; Rizzoli, Silvio O; Betz, William J

    2012-01-01

    The synaptic vesicle is the essential organelle of the synapse. Many approaches for studying synaptic vesicle recycling have been devised, one of which, the styryl (FM) dye, is well suited for this purpose. FM dyes reversibly stain, but do not permeate, membranes; hence they can specifically label membrane-bound organelles. Their quantum yield is drastically higher when bound to membranes than when in aqueous solution. This protocol describes the imaging of synaptic vesicle recycling by staining and destaining vesicles with FM dyes. Nerve terminals are stimulated (electrically or by depolarization with high K(+)) in the presence of dye, their vesicles are then allowed to recycle, and finally dye is washed from the chamber. In neuromuscular junction (NMJ) preparations, movements of the muscle must be inhibited if imaging during stimulation is desired (e.g., by application of curare, a potent acetylcholine receptor inhibitor). The main characteristics of FM dyes are also reviewed here, as are recent FM dye monitoring techniques that have been used to investigate the kinetics of synaptic vesicle fusion.

  16. Self-assembled polyhydroxy fatty acids vesicles: a mechanism for plant cutin synthesis.

    PubMed

    Heredia-Guerrero, José A; Benítez, José J; Heredia, Antonio

    2008-03-01

    Despite its biological importance, the mechanism of formation of cutin, the polymeric matrix of plant cuticles, has not yet been fully clarified. Here, for the first time, we show the participation in the process of lipid vesicles formed by the self-assembly of endogenous polyhydroxy fatty acids. The accumulation and fusion of these vesicles (cutinsomes) at the outer part of epidermal cell wall is proposed as the mechanism for early cuticle formation.

  17. Ultrastructural characteristics of the follicle cell-oocyte interface in the oogenesis of Ceratophrys cranwelli.

    PubMed

    Villecco, Evelina I; Genta, Susana B; Sánchez Riera, Alicia N; Sánchez, Sara S

    2002-05-01

    In this work we carried out an ultrastructural analysis of the cell interface between oocyte and follicle cells during the oogenesis of the amphibian Ceratophrys cranwelli, which revealed a complex cell-cell interaction. In the early previtellogenic follicles, the plasma membrane of the follicle cells lies in close contact with the plasma membrane of the oocyte, with no interface between them. In the mid-previtellogenic follicles the follicle cells became more active and their cytoplasm has vesicles containing granular material. Their apical surface projects cytoplasmic processes (macrovilli) that contact the oocyte, forming gap junctions. The oocyte surface begins to develop microvilli. At the interface both processes delimit lacunae containing granular material. The oocyte surface has endocytic vesicles that incorporate this material, forming cortical vesicles that are peripherally arranged. In the late previtellogenic follicle the interface contains fibrillar material from which the vitelline envelope will originate. During the vitellogenic period, there is an increase in the number and length of the micro- and macrovilli, which become regularly arranged inside fibrillar tunnels. At this time the oocyte surface exhibits deep crypts where the macrovilli enter, thus increasing the follicle cell-oocyte junctions. In addition, the oocyte displays coated pits and vesicles evidencing an intense endocytic activity. At the interface of the fully grown oocyte the fibrillar network of the vitelline envelope can be seen. The compact zone contains a fibrillar electron-dense material that fills the spaces previously occupied by the now-retracted microvilli. The macrovilli are still in contact with the surface of the oocyte, forming gap junctions.

  18. Activity-Dependence of Synaptic Vesicle Dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Forte, Luca A.

    2017-01-01

    The proper function of synapses relies on efficient recycling of synaptic vesicles. The small size of synaptic boutons has hampered efforts to define the dynamical states of vesicles during recycling. Moreover, whether vesicle motion during recycling is regulated by neural activity remains largely unknown. We combined nanoscale-resolution tracking of individual synaptic vesicles in cultured hippocampal neurons from rats of both sexes with advanced motion analyses to demonstrate that the majority of recently endocytosed vesicles undergo sequences of transient dynamical states including epochs of directed, diffusional, and stalled motion. We observed that vesicle motion is modulated in an activity-dependent manner, with dynamical changes apparent in ∼20% of observed boutons. Within this subpopulation of boutons, 35% of observed vesicles exhibited acceleration and 65% exhibited deceleration, accompanied by corresponding changes in directed motion. Individual vesicles observed in the remaining ∼80% of boutons did not exhibit apparent dynamical changes in response to stimulation. More quantitative transient motion analyses revealed that the overall reduction of vesicle mobility, and specifically of the directed motion component, is the predominant activity-evoked change across the entire bouton population. Activity-dependent modulation of vesicle mobility may represent an important mechanism controlling vesicle availability and neurotransmitter release. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mechanisms governing synaptic vesicle dynamics during recycling remain poorly understood. Using nanoscale resolution tracking of individual synaptic vesicles in hippocampal synapses and advanced motion analysis tools we demonstrate that synaptic vesicles undergo complex sets of dynamical states that include epochs of directed, diffusive, and stalled motion. Most importantly, our analyses revealed that vesicle motion is modulated in an activity-dependent manner apparent as the reduction in

  19. Fusion competent synaptic vesicles persist upon active zone disruption and loss of vesicle docking

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Shan Shan H.; Held, Richard G.; Wong, Man Yan; Liu, Changliang; Karakhanyan, Aziz; Kaeser, Pascal S.

    2016-01-01

    In a nerve terminal, synaptic vesicle docking and release are restricted to an active zone. The active zone is a protein scaffold that is attached to the presynaptic plasma membrane and opposed to postsynaptic receptors. Here, we generated conditional knockout mice removing the active zone proteins RIM and ELKS, which additionally led to loss of Munc13, Bassoon, Piccolo, and RIM-BP, indicating disassembly of the active zone. We observed a near complete lack of synaptic vesicle docking and a strong reduction in vesicular release probability and the speed of exocytosis, but total vesicle numbers, SNARE protein levels, and postsynaptic densities remained unaffected. Despite loss of the priming proteins Munc13 and RIM and of docked vesicles, a pool of releasable vesicles remained. Thus, the active zone is necessary for synaptic vesicle docking and to enhance release probability, but releasable vesicles can be localized distant from the presynaptic plasma membrane. PMID:27537483

  20. A Role for EHD4 in the Regulation of Early Endosomal Transport

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Mahak; Naslavsky, Naava; Caplan, Steve

    2009-01-01

    All four of the C-terminal Eps15 homology domain (EHD) proteins have been implicated in the regulation of endocytic trafficking. However, the high level of amino acid sequence identity among these proteins has made it challenging to elucidate the precise function of individual EHD proteins. We demonstrate here with specific peptide antibodies that endogenous EHD4 localizes to Rab5-, early embryonic antigen 1 (EEA1)- and Arf6-containing endosomes and colocalizes with internalized transferrin in the cell periphery. Knock-down of EHD4 expression by both small interfering RNA and short hairpin RNA leads to the generation of enlarged early endosomal structures that contain Rab5 and EEA1 as well as internalized transferrin or major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. In addition, cargo destined for degradation, such as internalized low-density lipoprotein, also accumulates in the enlarged early endosomes in EHD4-depleted cells. Moreover, we have demonstrated that these enlarged early endosomes are enriched in levels of the activated GTP-bound Rab5. Finally, we show that endogenous EHD4 and EHD1 interact in cells, suggesting coordinated involvement in the regulation of receptor transport along the early endosome to endocytic recycling compartment axis. The results presented herein provide evidence that EHD4 is involved in the control of trafficking at the early endosome and regulates exit of cargo toward both the recycling compartment and the late endocytic pathway. PMID:18331452

  1. A dynamin 1-, dynamin 3- and clathrin-independent pathway of synaptic vesicle recycling mediated by bulk endocytosis

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Yumei; O'Toole, Eileen T; Girard, Martine; Ritter, Brigitte; Messa, Mirko; Liu, Xinran; McPherson, Peter S; Ferguson, Shawn M; De Camilli, Pietro

    2014-01-01

    The exocytosis of synaptic vesicles (SVs) elicited by potent stimulation is rapidly compensated by bulk endocytosis of SV membranes leading to large endocytic vacuoles (‘bulk’ endosomes). Subsequently, these vacuoles disappear in parallel with the reappearance of new SVs. We have used synapses of dynamin 1 and 3 double knock-out neurons, where clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is dramatically impaired, to gain insight into the poorly understood mechanisms underlying this process. Massive formation of bulk endosomes was not defective, but rather enhanced, in the absence of dynamin 1 and 3. The subsequent conversion of bulk endosomes into SVs was not accompanied by the accumulation of clathrin coated buds on their surface and this process proceeded even after further clathrin knock-down, suggesting its independence of clathrin. These findings support the existence of a pathway for SV reformation that bypasses the requirement for clathrin and dynamin 1/3 and that operates during intense synaptic activity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01621.001 PMID:24963135

  2. Clathrin-independent carriers form a high capacity endocytic sorting system at the leading edge of migrating cells

    PubMed Central

    Howes, Mark T.; Kirkham, Matthew; Riches, James; Cortese, Katia; Walser, Piers J.; Simpson, Fiona; Hill, Michelle M.; Jones, Alun; Lundmark, Richard; Lindsay, Margaret R.; Hernandez-Deviez, Delia J.; Hadzic, Gordana; McCluskey, Adam; Bashir, Rumasia; Liu, Libin; Pilch, Paul; McMahon, Harvey; Robinson, Phillip J.; Hancock, John F.; Mayor, Satyajit

    2010-01-01

    Although the importance of clathrin- and caveolin-independent endocytic pathways has recently emerged, key aspects of these routes remain unknown. Using quantitative ultrastructural approaches, we show that clathrin-independent carriers (CLICs) account for approximately three times the volume internalized by the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway, forming the major pathway involved in uptake of fluid and bulk membrane in fibroblasts. Electron tomographic analysis of the 3D morphology of the earliest carriers shows that they are multidomain organelles that form a complex sorting station as they mature. Proteomic analysis provides direct links between CLICs, cellular adhesion turnover, and migration. Consistent with this, CLIC-mediated endocytosis of key cargo proteins, CD44 and Thy-1, is polarized at the leading edge of migrating fibroblasts, while transient ablation of CLICs impairs their ability to migrate. These studies provide the first quantitative ultrastructural analysis and molecular characterization of the major endocytic pathway in fibroblasts, a pathway that provides rapid membrane turnover at the leading edge of migrating cells. PMID:20713605

  3. Uncommon endocytic and trafficking pathway of the natural killer cell CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptor.

    PubMed

    Masilamani, Madhan; Narayanan, Sriram; Prieto, Martha; Borrego, Francisco; Coligan, John E

    2008-06-01

    The CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptor, expressed by natural killer and T cells, is constantly exposed to its HLA-E ligand expressed by surrounding cells. Ligand exposure often induces receptor downregulation. For CD94/NKG2A, this could potentiate activation receptor(s) induced responses to normal bystander cells. We investigated CD94/NKG2A endocytosis and found that it occurs by an amiloride-sensitive, Rac1-dependent macropinocytic-like process; however, it does not require clathrin, dynamin, ADP ribosylation factor-6, phosphoinositide-3 kinase or the actin cytoskeleton. Once endocytosed, CD94/NKG2A traffics to early endosomal antigen 1(+), Rab5(+) early endosomes. It does appear in Rab4(+) early/sorting endosome, but, in the time period examined, fails to reach Rab11(+) recycling or Rab7(+) late endosomes or lysosome-associated membrane protein-1(+) lysosomes. These results indicate that CD94/NKG2A utilizes a previously undescribed endocytic mechanism coupled with an abbreviated trafficking pattern, perhaps to insure surface expression.

  4. Interpretation of the FGF8 morphogen gradient is regulated by endocytic trafficking.

    PubMed

    Nowak, Matthias; Machate, Anja; Yu, Shuizi Rachel; Gupta, Mansi; Brand, Michael

    2011-02-01

    Forty years ago, it was proposed that during embryonic development and organogenesis, morphogen gradients provide positional information to the individual cells within a tissue leading to specific fate decisions. Recently, much insight has been gained into how such morphogen gradients are formed and maintained; however, which cellular mechanisms govern their interpretation within target tissues remains debated. Here we used in vivo fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and automated image analysis to assess the role of endocytic sorting dynamics on fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8) morphogen gradient interpretation. By interfering with the function of the ubiquitin ligase Cbl, we found an expanded range of Fgf target gene expression and a delay of Fgf8 lysosomal transport. However, the extracellular Fgf8 morphogen gradient remained unchanged, indicating that the observed signalling changes are due to altered gradient interpretation. We propose that regulation of morphogen signalling activity through endocytic sorting allows fast feedback-induced changes in gradient interpretation during the establishment of complex patterns.

  5. Membrane damage-induced vesicle–vesicle fusion of dysferlin-containing vesicles in muscle cells requires microtubules and kinesin

    PubMed Central

    McDade, Joel R.; Michele, Daniel E.

    2014-01-01

    Mutations in the dysferlin gene resulting in dysferlin-deficiency lead to limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2B and Myoshi myopathy in humans. Dysferlin has been proposed as a critical regulator of vesicle-mediated membrane resealing in muscle fibers, and localizes to muscle fiber wounds following sarcolemma damage. Studies in fibroblasts and urchin eggs suggest that trafficking and fusion of intracellular vesicles with the plasma membrane during resealing requires the intracellular cytoskeleton. However, the contribution of dysferlin-containing vesicles to resealing in muscle and the role of the cytoskeleton in regulating dysferlin-containing vesicle biology is unclear. Here, we use live-cell imaging to examine the behavior of dysferlin-containing vesicles following cellular wounding in muscle cells and examine the role of microtubules and kinesin in dysferlin-containing vesicle behavior following wounding. Our data indicate that dysferlin-containing vesicles move along microtubules via the kinesin motor KIF5B in muscle cells. Membrane wounding induces dysferlin-containing vesicle–vesicle fusion and the formation of extremely large cytoplasmic vesicles, and this response depends on both microtubules and functional KIF5B. In non-muscle cell types, lysosomes are critical mediators of membrane resealing, and our data indicate that dysferlin-containing vesicles are capable of fusing with lysosomes following wounding which may contribute to formation of large wound sealing vesicles in muscle cells. Overall, our data provide mechanistic evidence that microtubule-based transport of dysferlin-containing vesicles may be critical for resealing, and highlight a critical role for dysferlin-containing vesicle–vesicle and vesicle–organelle fusion in response to wounding in muscle cells. PMID:24203699

  6. Loss of endocytic clathrin-coated pits upon acute depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate.

    PubMed

    Zoncu, Roberto; Perera, Rushika M; Sebastian, Rafael; Nakatsu, Fubito; Chen, Hong; Balla, Tamas; Ayala, Guillermo; Toomre, Derek; De Camilli, Pietro V

    2007-03-06

    Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P(2)], a phosphoinositide concentrated predominantly in the plasma membrane, binds endocytic clathrin adaptors, many of their accessory factors, and a variety of actin-regulatory proteins. Here we have used fluorescent fusion proteins and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to investigate the effect of acute PI(4,5)P(2) breakdown on the dynamics of endocytic clathrin-coated pit components and of the actin regulatory complex, Arp2/3. PI(4,5)P(2) breakdown was achieved by the inducible recruitment to the plasma membrane of an inositol 5-phosphatase module through the rapamycin/FRB/FKBP system or by treatment with ionomycin. PI(4,5)P(2) depletion resulted in a dramatic loss of clathrin puncta, which correlated with a massive dissociation of endocytic adaptors from the plasma membrane. Remaining clathrin spots at the cell surface had only weak fluorescence and were static over time. Dynamin and the p20 subunit of the Arp2/3 actin regulatory complex, which were concentrated at late-stage clathrin-coated pits and in lamellipodia, also dissociated from the plasma membrane, and these changes correlated with an arrest of motility at the cell edge. These findings demonstrate the critical importance of PI(4,5)P(2) in clathrin coat dynamics and Arp2/3-dependent actin regulation.

  7. Irradiation-induced fusion between giant vesicles and photoresponsive large unilamellar vesicles containing malachite green derivative.

    PubMed

    Uda, Ryoko M; Yoshikawa, Yuki; Kitaba, Moe; Nishimoto, Noriko

    2018-07-01

    Light-initiated fusion between vesicles has attracted much attention in the research community. In particular, fusion between photoresponsive and non-photoresponsive vesicles has been of much interest in the development of systems for the delivery of therapeutic agents to cells. We have performed fusion between giant vesicles (GVs) and photoresponsive smaller vesicles containing malachite green (MG) derivative, which undergoes ionization to afford a positive charge on the molecule by irradiation. The fusion proceeds as the concentration of GV lipid increases toward equimolarity with the lipid of the smaller vesicle. It is also dependent on the molar percentage of photoionized MG in the lipid of the smaller vesicle. On the other hand, the fusion is hardly affected by the anionic component of the GV. The photoinduced fusion was characterized by two methods, involving the mixing of lipid membranes and of aqueous contents. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that irradiation triggered the fusion of a single GV with the smaller vesicles containing MG. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Vesicle-MaNiA: extracellular vesicles in liquid biopsy and cancer

    PubMed Central

    Torrano, Veronica; Royo, Felix; Peinado, Héctor; Loizaga-Iriarte, Ana; Unda, Miguel; Falcón-Perez, Juan M.; Carracedo, Arkaitz

    2016-01-01

    Normal and tumor cells shed vesicles to the environment. Within the large family of extracellular vesicles, exosomes and microvesicles have attracted much attention in the recent years. Their interest ranges from mediators of cancer progression, inflammation, immune regulation and metastatic niche regulation, to non-invasive biomarkers of disease. In this respect, the procedures to purify and analyze extracellular vesicles have quickly evolved and represent a source of variability for data integration in the field. In this review, we provide an updated view of the potential of exosomes and microvesicles as biomarkers and the available technologies for their isolation. PMID:27366992

  9. PKCzeta is required for microtubule-based motility of vesicles containing the ntcp transporter.

    PubMed

    Sarkar, Souvik; Bananis, Eustratios; Nath, Sangeeta; Anwer, M Sawkat; Wolkoff, Allan W; Murray, John W

    2006-08-01

    Intracellular trafficking regulates the abundance and therefore activity of transporters present at the plasma membrane. The transporter, Na+-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (ntcp), is increased at the plasma membrane upon treatment of cells with cAMP, for which microtubules (MTs) are required and the PI3K pathway and PKCzeta have been implicated. However, trafficking of ntcp on MTs has not been demonstrated directly and the regulation and intracellular localization of ntcp is not well understood. Here, we utilize in vitro and whole-cell immunofluorescence microscopy assays to demonstrate that ntcp is present on intracellular vesicles that bind MTs and move bidirectionally, using kinesin-1 and dynein. These vesicles co-localize with markers for recycling endosomes and early but not late endosomes. They frequently undergo fission, providing a mechanism for the exclusion of ntcp from late endosomes. PI(3,4,5)P3 activates PKCzeta and enhances motility of the ntcp vesicles and overcomes the partial inhibition produced by a PI3-kinase inhibitor. Specific inhibition of PKCzeta blocks the motility of ntcp-containing vesicles but has no effect on late vesicles as shown both in vitro and in living cells transfected with ntcp-GFP. These data indicate that PKCzeta is required specifically for the intracellular movement of vesicles that contain the ntcp transporter.

  10. Origin of life: LUCA and extracellular membrane vesicles (EMVs)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gill, S.; Forterre, P.

    2016-01-01

    Cells from the three domains of life produce extracellular membrane vesicles (EMVs), suggesting that EMV production is an important aspect of cellular physiology. EMVs have been implicated in many aspects of cellular life in all domains, including stress response, toxicity against competing strains, pathogenicity, detoxification and resistance against viral attack. These EMVs represent an important mode of inter-cellular communication by serving as vehicles for transfer of DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids between cells. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of EMV biology and their various roles. We focus on the role of membrane vesicles in early cellular evolution and how they would have helped shape the nature of the last universal common ancestor. A membrane-protected micro-environment would have been a key to the survival of spontaneous molecular systems and efficient metabolic reactions. Interestingly, the morphology of EMVs is strongly reminiscent of the morphology of some virions. It is thus tempting to make a link between the origin of the first protocell via the formation of vesicles and the origin of viruses.

  11. Single-vesicle imaging reveals different transport mechanisms between glutamatergic and GABAergic vesicles.

    PubMed

    Farsi, Zohreh; Preobraschenski, Julia; van den Bogaart, Geert; Riedel, Dietmar; Jahn, Reinhard; Woehler, Andrew

    2016-02-26

    Synaptic transmission is mediated by the release of neurotransmitters, which involves exo-endocytotic cycling of synaptic vesicles. To maintain synaptic function, synaptic vesicles are refilled with thousands of neurotransmitter molecules within seconds after endocytosis, using the energy provided by an electrochemical proton gradient. However, it is unclear how transmitter molecules carrying different net charges can be efficiently sequestered while maintaining charge neutrality and osmotic balance. We used single-vesicle imaging to monitor pH and electrical gradients and directly showed different uptake mechanisms for glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) operating in parallel. In contrast to glutamate, GABA was exchanged for protons, with no other ions participating in the transport cycle. Thus, only a few components are needed to guarantee reliable vesicle filling with different neurotransmitters. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  12. Vesicle-MaNiA: extracellular vesicles in liquid biopsy and cancer.

    PubMed

    Torrano, Veronica; Royo, Felix; Peinado, Héctor; Loizaga-Iriarte, Ana; Unda, Miguel; Falcón-Perez, Juan M; Carracedo, Arkaitz

    2016-08-01

    Normal and tumor cells shed vesicles to the environment. Within the large family of extracellular vesicles, exosomes and microvesicles have attracted much attention in the recent years. Their interest ranges from mediators of cancer progression, inflammation, immune regulation and metastatic niche regulation, to non-invasive biomarkers of disease. In this respect, the procedures to purify and analyze extracellular vesicles have quickly evolved and represent a source of variability for data integration in the field. In this review, we provide an updated view of the potential of exosomes and microvesicles as biomarkers and the available technologies for their isolation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Over-Expression of Rififylin, a New RING Finger and FYVE-like Domain-containing Protein, Inhibits Recycling from the Endocytic Recycling Compartment

    PubMed Central

    Coumailleau, Franck; Das, Vincent; Alcover, Andres; Raposo, Graça; Vandormael-Pournin, Sandrine; Le Bras, Stéphanie; Baldacci, Patricia; Dautry-Varsat, Alice; Babinet, Charles; Cohen-Tannoudji, Michel

    2004-01-01

    Endocytosed membrane components are recycled to the cell surface either directly from early/sorting endosomes or after going through the endocytic recycling compartment (ERC). Studying recycling mechanisms is difficult, in part due to the fact that specific tools to inhibit this process are scarce. In this study, we have characterized a novel widely expressed protein, named Rififylin (Rffl) for RING Finger and FYVE-like domain-containing protein, that, when overexpressed in HeLa cells, induced the condensation of transferrin receptor-, Rab5-, and Rab11-positive recycling tubulovesicular membranes in the perinuclear region. Internalized transferrin was able to access these condensed endosomes but its exit from this compartment was delayed. Using deletion mutants, we show that the carboxy-terminal RING finger of Rffl is dispensable for its action. In contrast, the amino-terminal domain of Rffl, which shows similarities with the phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate–binding FYVE finger, is critical for the recruitment of Rffl to recycling endocytic membranes and for the inhibition of recycling, albeit in a manner that is independent of PtdIns(3)-kinase activity. Rffl overexpression represents a novel means to inhibit recycling that will help to understand the mechanisms involved in recycling from the ERC to the plasma membrane. PMID:15229288

  14. Over-expression of Rififylin, a new RING finger and FYVE-like domain-containing protein, inhibits recycling from the endocytic recycling compartment.

    PubMed

    Coumailleau, Franck; Das, Vincent; Alcover, Andres; Raposo, Graça; Vandormael-Pournin, Sandrine; Le Bras, Stéphanie; Baldacci, Patricia; Dautry-Varsat, Alice; Babinet, Charles; Cohen-Tannoudji, Michel

    2004-10-01

    Endocytosed membrane components are recycled to the cell surface either directly from early/sorting endosomes or after going through the endocytic recycling compartment (ERC). Studying recycling mechanisms is difficult, in part due to the fact that specific tools to inhibit this process are scarce. In this study, we have characterized a novel widely expressed protein, named Rififylin (Rffl) for RING Finger and FYVE-like domain-containing protein, that, when overexpressed in HeLa cells, induced the condensation of transferrin receptor-, Rab5-, and Rab11-positive recycling tubulovesicular membranes in the perinuclear region. Internalized transferrin was able to access these condensed endosomes but its exit from this compartment was delayed. Using deletion mutants, we show that the carboxy-terminal RING finger of Rffl is dispensable for its action. In contrast, the amino-terminal domain of Rffl, which shows similarities with the phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate-binding FYVE finger, is critical for the recruitment of Rffl to recycling endocytic membranes and for the inhibition of recycling, albeit in a manner that is independent of PtdIns(3)-kinase activity. Rffl overexpression represents a novel means to inhibit recycling that will help to understand the mechanisms involved in recycling from the ERC to the plasma membrane.

  15. Endocytic pathway mediates refractoriness of insect Bactrocera dorsalis to RNA interference

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xiaoxue; Dong, Xiaolong; Zou, Cong; Zhang, Hongyu

    2015-01-01

    RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful and convenient tool for sequence-specific gene silencing, and it is triggered by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). RNAi can be easily achieved in many eukaryotes by either injecting or feeding dsRNAs. This mechanism has demonstrated its potential in fundamental research on genetics, medicine and agriculture. However, the possibility that insects might develop refractoriness to RNAi remains unexplored. In this study, we report that the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, became refractory to RNAi using orally administered dsRNA targeting endogenous genes. Furthermore, refractoriness to RNAi is not gene-specific, and its duration depends on the dsRNA concentration. RNAi blockage requires the endocytic pathway. Fluorescence microscopy indicated that in RNAi refractory flies, dsRNA uptake is blocked. Genes involved in the entry of dsRNAs into cells, including chc, cog3, light and others, are down-regulated in RNAi refractory flies. Increasing the endocytic capacity by improving F-actin polymerization disrupts RNAi refractoriness after both primary and secondary dsRNA exposures. Our results demonstrate that an insect can become refractory to RNAi by preventing the entry of dsRNA into its cells. PMID:25731667

  16. Endocytic pathway mediates refractoriness of insect Bactrocera dorsalis to RNA interference.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiaoxue; Dong, Xiaolong; Zou, Cong; Zhang, Hongyu

    2015-03-03

    RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful and convenient tool for sequence-specific gene silencing, and it is triggered by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). RNAi can be easily achieved in many eukaryotes by either injecting or feeding dsRNAs. This mechanism has demonstrated its potential in fundamental research on genetics, medicine and agriculture. However, the possibility that insects might develop refractoriness to RNAi remains unexplored. In this study, we report that the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, became refractory to RNAi using orally administered dsRNA targeting endogenous genes. Furthermore, refractoriness to RNAi is not gene-specific, and its duration depends on the dsRNA concentration. RNAi blockage requires the endocytic pathway. Fluorescence microscopy indicated that in RNAi refractory flies, dsRNA uptake is blocked. Genes involved in the entry of dsRNAs into cells, including chc, cog3, light and others, are down-regulated in RNAi refractory flies. Increasing the endocytic capacity by improving F-actin polymerization disrupts RNAi refractoriness after both primary and secondary dsRNA exposures. Our results demonstrate that an insect can become refractory to RNAi by preventing the entry of dsRNA into its cells.

  17. The Atg1-kinase complex tethers Atg9-vesicles to initiate autophagy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, Yijian; Perna, Marco G.; Hofmann, Benjamin; Beier, Viola; Wollert, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    Autophagosomes are double-membrane vesicles that sequester cytoplasmic material for lysosomal degradation. Their biogenesis is initiated by recruitment of Atg9-vesicles to the phagophore assembly site. This process depends on the regulated activation of the Atg1-kinase complex. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here we reconstitute this early step in autophagy from purified components in vitro. We find that on assembly from its cytoplasmic subcomplexes, the Atg1-kinase complex becomes activated, enabling it to recruit and tether Atg9-vesicles. The scaffolding protein Atg17 targets the Atg1-kinase complex to autophagic membranes by specifically recognizing the membrane protein Atg9. This interaction is inhibited by the two regulatory subunits Atg31 and Atg29. Engagement of the Atg1-Atg13 subcomplex restores the Atg9-binding and membrane-tethering activity of Atg17. Our data help to unravel the mechanism that controls Atg17-mediated tethering of Atg9-vesicles, providing the molecular basis to understand initiation of autophagosome-biogenesis.

  18. Dynamics of small unilamellar vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffmann, Ingo; Hoffmann, Claudia; Farago, Bela; Prévost, Sylvain; Gradzielski, Michael

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of small unilamellar vesicles with the aid of neutron spin-echo spectroscopy. The purpose of this investigation is twofold. On the one hand, we investigate the influence of solubilised cosurfactant on the dynamics of the vesicle's surfactant bilayer. On the other hand, the small unilamellar vesicles used here have a size between larger vesicles, with dynamics being well described by the Zilman-Granek model and smaller microemulsion droplets which can be described by the Milner-Safran model. Therefore, we want to elucidate the question, which model is more suitable for the description of the membrane dynamics of small vesicles, where the finite curvature of the bilayer is felt by the contained amphiphilic molecules. This question is of substantial relevance for our understanding of membranes and how their dynamics is affected by curvature, a problem that is also of key importance in a number of biological questions. Our results indicate the even down to vesicle radii of 20 nm the Zilman-Granek model appears to be the more suitable one.

  19. Fluorescent nanocolloids for differential labeling of the endocytic pathway and drug delivery applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delehanty, James B.; Spillmann, Christopher M.; Naciri, Jawad; Algar, W. Russ; Ratna, Banahalli R.; Medintz, Igor L.

    2013-02-01

    The demonstration of fine control over nanomaterials within biological systems, particularly in live cells, is integral for the successful implementation of nanoparticles (NPs) in biomedical applications. Here, we show the ability to differentially label the endocytic pathway of mammalian cells in a spatiotemporal manner utilizing fluorescent nanocolloids (NCs) doped with a perylene-based dye. EDC-based conjugation of green- and red-emitting NCs to the iron transport protein transferrin resulted in stable bioconjugates that were efficiently endocytosed by HEK 293T/17 cells. The staggered delivery of the bioconjugates allowed for the time-resolved, differential labeling of distinct vesicular compartments along the endocytic pathway in a nontoxic manner. We further demonstrated the ability of the NCs to be impregnated with the anticancer therapeutic, doxorubicin. Delivery of the drug-doped nanoconjugates resulted in the intracellular release and nuclear accumulation of doxorubicin in a time- and dose-dependent manner. We discuss our results in the context of the utility of such materials for NP-mediated drug delivery applications.

  20. Effect of Ca2+ on Vesicle Fusion on Solid Surface: An In vitro Model of Protein-Accelerated Vesicle Fusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shinozaki, Youichi; Siitonen, Ari M.; Sumitomo, Koji; Furukawa, Kazuaki; Torimitsu, Keiichi

    2008-07-01

    Lipid vesicle fusion is an important reaction in the cell. Calcium ions (Ca2+) participate in various important biological events including the fusion of vesicles with cell membranes in cells. We studied the effect of Ca2+ on the fusion of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine/brain phosphatidylserine (eggPC/brainPS) lipid vesicles on a mica substrate with fast scanning atomic force microscopy (AFM). When unattached and unfused lipid vesicles on mica were rinsed away, discrete patches of fused vesicles were observed under high Ca2+ concentrations. At 0 mM Ca2+, lipid vesicles were fused on mica and formed continuous supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) covering almost the entire mica surface. The effect of Ca2+ on SLB formation was offset by a Ca2+ chelating agent. When lipid vesicles were added during AFM observation, vesicles fused on mica and covered almost all areas even under high Ca2+ concentrations. These results indicate that force between AFM tip and vesicles overcomes the Ca2+-reduced fusion of lipid vesicles.

  1. Energy Transduction Inside of Amphiphilic Vesicles: Encapsulation of Photochemically Active Semiconducting Particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Summers, David P.; Noveron, Juan; Basa, Ranor C. B.

    2009-04-01

    Amphiphilic bilayer membrane structures (vesicles) have been postulated to have been abiotically formed and spontaneously assemble on the prebiotic Earth, providing compartmentalization for the origin of life. These vesicles are similar to modern cellular membranes and can serve to contain water-soluble species, concentrate species, and have the potential to catalyze reactions. The origin of the use of photochemical energy in metabolism (i.e. energy transduction) is one of the central issues in the origin of life. This includes such questions as how energy transduction may have occurred before complex enzymatic systems, such as required by contemporary photosynthesis, had developed and how simple a photochemical system is possible. It has been postulated that vesicle structures developed the ability to capture and transduce light, providing energy for reactions. It has also been shown that pH gradients across the membrane surface can be photochemically created, but coupling these to drive chemical reactions has been difficult. Colloidal semiconducting mineral particles are known to photochemically drive redox chemistry. We propose that encapsulation of these particles has the potential to provide a source of energy transduction inside vesicles, and thereby drive protocellular chemistry, and represents a model system for early photosynthesis. In our experiments we show that TiO2 particles, in the ~20 nm size range, can be incorporated into vesicles and retain their photoactivity through the dehydration/rehydration cycles that have been shown to concentrate species inside a vesicle.

  2. Energy transduction inside of amphiphilic vesicles: encapsulation of photochemically active semiconducting particles.

    PubMed

    Summers, David P; Noveron, Juan; Basa, Ranor C B

    2009-04-01

    Amphiphilic bilayer membrane structures (vesicles) have been postulated to have been abiotically formed and spontaneously assemble on the prebiotic Earth, providing compartmentalization for the origin of life. These vesicles are similar to modern cellular membranes and can serve to contain water-soluble species, concentrate species, and have the potential to catalyze reactions. The origin of the use of photochemical energy in metabolism (i.e. energy transduction) is one of the central issues in the origin of life. This includes such questions as how energy transduction may have occurred before complex enzymatic systems, such as required by contemporary photosynthesis, had developed and how simple a photochemical system is possible. It has been postulated that vesicle structures developed the ability to capture and transduce light, providing energy for reactions. It has also been shown that pH gradients across the membrane surface can be photochemically created, but coupling these to drive chemical reactions has been difficult. Colloidal semiconducting mineral particles are known to photochemically drive redox chemistry. We propose that encapsulation of these particles has the potential to provide a source of energy transduction inside vesicles, and thereby drive protocellular chemistry, and represents a model system for early photosynthesis. In our experiments we show that TiO2 particles, in the approximately 20 nm size range, can be incorporated into vesicles and retain their photoactivity through the dehydration/rehydration cycles that have been shown to concentrate species inside a vesicle.

  3. Epsin deficiency impairs endocytosis by stalling the actin-dependent invagination of endocytic clathrin-coated pits

    PubMed Central

    Messa, Mirko; Fernández-Busnadiego, Rubén; Sun, Elizabeth Wen; Chen, Hong; Czapla, Heather; Wrasman, Kristie; Wu, Yumei; Ko, Genevieve; Ross, Theodora; Wendland, Beverly; De Camilli, Pietro

    2014-01-01

    Epsin is an evolutionarily conserved endocytic clathrin adaptor whose most critical function(s) in clathrin coat dynamics remain(s) elusive. To elucidate such function(s), we generated embryonic fibroblasts from conditional epsin triple KO mice. Triple KO cells displayed a dramatic cell division defect. Additionally, a robust impairment in clathrin-mediated endocytosis was observed, with an accumulation of early and U-shaped pits. This defect correlated with a perturbation of the coupling between the clathrin coat and the actin cytoskeleton, which we confirmed in a cell-free assay of endocytosis. Our results indicate that a key evolutionary conserved function of epsin, in addition to other roles that include, as we show here, a low affinity interaction with SNAREs, is to help generate the force that leads to invagination and then fission of clathrin-coated pits. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03311.001 PMID:25122462

  4. Production of RNA by a polymerase protein encapsulated within phospholipid vesicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chakrabarti, A. C.; Breaker, R. R.; Joyce, G. F.; Deamer, D. W.

    1994-01-01

    Catalyzed polymerization reactions represent a primary anabolic activity of all cells. It can be assumed that early cells carried out such reactions, in which macromolecular catalysts were encapsulated within some type of boundary membrane. In the experiments described here, we show that a template-independent RNA polymerase (polynucleotide phosphorylase) can be encapsulated in dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles without substrate. When the substrate adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was provided externally, long-chain RNA polymers were synthesized within the vesicles. Substrate flux was maximized by maintaining the vesicles at the phase transition temperature of the component lipid. A protease was introduced externally as an additional control. Free enzyme was inactivated under identical conditions. RNA products were visualized in situ by ethidium bromide fluorescence. The products were harvested from the liposomes, radiolabeled, and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Encapsulated catalysts represent a model for primitive cellular systems in which an RNA polymerase was entrapped within a protected microenvironment.

  5. Ca2+ Dependence of Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis.

    PubMed

    Leitz, Jeremy; Kavalali, Ege T

    2016-10-01

    Ca(2+)-dependent synaptic vesicle recycling is essential for structural homeostasis of synapses and maintenance of neurotransmission. Although, the executive role of intrasynaptic Ca(2+) transients in synaptic vesicle exocytosis is well established, identifying the exact role of Ca(2+) in endocytosis has been difficult. In some studies, Ca(2+) has been suggested as an essential trigger required to initiate synaptic vesicle retrieval, whereas others manipulating synaptic Ca(2+) concentrations reported a modulatory role for Ca(2+) leading to inhibition or acceleration of endocytosis. Molecular studies of synaptic vesicle endocytosis, on the other hand, have consistently focused on the roles of Ca(2+)-calmodulin dependent phosphatase calcineurin and synaptic vesicle protein synaptotagmin as potential Ca(2+) sensors for endocytosis. Most studies probing the role of Ca(2+) in endocytosis have relied on measurements of synaptic vesicle retrieval after strong stimulation. Strong stimulation paradigms elicit fusion and retrieval of multiple synaptic vesicles and therefore can be affected by several factors besides the kinetics and duration of Ca(2+) signals that include the number of exocytosed vesicles and accumulation of released neurotransmitters thus altering fusion and retrieval processes indirectly via retrograde signaling. Studies monitoring single synaptic vesicle endocytosis may help resolve this conundrum as in these settings the impact of Ca(2+) on synaptic fusion probability can be uncoupled from its putative role on synaptic vesicle retrieval. Future experiments using these single vesicle approaches will help dissect the specific role(s) of Ca(2+) and its sensors in synaptic vesicle endocytosis. © The Author(s) 2015.

  6. Early recycling compartment trafficking of CD1a is essential for its intersection and presentation of lipid antigens.

    PubMed

    Cernadas, Manuela; Cavallari, Marco; Watts, Gerald; Mori, Lucia; De Libero, Gennaro; Brenner, Michael B

    2010-02-01

    A major step in understanding differences in the nature of Ag presentation was the realization that MHC class I samples peptides transported to the endoplasmic reticulum from the cytosol, whereas MHC class II samples peptides from lysosomes. In contrast to MHC class I and II molecules that present protein Ags, CD1 molecules present lipid Ags for recognition by specific T cells. Each of the five members of the CD1 family (CD1a-e) localizes to a distinct subcompartment of endosomes. Accordingly, it has been widely assumed that the distinct trafficking of CD1 isoforms must also have evolved to enable them to sample lipid Ags that traffic via different routes. Among the CD1 isoforms, CD1a is unusual because it does not have a tyrosine-based cytoplasmic sorting motif and uniquely localizes to the early endocytic recycling compartment. This led us to predict that CD1a might have evolved to focus on lipids that localize to early endocytic/recycling compartments. Strikingly, we found that the glycolipid Ag sulfatide also localized almost exclusively to early endocytic and recycling compartments. Consistent with colocalization of CD1a and sulfatide, wild-type CD1a molecules efficiently presented sulfatide to CD1a-restricted, sulfatide-specific T cells. In contrast, CD1a:CD1b tail chimeras, that retain the same Ag-binding capacity as CD1a but traffic based on the cytoplasmic tail of CD1b to lysosomes, failed to present sulfatide efficiently. Thus, the intracellular trafficking route of CD1a is essential for efficient presentation of lipid Ags that traffic through the early endocytic and recycling pathways.

  7. Mathematical modeling of vesicle drug delivery systems 2: targeted vesicle interactions with cells, tumors, and the body.

    PubMed

    Ying, Chong T; Wang, Juntian; Lamm, Robert J; Kamei, Daniel T

    2013-02-01

    Vesicles have been studied for several years in their ability to deliver drugs. Mathematical models have much potential in reducing time and resources required to engineer optimal vesicles, and this review article summarizes these models that aid in understanding the ability of targeted vesicles to bind and internalize into cancer cells, diffuse into tumors, and distribute in the body. With regard to binding and internalization, radiolabeling and surface plasmon resonance experiments can be performed to determine optimal vesicle size and the number and type of ligands conjugated. Binding and internalization properties are also inputs into a mathematical model of vesicle diffusion into tumor spheroids, which highlights the importance of the vesicle diffusion coefficient and the binding affinity of the targeting ligand. Biodistribution of vesicles in the body, along with their half-life, can be predicted with compartmental models for pharmacokinetics that include the effect of targeting ligands, and these predictions can be used in conjunction with in vivo models to aid in the design of drug carriers. Mathematical models can prove to be very useful in drug carrier design, and our hope is that this review will encourage more investigators to combine modeling with quantitative experimentation in the field of vesicle-based drug delivery.

  8. Drosophila Rolling Blackout Displays Lipase Domain-Dependent and Independent Endocytic Functions Downstream of Dynamin

    PubMed Central

    Vijayakrishnan, Niranjana; Phillips, Scott E.; Broadie, Kendal

    2010-01-01

    Drosophila temperature-sensitive rolling blackout (rbots) mutants display a total block of endocytosis in non-neuronal cells and a weaker, partial defect at neuronal synapses. RBO is an integral plasma membrane protein and is predicted to be a serine esterase. To determine if lipase activity is required for RBO function, we mutated the catalytic serine 358 to alanine in the G-X-S-X-G active site, and assayed genomic rescue of rbo mutant non-neuronal and neuronal phenotypes. The rboS358A mutant is unable to rescue rbo null 100% embryonic lethality, indicating that the lipase-domain is critical for RBO essential function. Likewise, the rboS358A mutant cannot provide any rescue of endocytic blockade in rbots Garland cells, demonstrating that the lipase-domain is indispensable for non-neuronal endocytosis. In contrast, rbots conditional paralysis, synaptic transmission block and synapse endocytic defects are all fully rescued by the rboS358A mutant, showing that the RBO lipase-domain is dispensable in neuronal contexts. We identified a synthetic lethal interaction between rbots and the well-characterized dynamin GTPase conditional shibire (shits1) mutant. In both non-neuronal cells and neuronal synapses, shits1;rbots phenocopies shits1 endocytic defects, indicating that dynamin and RBO act in the same pathway, with dynamin functioning upstream of RBO. We conclude that RBO possesses both lipase-domain dependent and scaffolding functions with differential requirements in non-neuronal versus neuronal endocytosis mechanisms downstream of dynamin GTPase activity. PMID:21029287

  9. Drosophila rolling blackout displays lipase domain-dependent and -independent endocytic functions downstream of dynamin.

    PubMed

    Vijayakrishnan, Niranjana; Phillips, Scott E; Broadie, Kendal

    2010-12-01

    Drosophila temperature-sensitive rolling blackout (rbo(ts) ) mutants display a total block of endocytosis in non-neuronal cells and a weaker, partial defect at neuronal synapses. RBO is an integral plasma membrane protein and is predicted to be a serine esterase. To determine if lipase activity is required for RBO function, we mutated the catalytic serine 358 to alanine in the G-X-S-X-G active site, and assayed genomic rescue of rbo mutant non-neuronal and neuronal phenotypes. The rbo(S358A) mutant is unable to rescue rbo null 100% embryonic lethality, indicating that the lipase domain is critical for RBO essential function. Likewise, the rbo(S358A) mutant cannot provide any rescue of endocytic blockade in rbo(ts) Garland cells, showing that the lipase domain is indispensable for non-neuronal endocytosis. In contrast, rbo(ts) conditional paralysis, synaptic transmission block and synapse endocytic defects are all fully rescued by the rbo(S358A) mutant, showing that the RBO lipase domain is dispensable in neuronal contexts. We identified a synthetic lethal interaction between rbo(ts) and the well-characterized dynamin GTPase conditional shibire (shi(ts1)) mutant. In both non-neuronal cells and neuronal synapses, shi(ts1); rbo(ts) phenocopies shi(ts1) endocytic defects, indicating that dynamin and RBO act in the same pathway, with dynamin functioning upstream of RBO. We conclude that RBO possesses both lipase domain-dependent and scaffolding functions with differential requirements in non-neuronal versus neuronal endocytosis mechanisms downstream of dynamin GTPase activity. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  10. Spontaneous charged lipid transfer between lipid vesicles.

    PubMed

    Richens, Joanna L; Tyler, Arwen I I; Barriga, Hanna M G; Bramble, Jonathan P; Law, Robert V; Brooks, Nicholas J; Seddon, John M; Ces, Oscar; O'Shea, Paul

    2017-10-03

    An assay to study the spontaneous charged lipid transfer between lipid vesicles is described. A donor/acceptor vesicle system is employed, where neutrally charged acceptor vesicles are fluorescently labelled with the electrostatic membrane probe Fluoresceinphosphatidylethanolamine (FPE). Upon addition of charged donor vesicles, transfer of negatively charged lipid occurs, resulting in a fluorescently detectable change in the membrane potential of the acceptor vesicles. Using this approach we have studied the transfer properties of a range of lipids, varying both the headgroup and the chain length. At the low vesicle concentrations chosen, the transfer follows a first-order process where lipid monomers are transferred presumably through the aqueous solution phase from donor to acceptor vesicle. The rate of transfer decreases with increasing chain length which is consistent with energy models previously reported for lipid monomer vesicle interactions. Our assay improves on existing methods allowing the study of a range of unmodified lipids, continuous monitoring of transfer and simplified experimental procedures.

  11. Generation of stable lipid raft microdomains in the enterocyte brush border by selective endocytic removal of non-raft membrane.

    PubMed

    Danielsen, E Michael; Hansen, Gert H

    2013-01-01

    The small intestinal brush border has an unusually high proportion of glycolipids which promote the formation of lipid raft microdomains, stabilized by various cross-linking lectins. This unique membrane organization acts to provide physical and chemical stability to the membrane that faces multiple deleterious agents present in the gut lumen, such as bile salts, digestive enzymes of the pancreas, and a plethora of pathogens. In the present work, we studied the constitutive endocytosis from the brush border of cultured jejunal explants of the pig, and the results indicate that this process functions to enrich the contents of lipid raft components in the brush border. The lipophilic fluorescent marker FM, taken up into early endosomes in the terminal web region (TWEEs), was absent from detergent resistant membranes (DRMs), implying an association with non-raft membrane. Furthermore, neither major lipid raft-associated brush border enzymes nor glycolipids were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy in subapical punctae resembling TWEEs. Finally, two model raft lipids, BODIPY-lactosylceramide and BODIPY-GM1, were not endocytosed except when cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) was present. In conclusion, we propose that constitutive, selective endocytic removal of non-raft membrane acts as a sorting mechanism to enrich the brush border contents of lipid raft components, such as glycolipids and the major digestive enzymes. This sorting may be energetically driven by changes in membrane curvature when molecules move from a microvillar surface to an endocytic invagination.

  12. COPI mediates recycling of an exocytic SNARE by recognition of a ubiquitin sorting signal

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Peng; Hankins, Hannah M; MacDonald, Chris; Erlinger, Samuel J; Frazier, Meredith N; Diab, Nicholas S; Piper, Robert C; Jackson, Lauren P; MacGurn, Jason A

    2017-01-01

    The COPI coat forms transport vesicles from the Golgi complex and plays a poorly defined role in endocytic trafficking. Here we show that COPI binds K63-linked polyubiquitin and this interaction is crucial for trafficking of a ubiquitinated yeast SNARE (Snc1). Snc1 is a v-SNARE that drives fusion of exocytic vesicles with the plasma membrane, and then recycles through the endocytic pathway to the Golgi for reuse in exocytosis. Removal of ubiquitin from Snc1, or deletion of a β'-COP subunit propeller domain that binds K63-linked polyubiquitin, disrupts Snc1 recycling causing aberrant accumulation in internal compartments. Moreover, replacement of the β'-COP propeller domain with unrelated ubiquitin-binding domains restores Snc1 recycling. These results indicate that ubiquitination, a modification well known to target membrane proteins to the lysosome or vacuole for degradation, can also function as recycling signal to sort a SNARE into COPI vesicles in a non-degradative pathway. PMID:29058666

  13. Vesicles

    MedlinePlus

    ... herpetiformis Chickenpox Contact dermatitis (may be caused by poison ivy) Herpes simplex (cold sores, genital herpes ) Herpes zoster ( ... available for certain conditions that cause vesicles, including poison ivy and cold sores. When to Contact a Medical ...

  14. The Endocytic Receptor Megalin and its Associated Proteins in Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells

    PubMed Central

    De, Shankhajit; Kuwahara, Shoji; Saito, Akihiko

    2014-01-01

    Receptor-mediated endocytosis in renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (PTECs) is important for the reabsorption and metabolization of proteins and other substances, including carrier-bound vitamins and trace elements, in glomerular filtrates. Impairment of this endocytic process results in the loss of such substances and development of proteinuria, which is an important clinical indicator of kidney diseases and is also a risk marker for cardiovascular disease. Megalin, a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene family, is a multiligand receptor expressed in the apical membrane of PTECs and plays a central role in the endocytic process. Megalin interacts with various intracellular adaptor proteins for intracellular trafficking and cooperatively functions with other membrane molecules, including the cubilin-amnionless complex. Evidence suggests that megalin and the cubilin-amnionless complex are involved in the uptake of toxic substances into PTECs, which leads to the development of kidney disease. Studies of megalin and its associated molecules will be useful for future development of novel strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases. PMID:25019425

  15. Amyloglucosidase enzymatic reactivity inside lipid vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Li, Mian; Hanford, Michael J; Kim, Jin-Woo; Peeples, Tonya L

    2007-01-01

    Efficient functioning of enzymes inside liposomes would open new avenues for applications in biocatalysis and bioanalytical tools. In this study, the entrapment of amyloglucosidase (AMG) (EC 3.2.1.3) from Aspergillus niger into dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) and large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) was investigated. Negative-stain, freeze-fracture, and cryo-transmission electron microscopy images verified vesicle formation in the presence of AMG. Vesicles with entrapped AMG were isolated from the solution by centrifugation, and vesicle lamellarity was identified using fluorescence laser confocal microscopy. The kinetics of starch hydrolysis by AMG was modeled for two different systems, free enzyme in aqueous solution and entrapped enzyme within vesicles in aqueous suspension. For the free enzyme system, intrinsic kinetics were described by a Michaelis-Menten kinetic model with product inhibition. The kinetic constants, Vmax and Km, were determined by initial velocity measurements, and Ki was obtained by fitting the model to experimental data of glucose concentration-time curves. Predicted concentration-time curves using these kinetic constants were in good agreement with experimental measurements. In the case of the vesicles, the time-dependence of product (glucose) formation was experimentally determined and simulated by considering the kinetic behavior of the enzyme and the permeation of substrate into the vesicle. Experimental results demonstrated that entrapped enzymes were much more stable than free enyzme. The entrapped enzyme could be recycled with retention of 60% activity after 3 cycles. These methodologies can be useful in evaluating other liposomal catalysis operations. PMID:18271982

  16. Mammalian TRAPPIII Complex positively modulates the recruitment of Sec13/31 onto COPII vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Shan; Li, Chun Man; Luo, Xiao Min; Siu, Gavin Ka Yu; Gan, Wen Jia; Zhang, Lin; Wu, William K. K.; Chan, Hsiao Chang; Yu, Sidney

    2017-01-01

    The Transport protein particle (TRAPP) complex is a tethering factor for COPII vesicle. Of three forms of TRAPP (TRAPPI, II and III) complexes identified so far, TRAPPIII has been largely considered to play a role in autophagy. While depletion of TRAPPIII specific subunits caused defects in the early secretory pathway and TRAPPIII might interact with components of the COPII vesicle coat, its exact role remains to be determined. In this study, we studied the function of TRAPPIII in early secretory pathway using a TRAPPIII-specific subunit, TRAPPC12, as starting point. We found that TRAPPC12 was localized to the ER exit sites and ERGIC. In cells deleted with TRAPPC12, ERGIC and to a lesser extent, the Golgi became dispersed. ER-to-Golgi transport was also delayed. TRAPPC12, but not TRAPPC8, bound to Sec13/Sec31A tetramer but each Sec protein alone could not interact with TRAPPC12. TRAPPIII positively modulated the assembly of COPII outer layer during COPII vesicle formation. These results identified a novel function of TRAPPIII as a positive modulator of the outer layer of the COPII coat. PMID:28240221

  17. Functionalized Vesicles by Microfluidic Device.

    PubMed

    Vallejo, Derek; Lee, Shih-Hui; Lee, Abraham

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, lipid vesicles have become popular vehicles for the creation of biosensors. Vesicles can hold reaction components within a selective permeable membrane that provides an ideal environment for membrane protein biosensing elements. The lipid bilayer allows a protein to retain its native structure and function, and the membrane fluidity can allow for conformational changes and physiological interactions with target analytes. Here, we present two methods for the production of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) within a microfluidic device that can be used as the basis for a biosensor. The vesicles are produced from water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion templates using a nonvolatile oil phase. To create the GUVs, the oil can be removed via extraction with ethanol, or by altering the interfacial tension between the oil and carrier solution causing the oil to retract into a cap on one side of the structure, leaving behind an exposed lipid bilayer. Methods to integrate sensing elements and membrane protein pores onto the vesicles are also introduced in this work.

  18. RAB-5- and RAB-11-dependent vesicle-trafficking pathways are required for plasma membrane repair after attack by bacterial pore-forming toxin.

    PubMed

    Los, Ferdinand C O; Kao, Cheng-Yuan; Smitham, Jane; McDonald, Kent L; Ha, Christine; Peixoto, Christina A; Aroian, Raffi V

    2011-02-17

    Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) secreted by pathogenic bacteria are the most common bacterial protein toxins and are important virulence factors for infection. PFTs punch holes in host cell plasma membranes, and although cells can counteract the resulting membrane damage, the underlying mechanisms at play remain unclear. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, we demonstrate in vivo and in an intact epithelium that intestinal cells respond to PFTs by increasing levels of endocytosis, dependent upon RAB-5 and RAB-11, which are master regulators of endocytic and exocytic events. Furthermore, we find that RAB-5 and RAB-11 are required for protection against PFT and to restore integrity to the plasma membrane. One physical mechanism involved is the RAB-11-dependent expulsion of microvilli from the apical side of the intestinal epithelial cells. Specific vesicle-trafficking pathways thus protect cells against an attack by PFTs on plasma membrane integrity, via altered plasma membrane dynamics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Large Plasma Membrane Disruptions Are Rapidly Resealed by Ca2+-dependent Vesicle–Vesicle Fusion Events

    PubMed Central

    Terasaki, Mark; Miyake, Katsuya; McNeil, Paul L.

    1997-01-01

    A microneedle puncture of the fibroblast or sea urchin egg surface rapidly evokes a localized exocytotic reaction that may be required for the rapid resealing that follows this breach in plasma membrane integrity (Steinhardt, R.A,. G. Bi, and J.M. Alderton. 1994. Science (Wash. DC). 263:390–393). How this exocytotic reaction facilitates the resealing process is unknown. We found that starfish oocytes and sea urchin eggs rapidly reseal much larger disruptions than those produced with a microneedle. When an ∼40 by 10 μm surface patch was torn off, entry of fluorescein stachyose (FS; 1,000 mol wt) or fluorescein dextran (FDx; 10,000 mol wt) from extracellular sea water (SW) was not detected by confocal microscopy. Moreover, only a brief (∼5–10 s) rise in cytosolic Ca2+ was detected at the wound site. Several lines of evidence indicate that intracellular membranes are the primary source of the membrane recruited for this massive resealing event. When we injected FS-containing SW deep into the cells, a vesicle formed immediately, entrapping within its confines most of the FS. DiI staining and EM confirmed that the barrier delimiting injected SW was a membrane bilayer. The threshold for vesicle formation was ∼3 mM Ca2+ (SW is ∼10 mM Ca2+). The capacity of intracellular membranes for sealing off SW was further demonstrated by extruding egg cytoplasm from a micropipet into SW. A boundary immediately formed around such cytoplasm, entrapping FDx or FS dissolved in it. This entrapment did not occur in Ca2+-free SW (CFSW). When egg cytoplasm stratified by centrifugation was exposed to SW, only the yolk platelet–rich domain formed a membrane, suggesting that the yolk platelet is a critical element in this response and that the ER is not required. We propose that plasma membrane disruption evokes Ca2+ regulated vesicle–vesicle (including endocytic compartments but possibly excluding ER) fusion reactions. The function in resealing of this cytoplasmic fusion

  20. Freeze-thaw cycles induce content exchange between cell-sized lipid vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Litschel, Thomas; Ganzinger, Kristina A.; Movinkel, Torgeir; Heymann, Michael; Robinson, Tom; Mutschler, Hannes; Schwille, Petra

    2018-05-01

    Early protocells are commonly assumed to consist of an amphiphilic membrane enclosing an RNA-based self-replicating genetic system and a primitive metabolism without protein enzymes. Thus, protocell evolution must have relied on simple physicochemical self-organization processes within and across such vesicular structures. We investigate freeze-thaw (FT) cycling as a potential environmental driver for the necessary content exchange between vesicles. To this end, we developed a conceptually simple yet statistically powerful high-throughput procedure based on nucleic acid-containing giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) as model protocells. GUVs are formed by emulsion transfer in glass bottom microtiter plates and hence can be manipulated and monitored by fluorescence microscopy without additional pipetting and sample handling steps. This new protocol greatly minimizes artefacts, such as unintended GUV rupture or fusion by shear forces. Using DNA-encapsulating phospholipid GUVs fabricated by this method, we quantified the extent of content mixing between GUVs under different FT conditions. We found evidence of nucleic acid exchange in all detected vesicles if fast freezing of GUVs at ‑80 °C is followed by slow thawing at room temperature. In contrast, slow freezing and fast thawing both adversely affected content mixing. Surprisingly, and in contrast to previous reports for FT-induced content mixing, we found that the content is not exchanged through vesicle fusion and fission, but that vesicles largely maintain their membrane identity and even large molecules are exchanged via diffusion across the membranes. Our approach supports efficient screening of prebiotically plausible molecules and environmental conditions, to yield universal mechanistic insights into how cellular life may have emerged.

  1. DNA-mediated self-assembly of artificial vesicles.

    PubMed

    Hadorn, Maik; Eggenberger Hotz, Peter

    2010-03-26

    Although multicompartment systems made of single unilamellar vesicles offer the potential to outperform single compartment systems widely used in analytic, synthetic, and medical applications, their use has remained marginal to date. On the one hand, this can be attributed to the binary character of the majority of the current tethering protocols that impedes the implementation of real multicomponent or multifunctional systems. On the other hand, the few tethering protocols theoretically providing multicompartment systems composed of several distinct vesicle populations suffer from the readjustment of the vesicle formation procedure as well as from the loss of specificity of the linking mechanism over time. In previous studies, we presented implementations of multicompartment systems and resolved the readjustment of the vesicle formation procedure as well as the loss of specificity by using linkers consisting of biotinylated DNA single strands that were anchored to phospholipid-grafted biotinylated PEG tethers via streptavidin as a connector. The systematic analysis presented herein provides evidences for the incorporation of phospholipid-grafted biotinylated PEG tethers to the vesicle membrane during vesicle formation, providing specific anchoring sites for the streptavidin loading of the vesicle membrane. Furthermore, DNA-mediated vesicle-vesicle self-assembly was found to be sequence-dependent and to depend on the presence of monovalent salts. This study provides a solid basis for the implementation of multi-vesicle assemblies that may affect at least three distinct domains. (i) Analysis. Starting with a minimal system, the complexity of a bottom-up system is increased gradually facilitating the understanding of the components and their interaction. (ii) Synthesis. Consecutive reactions may be implemented in networks of vesicles that outperform current single compartment bioreactors in versatility and productivity. (iii) Personalized medicine. Transport and

  2. Optogenetic Acidification of Synaptic Vesicles and Lysosomes

    PubMed Central

    Grauel, M. Katharina; Wozny, Christian; Bentz, Claudia; Blessing, Anja; Rosenmund, Tanja; Jentsch, Thomas J.; Schmitz, Dietmar; Hegemann, Peter; Rosenmund, Christian

    2016-01-01

    Acidification is required for the function of many intracellular organelles, but methods to acutely manipulate their intraluminal pH have not been available. Here we present a targeting strategy to selectively express the light-driven proton pump Arch3 on synaptic vesicles. Our new tool, pHoenix, can functionally replace endogenous proton pumps, enabling optogenetic control of vesicular acidification and neurotransmitter accumulation. Under physiological conditions, glutamatergic vesicles are nearly full, as additional vesicle acidification with pHoenix only slightly increased the quantal size. By contrast, we found that incompletely filled vesicles exhibited a lower release probability than full vesicles, suggesting preferential exocytosis of vesicles with high transmitter content. Our subcellular targeting approach can be transferred to other organelles, as demonstrated for a pHoenix variant that allows light-activated acidification of lysosomes. PMID:26551543

  3. Optogenetic acidification of synaptic vesicles and lysosomes.

    PubMed

    Rost, Benjamin R; Schneider, Franziska; Grauel, M Katharina; Wozny, Christian; Bentz, Claudia; Blessing, Anja; Rosenmund, Tanja; Jentsch, Thomas J; Schmitz, Dietmar; Hegemann, Peter; Rosenmund, Christian

    2015-12-01

    Acidification is required for the function of many intracellular organelles, but methods to acutely manipulate their intraluminal pH have not been available. Here we present a targeting strategy to selectively express the light-driven proton pump Arch3 on synaptic vesicles. Our new tool, pHoenix, can functionally replace endogenous proton pumps, enabling optogenetic control of vesicular acidification and neurotransmitter accumulation. Under physiological conditions, glutamatergic vesicles are nearly full, as additional vesicle acidification with pHoenix only slightly increased the quantal size. By contrast, we found that incompletely filled vesicles exhibited a lower release probability than full vesicles, suggesting preferential exocytosis of vesicles with high transmitter content. Our subcellular targeting approach can be transferred to other organelles, as demonstrated for a pHoenix variant that allows light-activated acidification of lysosomes.

  4. Endocytosis and Endosomal Trafficking in Plants.

    PubMed

    Paez Valencia, Julio; Goodman, Kaija; Otegui, Marisa S

    2016-04-29

    Endocytosis and endosomal trafficking are essential processes in cells that control the dynamics and turnover of plasma membrane proteins, such as receptors, transporters, and cell wall biosynthetic enzymes. Plasma membrane proteins (cargo) are internalized by endocytosis through clathrin-dependent or clathrin-independent mechanism and delivered to early endosomes. From the endosomes, cargo proteins are recycled back to the plasma membrane via different pathways, which rely on small GTPases and the retromer complex. Proteins that are targeted for degradation through ubiquitination are sorted into endosomal vesicles by the ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) machinery for degradation in the vacuole. Endocytic and endosomal trafficking regulates many cellular, developmental, and physiological processes, including cellular polarization, hormone transport, metal ion homeostasis, cytokinesis, pathogen responses, and development. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms that mediate the recognition and sorting of endocytic and endosomal cargos, the vesiculation processes that mediate their trafficking, and their connection to cellular and physiological responses in plants.

  5. In vitro binding of the asialoglycoprotein receptor to the beta adaptin of plasma membrane coated vesicles.

    PubMed Central

    Beltzer, J P; Spiess, M

    1991-01-01

    The asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor was used to probe total clathrin-coated vesicle proteins and purified adaptor proteins (APs) which had been fractionated by gel electrophoresis and transferred to nitrocellulose. The receptor was found to interact with proteins of approximately 100 kDa. The cytoplasmic domain of the ASGP receptor subunit H1 fused to dihydrofolate reductase competed for receptor binding to the 100 kDa polypeptide in the plasma membrane-type AP complexes (AP-2). A fusion protein containing the cytoplasmic domain of the endocytic mutant haemagglutinin HA-Y543 also competed, but a protein with the wild-type haemagglutinin sequence did not. This indicates that the observed interaction is specific for the cytoplasmic domain of the receptor and involves the tyrosine signal for endocytosis. When fractionated by gel electrophoresis in the presence of urea, the ASGP receptor binding polypeptide displayed a characteristic shift in electrophoretic mobility identifying it as the beta adaptin. Partial proteolysis of the AP-2 preparation followed by the receptor binding assay revealed that the aminoterminal domain of the beta adaptin contains the binding site for receptors. Images PMID:1935897

  6. Dimerization of sortilin regulates its trafficking to extracellular vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Itoh, Shinsuke; Mizuno, Ken; Aikawa, Masanori; Aikawa, Elena

    2018-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a critical role in intercellular communication by transferring microRNAs, lipids, and proteins to neighboring cells. Sortilin, a sorting receptor that directs target proteins to the secretory or endocytic compartments of cells, is found in both EVs and cells. In many human diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disorders, sortilin expression levels are atypically high. To elucidate the relationship between cardiovascular disease, particularly vascular calcification, and sortilin expression levels, we explored the trafficking of sortilin in both the intracellular and extracellular milieu. We previously demonstrated that sortilin promotes vascular calcification via its trafficking of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase to EVs. Although recent reports have noted that sortilin is regulated by multiple post-translational modifications, the precise mechanisms of sortilin trafficking still need to be determined. Here, we show that sortilin forms homodimers with an intermolecular disulfide bond at the cysteine 783 (Cys783) residue, and because Cys783 can be palmitoylated, it could be shared via palmitoylation and an intermolecular disulfide bond. Formation of this intermolecular disulfide bond leads to trafficking of sortilin to EVs by preventing palmitoylation, which further promotes sortilin trafficking to the Golgi apparatus. Moreover, we found that sortilin-derived propeptide decreased sortilin homodimers within EVs. In conclusion, sortilin is transported to EVs via the formation of homodimers with an intermolecular disulfide bond, which is endogenously regulated by its own propeptide. Therefore, we propose that inhibiting dimerization of sortilin acts as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of EV-associated diseases, including vascular calcification and cancer. PMID:29382723

  7. A Distributed Set of Interactions Controls μ2 Functionality in the Role of AP-2 as a Sorting Adaptor in Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis*♦

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Sung Hyun; Ryan, Timothy A.

    2009-01-01

    The mechanisms of how, following exocytosis, the approximately nine types of synaptic vesicle (SV) transmembrane proteins are accurately resorted to form SVs are poorly understood. The time course of SV endocytosis is very sensitive to perturbations in clathrin and dynamin, supporting the model that SV endocytosis occurs through a clathrin-mediated pathway. We recently demonstrated that removal of the clathrin adaptor protein AP-2, the key protein thought to coordinate cargo selection into clathrin-coated pits, results in a significant impairment in endocytosis kinetics. Endocytosis, however, still proceeds in the absence of AP-2, bringing into question the role of AP-2 in cargo sorting in this process. Using quantitative endocytosis assays at nerve terminals, we examined how endocytosis depends on the integrity of μ2 function. Our experiments indicate that no single perturbation in μ2 prevents restoration of endocytic function when mutated μ2 replaces native μ2, whereas introduction of multiple distributed mutations significantly impairs endocytosis. We also examined whether the presence of AP-2 is important for the functionality of the previously identified endocytic motif in an SV cargo protein, the dileucine motif in vGlut-1. These data show that while mutations in the dileucine motif slow the retrieval of vGlut-1, they only do so in the presence of AP-2. These data thus indicate that AP-2 plays a role in cargo selection but that no single aspect of μ2 function is critical, implying that a more distributed network of interactions supports AP-2 function in SV endocytosis. PMID:19762466

  8. Trafficking of astrocytic vesicles in hippocampal slices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Potokar, Maja; Kreft, Marko; Celica Biomedical Center, Technology Park 24, 1000 Ljubljana

    2009-12-25

    The increasingly appreciated role of astrocytes in neurophysiology dictates a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying the communication between astrocytes and neurons. In particular, the uptake and release of signaling substances into/from astrocytes is considered as crucial. The release of different gliotransmitters involves regulated exocytosis, consisting of the fusion between the vesicle and the plasma membranes. After fusion with the plasma membrane vesicles may be retrieved into the cytoplasm and may continue to recycle. To study the mobility implicated in the retrieval of secretory vesicles, these structures have been previously efficiently and specifically labeled in cultured astrocytes, by exposing livemore » cells to primary and secondary antibodies. Since the vesicle labeling and the vesicle mobility properties may be an artifact of cell culture conditions, we here asked whether the retrieving exocytotic vesicles can be labeled in brain tissue slices and whether their mobility differs to that observed in cell cultures. We labeled astrocytic vesicles and recorded their mobility with two-photon microscopy in hippocampal slices from transgenic mice with fluorescently tagged astrocytes (GFP mice) and in wild-type mice with astrocytes labeled by Fluo4 fluorescence indicator. Glutamatergic vesicles and peptidergic granules were labeled by the anti-vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGlut1) and anti-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) antibodies, respectively. We report that the vesicle mobility parameters (velocity, maximal displacement and track length) recorded in astrocytes from tissue slices are similar to those reported previously in cultured astrocytes.« less

  9. Exosome-like vesicles in Gloydius blomhoffii blomhoffii venom.

    PubMed

    Ogawa, Yuko; Kanai-Azuma, Masami; Akimoto, Yoshihiro; Kawakami, Hayato; Yanoshita, Ryohei

    2008-05-01

    Exosomes are small membrane vesicles (30-100 nm) with an endosome-derived limiting membrane that are secreted by a diverse range of cell types. We provide here the first evidence for the presence of exosome-like vesicles in snake venom. We isolated vesicles from fresh venom from Gloydius blomhoffii blomhoffii by gel-filtration. We found that the vesicles showed a typical exosome-like size and morphology as analyzed by electron microscopy. We observed that the vesicles contained dipeptidyl peptidase IV, aminopeptidase A, ecto-5'-nucleotidase and actin. Vesicle preparations truncated bioactive peptides such as angiotensin II, substance P, cholecystokinin-octapeptide, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1. The role of these vesicles is still unknown, but they may affect blood pressure and glucose homeostasis following envenomation.

  10. Thermodynamics and kinetics of vesicles formation processes.

    PubMed

    Guida, Vincenzo

    2010-12-15

    Vesicles are hollow aggregates, composed of bilayers of amphiphilic molecules, dispersed into and filled with a liquid solvent. These aggregates can be formed either as equilibrium or as out of equilibrium meta-stable structures and they exhibit a rich variety of different morphologies. The surprising richness of structures, the vast range of industrial applications and the presence of vesicles in a number of biological systems have attracted the interest of numerous researchers and scientists. In this article, we review both the thermodynamics and the kinetics aspects of the phenomena of formation of vesicles. We start presenting the thermodynamics of bilayer membranes formation and deformation, with the aim of deriving the conditions for the existence of equilibrium vesicles. Specifically, we use the results from continuum thermodynamics to discuss the possibility of formation of stable equilibrium vesicles, from both mixed amphiphiles and single component systems. We also link the bilayer membrane properties to the molecular structure of the starting amphiphiles. In the second part of this article, we focus on the dynamics and kinetics of vesiculation. We review the process of vesicles formation both from planar lamellar phase under shear and from isotropic micelles. In order to clarify the physical mechanisms of vesicles formation, we continuously draw a parallel between emulsification and vesiculation processes. Specifically, we compare the experimental results, the driving forces and the relative scaling laws identified for the two processes. Describing the dynamics of vesicles formation, we also discuss why non equilibrium vesicles can be formed by kinetics control and why they are meta-stable. Understanding how to control the properties, the stability and the formation process of vesicles is of fundamental importance for a vast number of industrial applications. Copyright © 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Ubiquitin turnover and endocytic trafficking in yeast are regulated by Ser57 phosphorylation of ubiquitin

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Sora; Tumolo, Jessica M; Ehlinger, Aaron C; Jernigan, Kristin K; Qualls-Histed, Susan J; Hsu, Pi-Chiang; McDonald, W Hayes; Chazin, Walter J

    2017-01-01

    Despite its central role in protein degradation little is known about the molecular mechanisms that sense, maintain, and regulate steady state concentration of ubiquitin in the cell. Here, we describe a novel mechanism for regulation of ubiquitin homeostasis that is mediated by phosphorylation of ubiquitin at the Ser57 position. We find that loss of Ppz phosphatase activity leads to defects in ubiquitin homeostasis that are at least partially attributable to elevated levels of Ser57 phosphorylated ubiquitin. Phosphomimetic mutation at the Ser57 position of ubiquitin conferred increased rates of endocytic trafficking and ubiquitin turnover. These phenotypes are associated with bypass of recognition by endosome-localized deubiquitylases - including Doa4 which is critical for regulation of ubiquitin recycling. Thus, ubiquitin homeostasis is significantly impacted by the rate of ubiquitin flux through the endocytic pathway and by signaling pathways that converge on ubiquitin itself to determine whether it is recycled or degraded in the vacuole. PMID:29130884

  12. Bioengineering anembryonic human trophoblast vesicles.

    PubMed

    Robins, Jared C; Morgan, Jeffrey R; Krueger, Paula; Carson, Sandra A

    2011-02-01

    Trophoblast cells in vivo form a 3-dimensional structure that promotes complex cell-to-cell interactions that cannot be studied with traditional monolayer culture. We describe a 3-dimensional trophoblast bioreactor to study cellular interactions. Nonadhesive agarose hydrogels were cast from molds using computer-assisted prototyping. Trophoblast cells were seeded into the gels for 10 days. Morphology, viability, and vesicle behavior were assessed. Trophoblast cells formed uniform spheroids. Serial sectioning on days 3, 7, and 10 revealed central vacuolization with a consistent outer rim 12.3-μ thick. The vesicle configuration has been confirmed with confocal imaging. Electron Microscopic (EM) imaging revealed its ultrastructure. The vesicles migrate across a fibronectin-coated surface and invaded basement membrane. Trophoblast cells cultured in a novel substrate-free 3-dimensional system form trophoblast vesicles. This new cell culture technique allows us to better study placental cell-to-cell interactions with the potential of forming microtissues.

  13. On the Computing Potential of Intracellular Vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Mayne, Richard; Adamatzky, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Collision-based computing (CBC) is a form of unconventional computing in which travelling localisations represent data and conditional routing of signals determines the output state; collisions between localisations represent logical operations. We investigated patterns of Ca2+-containing vesicle distribution within a live organism, slime mould Physarum polycephalum, with confocal microscopy and observed them colliding regularly. Vesicles travel down cytoskeletal ‘circuitry’ and their collisions may result in reflection, fusion or annihilation. We demonstrate through experimental observations that naturally-occurring vesicle dynamics may be characterised as a computationally-universal set of Boolean logical operations and present a ‘vesicle modification’ of the archetypal CBC ‘billiard ball model’ of computation. We proceed to discuss the viability of intracellular vesicles as an unconventional computing substrate in which we delineate practical considerations for reliable vesicle ‘programming’ in both in vivo and in vitro vesicle computing architectures and present optimised designs for both single logical gates and combinatorial logic circuits based on cytoskeletal network conformations. The results presented here demonstrate the first characterisation of intracelluar phenomena as collision-based computing and hence the viability of biological substrates for computing. PMID:26431435

  14. Ascorbic acid increases SVCT2 localization at the plasma membrane by accelerating its trafficking from early secretory compartments and through the endocytic-recycling pathway.

    PubMed

    Covarrubias-Pinto, A; Acuña, A I; Boncompain, G; Papic, E; Burgos, P V; Perez, F; Castro, M A

    2018-05-20

    Ascorbic acid (Asc) is an antioxidant molecule essential for physiological functions. The concentration of extracellular Asc increases during synaptic transmission and renal reabsorption. These phenomena induce an increase of the Sodium-dependent-Vitamin-C-transporter 2 (SVCT2) at plasma membrane (PM) localization, as we previously demonstrated in neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate intracellular SVCT2 trafficking kinetics in response to Asc. We observed two peaks of SVCT2 localization and function at the PM (at 5-10 min, "acute response", and 30-60 min, "post-acute response") when cells were incubated with Asc. We defined that the post-acute response was dependent on SVCT2 located in early secretory compartments, and its trafficking was abolished with Tunicamycin and Brefeldin A treatment. Moreover, using the RUSH system to retain and synchronize cargo secretion through the secretory pathway we demonstrated that the post-acute response increases SVCT2 trafficking kinetics from the ER to the PM suggesting the retention of SVCT2 at the early secretory pathway when Asc is absent. However, these observations do not explain the increased SVCT2 levels at the PM during the "acute" response, suggesting the involvement of a faster mechanism in close proximity with the PM. To investigate the possible role of endosomal compartments, we tested the effect of endocytosis inhibition. Expression of dominant-negative (DN) versions of the GTPase-dynamin II and clathrin-accessory protein AP180 showed a significant increase in SVCT2 levels at the PM. Moreover, expression of Rab11-DN, a GTPase implicated in cargo protein recycling from endosomes to the PM showed a similar outcome, strongly indicating that Asc impacts SVCT2 trafficking during the acute response. Therefore, our results revealed two mechanisms by which Asc modulates SVCT2 levels at the PM, one at the early secretory pathway and another at the endocytic compartments. We

  15. Extravasation of adhering vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tordeux, C.; Fournier, J.-B.

    2002-12-01

    We study how the passage of lipid vesicles through a small pore can be induced by the difference in non-specific adhesion energy between the two sides of the substrate bearing the pore. This process is inspired from the extravasation of cells or liposomes from blood vessels, which involves adhesion binders. We study the adhesion-dominated regime and we show that the passage of a vesicle of volume V and area A is selective in terms of the reduced volume v ~ V/A3/2. Extravasation occurs for adhesion ratios of order unity. We also consider the possibility of pressure-induced extravasation in the presence of adhesion. Finally, we propose a micro-device based on adhesion-induced extravasation, which is designed to sort vesicles according to their deflatedness.

  16. Elastic energy of polyhedral bilayer vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Haselwandter, Christoph A.; Phillips, Rob

    2011-01-01

    In recent experiments the spontaneous formation of hollow bilayer vesicles with polyhedral symmetry has been observed. On the basis of the experimental phenomenology it was suggested that the mechanism for the formation of bilayer polyhedra is minimization of elastic bending energy. Motivated by these experiments, we study the elastic bending energy of polyhedral bilayer vesicles. In agreement with experiments, and provided that excess amphiphiles exhibiting spontaneous curvature are present in sufficient quantity, we find that polyhedral bilayer vesicles can indeed be energetically favorable compared to spherical bilayer vesicles. Consistent with experimental observations we also find that the bending energy associated with the vertices of bilayer polyhedra can be locally reduced through the formation of pores. However, the stabilization of polyhedral bilayer vesicles over spherical bilayer vesicles relies crucially on molecular segregation of excess amphiphiles along the ridges rather than the vertices of bilayer polyhedra. Furthermore, our analysis implies that, contrary to what has been suggested on the basis of experiments, the icosahedron does not minimize elastic bending energy among arbitrary polyhedral shapes and sizes. Instead, we find that, for large polyhedron sizes, the snub dodecahedron and the snub cube both have lower total bending energies than the icosahedron. PMID:21797397

  17. Synaptotagmin-11 inhibits clathrin-mediated and bulk endocytosis.

    PubMed

    Wang, Changhe; Wang, Yeshi; Hu, Meiqin; Chai, Zuying; Wu, Qihui; Huang, Rong; Han, Weiping; Zhang, Claire Xi; Zhou, Zhuan

    2016-01-01

    Precise and efficient endocytosis is essential for vesicle recycling during a sustained neurotransmission. The regulation of endocytosis has been extensively studied, but inhibitors have rarely been found. Here, we show that synaptotagmin-11 (Syt11), a non-Ca(2+)-binding Syt implicated in schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) and bulk endocytosis in dorsal root ganglion neurons. The frequency of both types of endocytic event increases in Syt11 knockdown neurons, while the sizes of endocytosed vesicles and the kinetics of individual bulk endocytotic events remain unaffected. Specifically, clathrin-coated pits and bulk endocytosis-like structures increase on the plasma membrane in Syt11-knockdown neurons. Structural-functional analysis reveals distinct domain requirements for Syt11 function in CME and bulk endocytosis. Importantly, Syt11 also inhibits endocytosis in hippocampal neurons, implying a general role of Syt11 in neurons. Taken together, we propose that Syt11 functions to ensure precision in vesicle retrieval, mainly by limiting the sites of membrane invagination at the early stage of endocytosis. © 2015 The Authors.

  18. Cryo-immunogold electron microscopy for prions: toward identification of a conversion site.

    PubMed

    Godsave, Susan F; Wille, Holger; Kujala, Pekka; Latawiec, Diane; DeArmond, Stephen J; Serban, Ana; Prusiner, Stanley B; Peters, Peter J

    2008-11-19

    Prion diseases are caused by accumulation of an abnormally folded isoform (PrP(Sc)) of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). The subcellular distribution of PrP(Sc) and the site of its formation in brain are still unclear. We performed quantitative cryo-immunogold electron microscopy on hippocampal sections from mice infected with the Rocky Mountain Laboratory strain of prions. Two antibodies were used: R2, which recognizes both PrP(C) and PrP(Sc); and F4-31, which only detects PrP(C) in undenatured sections. At a late subclinical stage of prion infection, both PrP(C) and PrP(Sc) were detected principally on neuronal plasma membranes and on vesicles resembling early endocytic or recycling vesicles in the neuropil. The R2 labeling was approximately six times higher in the infected than the uninfected hippocampus and gold clusters were only evident in infected tissue. The biggest increase in labeling density (24-fold) was found on the early/recycling endosome-like vesicles of small-diameter neurites, suggesting these as possible sites of conversion. Trypsin digestion of infected hippocampal sections resulted in a reduction in R2 labeling of >85%, which suggests that a high proportion of PrP(Sc) may be oligomeric, protease-sensitive PrP(Sc).

  19. Fusion of vesicles with the air-water interface: the influence of polar head group, salt concentration, and vesicle size.

    PubMed

    Gugliotti, M; Chaimovich, H; Politi, M J

    2000-02-15

    Fusion of vesicles with the air-water interface and consequent monolayer formation has been studied as a function of temperature. Unilamellar vesicles of DMPC, DPPC, and DODAX (X=Cl(-), Br(-)) were injected into a subphase containing NaCl, and the surface pressure (tension) was recorded on a Langmuir Balance (Tensiometer) using the Wilhelmy plate (Ring) method. For the zwitterionic vesicles, plots of the initial surface pressure increase rate (surface tension decrease rate) as a function of temperature show a peak at the phase transition temperature (T(m)) of the vesicles, whereas for ionic ones they show a sharp rise. At high concentrations of NaCl, ionic DODA(Cl) vesicles seem to behave like zwitterionic ones, and the rate of fusion is higher at the T(m). The influence of size was studied comparing large DODA(Cl) vesicles with small sonicated ones, and no significant changes were found regarding the rate of fusion with the air-water interface.

  20. Rab2 promotes autophagic and endocytic lysosomal degradation

    PubMed Central

    Boda, Attila; Glatz, Gábor; Zobel, Martina; Bisi, Sara; Hegedűs, Krisztina; Scita, Giorgio

    2017-01-01

    Rab7 promotes fusion of autophagosomes and late endosomes with lysosomes in yeast and metazoan cells, acting together with its effector, the tethering complex HOPS. Here we show that another small GTPase, Rab2, is also required for autophagosome and endosome maturation and proper lysosome function in Drosophila melanogaster. We demonstrate that Rab2 binds to HOPS, and that its active, GTP-locked form associates with autolysosomes. Importantly, expression of active Rab2 promotes autolysosomal fusions unlike that of GTP-locked Rab7, suggesting that its amount is normally rate limiting. We also demonstrate that RAB2A is required for autophagosome clearance in human breast cancer cells. In conclusion, we identify Rab2 as a key factor for autophagic and endocytic cargo delivery to and degradation in lysosomes. PMID:28483915

  1. A Kinase Inhibitor Screen Reveals Protein Kinase C-dependent Endocytic Recycling of ErbB2 in Breast Cancer Cells*

    PubMed Central

    Bailey, Tameka A.; Luan, Haitao; Tom, Eric; Bielecki, Timothy Alan; Mohapatra, Bhopal; Ahmad, Gulzar; George, Manju; Kelly, David L.; Natarajan, Amarnath; Raja, Srikumar M.; Band, Vimla; Band, Hamid

    2014-01-01

    ErbB2 overexpression drives oncogenesis in 20–30% cases of breast cancer. Oncogenic potential of ErbB2 is linked to inefficient endocytic traffic into lysosomes and preferential recycling. However, regulation of ErbB2 recycling is incompletely understood. We used a high-content immunofluorescence imaging-based kinase inhibitor screen on SKBR-3 breast cancer cells to identify kinases whose inhibition alters the clearance of cell surface ErbB2 induced by Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG. Less ErbB2 clearance was observed with broad-spectrum PKC inhibitor Ro 31-8220. A similar effect was observed with Go 6976, a selective inhibitor of classical Ca2+-dependent PKCs (α, β1, βII, and γ). PKC activation by PMA promoted surface ErbB2 clearance but without degradation, and ErbB2 was observed to move into a juxtanuclear compartment where it colocalized with PKC-α and PKC-δ together with the endocytic recycling regulator Arf6. PKC-α knockdown impaired the juxtanuclear localization of ErbB2. ErbB2 transit to the recycling compartment was also impaired upon PKC-δ knockdown. PMA-induced Erk phosphorylation was reduced by ErbB2 inhibitor lapatinib, as well as by knockdown of PKC-δ but not that of PKC-α. Our results suggest that activation of PKC-α and -δ mediates a novel positive feedback loop by promoting ErbB2 entry into the endocytic recycling compartment, consistent with reported positive roles for these PKCs in ErbB2-mediated tumorigenesis. As the endocytic recycling compartment/pericentrion has emerged as a PKC-dependent signaling hub for G-protein-coupled receptors, our findings raise the possibility that oncogenesis by ErbB2 involves previously unexplored PKC-dependent endosomal signaling. PMID:25225290

  2. AP-1/σ1B-adaptin mediates endosomal synaptic vesicle recycling, learning and memory

    PubMed Central

    Glyvuk, Nataliya; Tsytsyura, Yaroslav; Geumann, Constanze; D'Hooge, Rudi; Hüve, Jana; Kratzke, Manuel; Baltes, Jennifer; Böning, Daniel; Klingauf, Jürgen; Schu, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Synaptic vesicle recycling involves AP-2/clathrin-mediated endocytosis, but it is not known whether the endosomal pathway is also required. Mice deficient in the tissue-specific AP-1–σ1B complex have impaired synaptic vesicle recycling in hippocampal synapses. The ubiquitously expressed AP-1–σ1A complex mediates protein sorting between the trans-Golgi network and early endosomes. Vertebrates express three σ1 subunit isoforms: A, B and C. The expressions of σ1A and σ1B are highest in the brain. Synaptic vesicle reformation in cultured neurons from σ1B-deficient mice is reduced upon stimulation, and large endosomal intermediates accumulate. The σ1B-deficient mice have reduced motor coordination and severely impaired long-term spatial memory. These data reveal a molecular mechanism for a severe human X-chromosome-linked mental retardation. PMID:20203623

  3. Are calcifying matrix vesicles in atherosclerotic lesions of cellular origin?

    PubMed

    Bobryshev, Yuri V; Killingsworth, Murray C; Huynh, Thuan G; Lord, Reginald S A; Grabs, Anthony J; Valenzuela, Stella M

    2007-03-01

    Over recent years, the role of matrix vesicles in the initial stages of arterial calcification has been recognized. Matrix calcifying vesicles have been isolated from atherosclerotic arteries and the biochemical composition of calcified vesicles has been studied. No studies have yet been carried out to examine the fine structure of matrix vesicles in order to visualize the features of the consequent stages of their calcification in arteries. In the present work, a high resolution ultrastructural analysis has been employed and the study revealed that matrix vesicles in human atherosclerotic lesions are heterogeneous with two main types which we classified. Type I calcified vesicles were presented by vesicles surrounded by two electron-dense layers and these vesicles were found to be resistant to the calcification process in atherosclerotic lesions in situ. Type II matrix vesicles were presented by vesicles surrounded by several electron-dense layers and these vesicles were found to represent calcifying vesicles in atherosclerotic lesions. To test the hypothesis that calcification of matrix vesicles surrounded by multilayer sheets may occur simply as a physicochemical process, independently from the cell regulation, we produced multilamellar liposomes and induced their calcification in vitro in a manner similar to that occurring in matrix vesicles in atherosclerotic lesions in situ.

  4. Vesicles Are Persistent Features of Different Plastids.

    PubMed

    Lindquist, Emelie; Solymosi, Katalin; Aronsson, Henrik

    2016-10-01

    Peripheral vesicles in plastids have been observed repeatedly, primarily in proplastids and developing chloroplasts, in which they are suggested to function in thylakoid biogenesis. Previous observations of vesicles in mature chloroplasts have mainly concerned low temperature pretreated plants occasionally treated with inhibitors blocking vesicle fusion. Here, we show that such vesicle-like structures occur not only in chloroplasts and proplastids, but also in etioplasts, etio-chloroplasts, leucoplasts, chromoplasts and even transforming desiccoplasts without any specific pretreatment. Observations are made both in C3 and C4 species, in different cell types (meristematic, epidermis, mesophyll, bundle sheath and secretory cells) and different organs (roots, stems, leaves, floral parts and fruits). Until recently not much focus has been given to the idea that vesicle transport in chloroplasts could be mediated by proteins, but recent data suggest that the vesicle system of chloroplasts has similarities with the cytosolic coat protein complex II system. All current data taken together support the idea of an ongoing, active and protein-mediated vesicle transport not only in chloroplasts but also in other plastids, obviously occurring regardless of chemical modifications, temperature and plastid developmental stage. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Spontaneous vesicle formation at lipid bilayer membranes.

    PubMed

    Edwards, D A; Schneck, F; Zhang, I; Davis, A M; Chen, H; Langer, R

    1996-09-01

    Unilamellar vesicles are observed to form spontaneously at planar lipid bilayers agitated by exothermic chemical reactions. The membrane-binding reaction between biotin and streptavidin, two strong transmembrane neutralization reactions, and a weak neutralization reaction involving an "antacid" buffer, all lead to spontaneous vesicle formation. This formation is most dramatic when a viscosity differential exists between the two phases bounding the membrane, in which case vesicles appear exclusively in the more viscous phase. A hydrodynamic analysis explains the phenomenon in terms of a membrane flow driven by liberated reaction energy, leading to vesicle formation. These results suggest that energy liberated by intra- and extracellular chemical reactions near or at cell and internal organelle membranes can play an important role in vesicle formation, membrane agitation, or enhanced transmembrane mass transfer.

  6. Parkin Modulates Endosomal Organization and Function of the Endo-Lysosomal Pathway.

    PubMed

    Song, Pingping; Trajkovic, Katarina; Tsunemi, Taiji; Krainc, Dimitri

    2016-02-24

    Mutations in PARK2 (parkin), which encodes Parkin protein, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, are associated with autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). While several studies implicated Parkin in the regulation of mitophagy and proteasomal degradation, the precise mechanism leading to neurodegeneration upon Parkin loss of function remains incompletely understood. In this study, we found that Parkin modulates the endocytic pathway through the regulation of endosomal structure and function. We showed that loss of Parkin function led to decreased endosomal tubulation and membrane association of vesicle protein sorting 35 (VPS35) and sorting nexin 1 (SNX1), as well as decreased mannose 6 phosphate receptor (M6PR), suggesting the impairment of retromer pathway in Parkin-deficient cells. We also found increased formation of intraluminal vesicles coupled with enhanced release of exosomes in the presence of mutant Parkin. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of these alterations in the endocytic pathway in Parkin-deficient cells, we found that Parkin regulates the levels and activity of Rab7 by promoting its ubiquitination on lysine 38 residue. Both endogenous Rab7 in Parkin-deficient cells and overexpressed K38 R-Rab7 mutant displayed decreased effector binding and membrane association. Furthermore, overexpression of K38R-Rab7 in HEK293 cells phenocopied the increased secretion of exosomes observed in Parkin-deficient cells, suggesting that Rab7 deregulation may be at least partially responsible for the endocytic phenotype observed in Parkin-deficient cells. These findings establish a role for Parkin in regulating the endo-lysosomal pathway and retromer function and raise the possibility that alterations in these pathways contribute to the development of pathology in Parkin-linked Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/362425-13$15.00/0.

  7. Membrane traffic and synaptic cross-talk during host cell entry by Trypanosoma cruzi.

    PubMed

    Butler, Claire E; Tyler, Kevin M

    2012-09-01

    It is widely accepted that Trypanosoma cruzi can exploit the natural exocytic response of the host to cell damage, utilizing host cell lysosomes as important effectors. It is, though, increasingly clear that the parasite also exploits endocytic mechanisms which allow for incorporation of plasma membrane into the parasitophorous vacuole. Further, that these endocytic mechanisms are involved in cross-talk with the exocytic machinery, in the recycling of vesicles and in the manipulation of the cytoskeleton. Here we review the mechanisms by which T. cruzi exploits features of the exocytic and endocytic pathways in epithelial and endothelial cells and the evidence for cross-talk between these pathways. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Membrane vesicles shed by oligodendroglioma cells induce neuronal apoptosis.

    PubMed

    D'Agostino, Stefania; Salamone, Monica; Di Liegro, Italia; Vittorelli, M Letizia

    2006-11-01

    In order to investigate the mechanism by which oligodendrogliomas cause neuronal damage, media conditioned by G26/24 oligodendroglioma cells, were fractionated into shed vesicles and vesicle-free supernatants, and added to primary cultures of rat fetal cortical neurons. After one night treatment with vesicles, a reproducible, dose-dependent, inhibitory effect on neurite outgrowth was already induced and, after 48-72 h of incubation, neuronal apoptosis was evident. Vesicle-free supernatants and vesicles shed by NIH-3T3 cells had no inhibitory effects on neurons. Western blot analyses showed that treated neurons expressed a decreased amount of neurofilament (NF), growth-associated protein (GAP-43) and microtubule-associated protein (MAP-2). Moreover procaspase-3 and -8 were activated while Bcl-2 expression was reduced. Vesicles were found positive for the proapoptotic molecule, Fas-ligand (Fas-L), and for the B isoform of Nogo protein, a myelin component with inhibitory effects on neurons. Nogo B involvement in the vesicle effects was analyzed both by testing the neutralizing capability of anti-Nogo antibodies and by removing the Nogo receptor from neurons by phospholipase C digestion. These treatments did not revert the vesicle effects. To test the role of Fas-L, vesicles were treated with functional anti-Fas-L monoclonals. Vesicle inhibitory and proapoptotic effects were reduced. Vesicles shed by ovarian carcinoma cells (OvCa), which are known to vehicle biologically active Fas-L, had similar effects on neurons to those of oligodendroglioma vesicles, and their inhibitory effects were also reduced by anti Fas-L antibodies. We therefore conclude that vesicles shed by G26/24 cells induce neuronal apoptosis at least partially by a Fas-L mediated mechanism.

  9. Kinetic regulation of coated vesicle secretion

    PubMed Central

    Foret, Lionel; Sens, Pierre

    2008-01-01

    The secretion of vesicles for intracellular transport often relies on the aggregation of specialized membrane-bound proteins into a coat able to curve cell membranes. The nucleation and growth of a protein coat is a kinetic process that competes with the energy-consuming turnover of coat components between the membrane and the cytosol. We propose a generic kinetic description of coat assembly and the formation of coated vesicles and discuss its implication to the dynamics of COP vesicles that traffic within the Golgi and with the endoplasmic reticulum. We show that stationary coats of fixed area emerge from the competition between coat growth and the recycling of coat components, in a fashion resembling the treadmilling of cytoskeletal filaments. We further show that the turnover of coat components allows for a highly sensitive switching mechanism between a quiescent and a vesicle producing membrane, upon a slowing down of the exchange kinetics. We claim that the existence of this switching behavior, also triggered by factors, such as the presence of cargo and variation of the membrane mechanical tension, allows for efficient regulation of vesicle secretion. We propose a model, supported by different experimental observations, in which vesiculation of secretory membranes is impaired by the energy-consuming desorption of coat proteins, until the presence of cargo or other factors triggers a dynamical switch into a vesicle producing state. PMID:18824695

  10. Cofilin, But Not Profilin, Is Required for Myosin-I-Induced Actin Polymerization and the Endocytic Uptake in Yeast

    PubMed Central

    Idrissi, Fatima-Zahra; Wolf, Bianka L.; Geli, M. Isabel

    2002-01-01

    Mutations in the budding yeast myosins-I (MYO3 and MYO5) cause defects in the actin cytoskeleton and in the endocytic uptake. Robust evidence also indicates that these proteins induce Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization. Consistently, we have recently demonstrated, using fluorescence microscopy, that Myo5p is able to induce cytosol-dependent actin polymerization on the surface of Sepharose beads. Strikingly, we now observed that, at short incubation times, Myo5p induced the formation of actin foci that resembled the yeast cortical actin patches, a plasma membrane-associated structure that might be involved in the endocytic uptake. Analysis of the machinery required for the formation of the Myo5p-induced actin patches in vitro demonstrated that the Arp2/3 complex was necessary but not sufficient in the assay. In addition, we found that cofilin was directly involved in the process. Strikingly though, the cofilin requirement seemed to be independent of its ability to disassemble actin filaments and profilin, a protein that closely cooperates with cofilin to maintain a rapid actin filament turnover, was not needed in the assay. In agreement with these observations, we found that like the Arp2/3 complex and the myosins-I, cofilin was essential for the endocytic uptake in vivo, whereas profilin was dispensable. PMID:12429847

  11. Real-Time Sensing of Enteropathogenic E. coli-Induced Effects on Epithelial Host Cell Height, Cell-Substrate Interactions, and Endocytic Processes by Infrared Surface Plasmon Spectroscopy

    PubMed Central

    Zlotkin-Rivkin, Efrat; Rund, David; Melamed-Book, Naomi; Zahavi, Eitan Erez; Perlson, Eran; Mercone, Silvana; Golosovsky, Michael; Davidov, Dan; Aroeti, Benjamin

    2013-01-01

    Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is an important, generally non-invasive, bacterial pathogen that causes diarrhea in humans. The microbe infects mainly the enterocytes of the small intestine. Here we have applied our newly developed infrared surface plasmon resonance (IR-SPR) spectroscopy approach to study how EPEC infection affects epithelial host cells. The IR-SPR experiments showed that EPEC infection results in a robust reduction in the refractive index of the infected cells. Assisted by confocal and total internal reflection microscopy, we discovered that the microbe dilates the intercellular gaps and induces the appearance of fluid-phase-filled pinocytic vesicles in the lower basolateral regions of the host epithelial cells. Partial cell detachment from the underlying substratum was also observed. Finally, the waveguide mode observed by our IR-SPR analyses showed that EPEC infection decreases the host cell's height to some extent. Together, these observations reveal novel impacts of the pathogen on the host cell architecture and endocytic functions. We suggest that these changes may induce the infiltration of a watery environment into the host cell, and potentially lead to failure of the epithelium barrier functions. Our findings also indicate the great potential of the label-free IR-SPR approach to study the dynamics of host-pathogen interactions with high spatiotemporal sensitivity. PMID:24194932

  12. Regional differences in actomyosin contraction shape the primary vesicles in the embryonic chicken brain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Filas, Benjamen A.; Oltean, Alina; Majidi, Shabnam; Bayly, Philip V.; Beebe, David C.; Taber, Larry A.

    2012-12-01

    In the early embryo, the brain initially forms as a relatively straight, cylindrical epithelial tube composed of neural stem cells. The brain tube then divides into three primary vesicles (forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain), as well as a series of bulges (rhombomeres) in the hindbrain. The boundaries between these subdivisions have been well studied as regions of differential gene expression, but the morphogenetic mechanisms that generate these constrictions are not well understood. Here, we show that regional variations in actomyosin-based contractility play a major role in vesicle formation in the embryonic chicken brain. In particular, boundaries did not form in brains exposed to the nonmuscle myosin II inhibitor blebbistatin, whereas increasing contractile force using calyculin or ATP deepened boundaries considerably. Tissue staining showed that contraction likely occurs at the inner part of the wall, as F-actin and phosphorylated myosin are concentrated at the apical side. However, relatively little actin and myosin was found in rhombomere boundaries. To determine the specific physical mechanisms that drive vesicle formation, we developed a finite-element model for the brain tube. Regional apical contraction was simulated in the model, with contractile anisotropy and strength estimated from contractile protein distributions and measurements of cell shapes. The model shows that a combination of circumferential contraction in the boundary regions and relatively isotropic contraction between boundaries can generate realistic morphologies for the primary vesicles. In contrast, rhombomere formation likely involves longitudinal contraction between boundaries. Further simulations suggest that these different mechanisms are dictated by regional differences in initial morphology and the need to withstand cerebrospinal fluid pressure. This study provides a new understanding of early brain morphogenesis.

  13. Interaction study between synthetic glycoconjugate ligands and endocytic receptors using flow cytometry.

    PubMed

    Yura, Hirofumi; Ishihara, Masayuki; Kanatani, Yasuhiro; Takase, Bonpei; Hattori, Hidemi; Suzuki, Shinya; Kawakami, Mitsuyuki; Matsui, Takemi

    2006-04-01

    Flow cytometric analysis of synthetic galactosyl polymers, asialofetuin and LDL derivatives labeled with FITC (Fluorescein Isothiocyanate) was carried out to determine the phenotypes of endocytic receptors, such as asialoglycoprotein (ASPG) and the LDL receptor, on various types of cells. When FITC-labeled galactosyl polystyrene (GalCPS), being a synthetic ligand of ASPG, was applied to rat hepatocytes and human cancer cells (Hep G2 and Chang Liver), surface fluorescence intensities varied according to receptor expression on the cells. The fluorescence intensity originates from the calcium-dependent binding of the FITC-labeled GalCPS. Although unaltered by pre-treatment with glucosyl polystyrene (GluCPS), fetuin and LDL, the fluorescence intensity was suppressed by pre-treatment with (non-labeled) GalCPS and asialofetuin. Flow cytometry allowed us to demonstrate that the calcium-dependent binding of FITC-labeled LDL (prepared from rabbits) upon the addition of 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol enhances LDL receptor expression, and the expression is suppressed upon the addition of a monoclonal antibody to the LDL receptor. The binding efficiency based on the combination of FITC-labeled ligands suggests a possible application for the classification of cell types and conditions corresponding to endocytic receptor expression without the need for immuno-active antibodies or radiolabeled substances. Furthermore, the synthetic glycoconjugate (GalCPS) is shown to be a sensitive and useful marker for classification based on cell phenotype using flow cytometry.

  14. Opioid Receptor Function Is Regulated by Post-endocytic Peptide Processing*

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Achla; Gomes, Ivone; Wardman, Jonathan; Devi, Lakshmi A.

    2014-01-01

    Most neuroendocrine peptides are generated in the secretory compartment by proteolysis of the precursors at classical cleavage sites consisting of basic residues by well studied endopeptidases belonging to the subtilisin superfamily. In contrast, a subset of bioactive peptides is generated by processing at non-classical cleavage sites that do not contain basic residues. Neither the peptidases responsible for non-classical cleavages nor the compartment involved in such processing has been well established. Members of the endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE) family are considered good candidate enzymes because they exhibit functional properties that are consistent with such a role. In this study we have explored a role for ECE2 in endocytic processing of δ opioid peptides and its effect on modulating δ opioid receptor function by using selective inhibitors of ECE2 that we had identified previously by homology modeling and virtual screening of a library of small molecules. We found that agonist treatment led to intracellular co-localization of ECE2 with δ opioid receptors. Furthermore, selective inhibitors of ECE2 and reagents that increase the pH of the acidic compartment impaired receptor recycling by protecting the endocytosed peptide from degradation. This, in turn, led to a substantial decrease in surface receptor signaling. Finally, we showed that treatment of primary neurons with the ECE2 inhibitor during recycling led to increased intracellular co-localization of the receptors and ECE2, which in turn led to decreased receptor recycling and signaling by the surface receptors. Together, these results support a role for differential modulation of opioid receptor signaling by post-endocytic processing of peptide agonists by ECE2. PMID:24847082

  15. The pressure-dependence of the size of extruded vesicles.

    PubMed

    Patty, Philipus J; Frisken, Barbara J

    2003-08-01

    Variations in the size of vesicles formed by extrusion through small pores are discussed in terms of a simple model. Our model predicts that the radius should decrease as the square root of the applied pressure, consistent with data for vesicles extruded under various conditions. The model also predicts dependencies on the pore size used and on the lysis tension of the vesicles being extruded that are consistent with our data. The pore size was varied by using track-etched polycarbonate membranes with average pore diameters ranging from 50 to 200 nm. To vary the lysis tension, vesicles made from POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine), mixtures of POPC and cholesterol, and mixtures of POPC and C(16)-ceramide were studied. The lysis tension, as measured by an extrusion-based technique, of POPC:cholesterol vesicles is higher than that of pure POPC vesicles whereas POPC:ceramide vesicles have lower lysis tensions than POPC vesicles.

  16. The Pressure-Dependence of the Size of Extruded Vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Patty, Philipus J.; Frisken, Barbara J.

    2003-01-01

    Variations in the size of vesicles formed by extrusion through small pores are discussed in terms of a simple model. Our model predicts that the radius should decrease as the square root of the applied pressure, consistent with data for vesicles extruded under various conditions. The model also predicts dependencies on the pore size used and on the lysis tension of the vesicles being extruded that are consistent with our data. The pore size was varied by using track-etched polycarbonate membranes with average pore diameters ranging from 50 to 200 nm. To vary the lysis tension, vesicles made from POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine), mixtures of POPC and cholesterol, and mixtures of POPC and C16-ceramide were studied. The lysis tension, as measured by an extrusion-based technique, of POPC:cholesterol vesicles is higher than that of pure POPC vesicles whereas POPC:ceramide vesicles have lower lysis tensions than POPC vesicles. PMID:12885646

  17. Electrohydrodynamics of a compound vesicle under an AC electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Priti Sinha, Kumari; Thaokar, Rochish M.

    2017-07-01

    Compound vesicles are relevant as simplified models for biological cells as well as in technological applications such as drug delivery. Characterization of these compound vesicles, especially the inner vesicle, remains a challenge. Similarly their response to electric field assumes importance in light of biomedical applications such as electroporation. Fields lower than that required for electroporation cause electrodeformation in vesicles and can be used to characterize their mechanical and electrical properties. A theoretical analysis of the electrohydrodynamics of a compound vesicle with outer vesicle of radius R o and an inner vesicle of radius λ {{R}o} , is presented. A phase diagram for the compound vesicle is presented and elucidated using detailed plots of electric fields, free charges and electric stresses. The electrohydrodynamics of the outer vesicle in a compound vesicle shows a prolate-sphere and prolate-oblate-sphere shape transitions when the conductivity of the annular fluid is greater than the outer fluid, and vice-versa respectively, akin to single vesicle electrohydrodynamics reported in the literature. The inner vesicle in contrast shows sphere-prolate-sphere and sphere-prolate-oblate-sphere transitions when the inner fluid conductivity is greater and smaller than the annular fluid, respectively. Equations and methodology are provided to determine the bending modulus and capacitance of the outer as well as the inner membrane, thereby providing an easy way to characterize compound vesicles and possibly biological cells.

  18. Dimerization of sortilin regulates its trafficking to extracellular vesicles.

    PubMed

    Itoh, Shinsuke; Mizuno, Ken; Aikawa, Masanori; Aikawa, Elena

    2018-03-23

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a critical role in intercellular communication by transferring microRNAs, lipids, and proteins to neighboring cells. Sortilin, a sorting receptor that directs target proteins to the secretory or endocytic compartments of cells, is found in both EVs and cells. In many human diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disorders, sortilin expression levels are atypically high. To elucidate the relationship between cardiovascular disease, particularly vascular calcification, and sortilin expression levels, we explored the trafficking of sortilin in both the intracellular and extracellular milieu. We previously demonstrated that sortilin promotes vascular calcification via its trafficking of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase to EVs. Although recent reports have noted that sortilin is regulated by multiple post-translational modifications, the precise mechanisms of sortilin trafficking still need to be determined. Here, we show that sortilin forms homodimers with an intermolecular disulfide bond at the cysteine 783 (Cys 783 ) residue, and because Cys 783 can be palmitoylated, it could be shared via palmitoylation and an intermolecular disulfide bond. Formation of this intermolecular disulfide bond leads to trafficking of sortilin to EVs by preventing palmitoylation, which further promotes sortilin trafficking to the Golgi apparatus. Moreover, we found that sortilin-derived propeptide decreased sortilin homodimers within EVs. In conclusion, sortilin is transported to EVs via the formation of homodimers with an intermolecular disulfide bond, which is endogenously regulated by its own propeptide. Therefore, we propose that inhibiting dimerization of sortilin acts as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of EV-associated diseases, including vascular calcification and cancer. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. Studies of matrix vesicle-induced mineralization in a gelatin gel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boskey, A. L.; Boyan, B. D.; Doty, S. B.; Feliciano, A.; Greer, K.; Weiland, D.; Swain, L. D.; Schwartz, Z.

    1992-01-01

    Matrix vesicles isolated from fourth-passage cultures of chondrocytes were tested for their ability to induce hydroxyapatite formation in a gelatin gel in order to gain insight into the function of matrix vesicles in in situ mineralization. These matrix vesicles did not appear to be hydroxyapatite nucleators per se since the extent of mineral accumulation in the gel diffusion system was not altered by the presence of matrix vesicles alone, and in the vesicle containing gels, mineral crystals were formed whether associated with vesicles or not. In gels with these matrix vesicles and beta-glycerophosphate, despite the presence of alkaline phosphatase activity, there was no increase in mineral deposition. This suggested that in the gel system these culture-derived vesicles did not increase local phosphate concentrations. However, when known inhibitors of mineral crystal formation and growth (proteoglycan aggregates [4 mg/ml], or ATP [1 mM], or both proteoglycan and ATP) were included in the gel, more mineral was deposited in gels with the vesicles than in comparable gels without vesicles, indicating that enzymes within these vesicles were functioning to remove the inhibition. These data support the suggestion that one function of the extracellular matrix vesicles is to transport enzymes for matrix modification.

  20. Synaptic vesicle recycling: steps and principles.

    PubMed

    Rizzoli, Silvio O

    2014-04-16

    Synaptic vesicle recycling is one of the best-studied cellular pathways. Many of the proteins involved are known, and their interactions are becoming increasingly clear. However, as for many other pathways, it is still difficult to understand synaptic vesicle recycling as a whole. While it is generally possible to point out how synaptic reactions take place, it is not always easy to understand what triggers or controls them. Also, it is often difficult to understand how the availability of the reaction partners is controlled: how the reaction partners manage to find each other in the right place, at the right time. I present here an overview of synaptic vesicle recycling, discussing the mechanisms that trigger different reactions, and those that ensure the availability of reaction partners. A central argument is that synaptic vesicles bind soluble cofactor proteins, with low affinity, and thus control their availability in the synapse, forming a buffer for cofactor proteins. The availability of cofactor proteins, in turn, regulates the different synaptic reactions. Similar mechanisms, in which one of the reaction partners buffers another, may apply to many other processes, from the biogenesis to the degradation of the synaptic vesicle.

  1. Synaptic vesicle recycling: steps and principles

    PubMed Central

    Rizzoli, Silvio O

    2014-01-01

    Synaptic vesicle recycling is one of the best-studied cellular pathways. Many of the proteins involved are known, and their interactions are becoming increasingly clear. However, as for many other pathways, it is still difficult to understand synaptic vesicle recycling as a whole. While it is generally possible to point out how synaptic reactions take place, it is not always easy to understand what triggers or controls them. Also, it is often difficult to understand how the availability of the reaction partners is controlled: how the reaction partners manage to find each other in the right place, at the right time. I present here an overview of synaptic vesicle recycling, discussing the mechanisms that trigger different reactions, and those that ensure the availability of reaction partners. A central argument is that synaptic vesicles bind soluble cofactor proteins, with low affinity, and thus control their availability in the synapse, forming a buffer for cofactor proteins. The availability of cofactor proteins, in turn, regulates the different synaptic reactions. Similar mechanisms, in which one of the reaction partners buffers another, may apply to many other processes, from the biogenesis to the degradation of the synaptic vesicle. PMID:24596248

  2. Osmotic shrinkage of giant egg-lecithin vesicles.

    PubMed Central

    Boroske, E; Elwenspoek, M; Helfrich, W

    1981-01-01

    Osmotic shrinkage of giant egg-lecithin vesicles was observed by phase-contrast microscopy. The vesicles remained or became spherical when shrinking. Small and thick-walled vesicles formed visible fingers attached to the sphere. The water permeability of the single bilayer was found to be 41 micrometers/s. A variety of observations indicate that osmosis induces a parallel lipid flow between the monolayers of the bilayer, leading to a strong positive spontaneous curvature. They also suggest the formation of mostly submicroscopic daughter vesicles. The estimated coupling constant, 2 . 10(-6) mol/mol, is large enough to be biologically significant. Images FIGURE 1 FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 PMID:7213933

  3. Automated Selection of Regions of Interest for Intensity-based FRET Analysis of Transferrin Endocytic Trafficking in Normal vs. Cancer Cells

    PubMed Central

    Talati, Ronak; Vanderpoel, Andrew; Eladdadi, Amina; Anderson, Kate; Abe, Ken; Barroso, Margarida

    2013-01-01

    The overexpression of certain membrane-bound receptors is a hallmark of cancer progression and it has been suggested to affect the organization, activation, recycling and down-regulation of receptor-ligand complexes in human cancer cells. Thus, comparing receptor trafficking pathways in normal vs. cancer cells requires the ability to image cells expressing dramatically different receptor expression levels. Here, we have presented a significant technical advance to the analysis and processing of images collected using intensity based Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) confocal microscopy. An automated Image J macro was developed to select region of interests (ROI) based on intensity and statistical-based thresholds within cellular images with reduced FRET signal. Furthermore, SSMD (strictly standardized mean differences), a statistical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) evaluation parameter, was used to validate the quality of FRET analysis, in particular of ROI database selection. The Image J ROI selection macro together with SSMD as an evaluation parameter of SNR levels, were used to investigate the endocytic recycling of Tfn-TFR complexes at nanometer range resolution in human normal vs. breast cancer cells expressing significantly different levels of endogenous TFR. Here, the FRET-based assay demonstrates that Tfn-TFR complexes in normal epithelial vs. breast cancer cells show a significantly different E% behavior during their endocytic recycling pathway. Since E% is a relative measure of distance, we propose that these changes in E% levels represent conformational changes in Tfn-TFR complexes during endocytic pathway. Thus, our results indicate that Tfn-TFR complexes undergo different conformational changes in normal vs. cancer cells, indicating that the organization of Tfn-TFR complexes at the nanometer range is significantly altered during the endocytic recycling pathway in cancer cells. In summary, improvements in the automated selection of FRET ROI datasets

  4. Virulence and Immunomodulatory Roles of Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Ellis, Terri N.; Kuehn, Meta J.

    2010-01-01

    Summary: Outer membrane (OM) vesicles are ubiquitously produced by Gram-negative bacteria during all stages of bacterial growth. OM vesicles are naturally secreted by both pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria. Strong experimental evidence exists to categorize OM vesicle production as a type of Gram-negative bacterial virulence factor. A growing body of data demonstrates an association of active virulence factors and toxins with vesicles, suggesting that they play a role in pathogenesis. One of the most popular and best-studied pathogenic functions for membrane vesicles is to serve as natural vehicles for the intercellular transport of virulence factors and other materials directly into host cells. The production of OM vesicles has been identified as an independent bacterial stress response pathway that is activated when bacteria encounter environmental stress, such as what might be experienced during the colonization of host tissues. Their detection in infected human tissues reinforces this theory. Various other virulence factors are also associated with OM vesicles, including adhesins and degradative enzymes. As a result, OM vesicles are heavily laden with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), virulence factors, and other OM components that can impact the course of infection by having toxigenic effects or by the activation of the innate immune response. However, infected hosts can also benefit from OM vesicle production by stimulating their ability to mount an effective defense. Vesicles display antigens and can elicit potent inflammatory and immune responses. In sum, OM vesicles are likely to play a significant role in the virulence of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. PMID:20197500

  5. Antigen B from Echinococcus granulosus enters mammalian cells by endocytic pathways.

    PubMed

    da Silva, Edileuza Danieli; Cancela, Martin; Monteiro, Karina Mariante; Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer; Zaha, Arnaldo

    2018-05-04

    Cystic hydatid disease is a zoonosis caused by the larval stage (hydatid) of Echinococcus granulosus (Cestoda, Taeniidae). The hydatid develops in the viscera of intermediate host as a unilocular structure filled by the hydatid fluid, which contains parasitic excretory/secretory products. The lipoprotein Antigen B (AgB) is the major component of E. granulosus metacestode hydatid fluid. Functionally, AgB has been implicated in immunomodulation and lipid transport. However, the mechanisms underlying AgB functions are not completely known. In this study, we investigated AgB interactions with different mammalian cell types and the pathways involved in its internalization. AgB uptake was observed in four different cell lines, NIH-3T3, A549, J774 and RH. Inhibition of caveolae/raft-mediated endocytosis causes about 50 and 69% decrease in AgB internalization by RH and A549 cells, respectively. Interestingly, AgB colocalized with the raft endocytic marker, but also showed a partial colocalization with the clathrin endocytic marker. Finally, AgB colocalized with an endolysosomal tracker, providing evidence for a possible AgB destination after endocytosis. The results indicate that caveolae/raft-mediated endocytosis is the main route to AgB internalization, and that a clathrin-mediated entry may also occur at a lower frequency. A possible fate for AgB after endocytosis seems to be the endolysosomal system. Cellular internalization and further access to subcellular compartments could be a requirement for AgB functions as a lipid carrier and/or immunomodulatory molecule, contributing to create a more permissive microenvironment to metacestode development and survival.

  6. Bubble-induced microstreaming: guiding and destroying lipid vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marmottant, Philippe; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

    2002-11-01

    Micron-sized bubbles respond with strong oscillations when submitted to ultrasound. This has led to their use as echographic contrast enhancers. The large energy and force densities generated by the collapsing bubbles also make them non-invasive mechanical tools: Recently, it has been reported that the interaction of cavitating bubbles with nearby cells can render the latter permeable to large molecules (sonoporation), suggesting prospects for drug delivery and gene transfection. We have developed a laboratory setup that allows for a controlled study of the interaction of single microbubbles with single lipid bilayer vesicles. Substituting vesicles for cell membranes is advantageous because the mechanical properties of vesicles are well-known. Microscopic observations reveal that vesicles near a bubble follow the vivid streaming motion set up by the bubble. The vesicles "bounce" off the bubble, being periodically accelerated towards and away from it, and undergo well-defined shape deformations along their trajectory in accordance with fluid-dynamical theory. Break-up of vesicles could also be observed.

  7. ABC Triblock Copolymer Vesicles with Mesh-like Morphology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Wei; Russell, Thomas; Grason, Gregory

    2010-03-01

    Polymer vesicles can be made from poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-2-vinylpyridene) (PI-b-PS-b-P2VP) triblock copolymer under the confinement of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. It was found that these vesicles have well-defined, nanoscopic size and a microphase-separated hydrophobic core, comprised of PS and PI blocks. Vesicle formation was tracked using both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A mesh-like morphology formed in the core at a well-defined composition of three blocks. Confinement played an important role in generating these vesicles with such an unusual morphology.

  8. Replication of Simulated Prebiotic Amphiphilic Vesicles in a Finite Environment Exhibits Complex Behavior That Includes High Progeny Variability and Competition

    PubMed Central

    Armstrong, Don L.; Lancet, Doron

    2018-01-01

    Abstract We studied the simulated replication and growth of prebiotic vesicles composed of 140 phospholipids and cholesterol using our R-GARD (Real Graded Autocatalysis Replication Domain) formalism that utilizes currently extant lipids that have known rate constants of lipid-vesicle interactions from published experimental data. R-GARD normally modifies kinetic parameters of lipid-vesicle interactions based on vesicle composition and properties. Our original R-GARD model tracked the growth and division of one vesicle at a time in an environment with unlimited lipids at a constant concentration. We explore here a modified model where vesicles compete for a finite supply of lipids. We observed that vesicles exhibit complex behavior including initial fast unrestricted growth, followed by intervesicle competition for diminishing resources, then a second growth burst driven by better-adapted vesicles, and ending with a final steady state. Furthermore, in simulations without kinetic parameter modifications (“invariant kinetics”), the initial replication was an order of magnitude slower, and vesicles' composition variability at the final steady state was much lower. The complex kinetic behavior was not observed either in the previously published R-GARD simulations or in additional simulations presented here with only one lipid component. This demonstrates that both a finite environment (inducing selection) and multiple components (providing variation for selection to act upon) are crucial for portraying evolution-like behavior. Such properties can improve survival in a changing environment by increasing the ability of early protocellular entities to respond to rapid environmental fluctuations likely present during abiogenesis both on Earth and possibly on other planets. This in silico simulation predicts that a relatively simple in vitro chemical system containing only lipid molecules might exhibit properties that are relevant to prebiotic processes. Key Words

  9. AC-electric field dependent electroformation of giant lipid vesicles.

    PubMed

    Politano, Timothy J; Froude, Victoria E; Jing, Benxin; Zhu, Yingxi

    2010-08-01

    Giant vesicles of larger than 5 microm, which have been of intense interest for their potential as drug delivery vehicles and as a model system for cell membranes, can be rapidly formed from a spin-coated lipid thin film under an electric field. In this work, we explore the AC-field dependent electroformation of giant lipid vesicles in aqueous media over a wide range of AC-frequency from 1 Hz to 1 MHz and peak-to-peak field strength from 0.212 V/mm to 40 V/mm between two parallel conducting electrode surfaces. By using fluorescence microscopy, we perform in-situ microscopic observations of the structural evolution of giant vesicles formed from spin-coated lipid films under varied uniform AC-electric fields. The real-time observation of bilayer bulging from the lipid film, vesicle growth and fusing further examine the critical role of AC-induced electroosmotic flow of surrounding fluids for giant vesicle formation. A rich AC-frequency and field strength phase diagram is obtained experimentally to predict the AC-electroformation of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) of l-alpha-phosphatidylcholine, where a weak dependence of vesicle size on AC-frequency is observed at low AC-field voltages, showing decreased vesicle size with a narrowed size distribution with increased AC-frequency. Formation of vesicles was shown to be constrained by an upper field strength of 10 V/mm and an upper AC-frequency of 10 kHz. Within these parameters, giant lipid vesicles were formed predominantly unilamellar and prevalent across the entire electrode surfaces. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Dynamics of vesicles in electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vlahovska, Petia; Gracia, Ruben

    2007-11-01

    Electromechanical forces are widely used for cell manipulation. Knowledge of the physical mechanisms underlying the interaction of cells and external fields is essential for practical applications. Vesicles are model cells made of a lipid bilayer membrane. They are examples of ``soft'' particles, i.e., their shape when subjected to flow or electric field is not given a priori but it is governed by the balance of membrane, fluid and electrical stresses. This generic ``softness'' gives rise to a very complex vesicle dynamics in external fields. In an AC electric field, as the frequency is increased, vesicles filled with a fluid less conducting than the surrounding fluid undergo shape transition from prolate to oblate ellipsoids. The opposite effect is observed with drops. We present an electro- hydrodynamic theory based on the leaky dielectric model that quantitatively describes experimental observations. We compare drops and vesicles, and show how their distinct behavior stems from different interfacial properties.

  11. Insights into the Diagnostic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles and Their miRNA Signature from Liquid Biopsy as Early Biomarkers of Diabetic Micro/Macrovascular Complications.

    PubMed

    La Marca, Valeria; Fierabracci, Alessandra

    2017-09-14

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a heterogeneous population of small vesicles, consisting of a phospholipidic bilayer surrounding a soluble interior cargo. Almost all cell types release EVs, thus they are naturally present in all body fluids. Among the several potential applications, EVs could be used as drug delivery vehicles in disease treatment, in immune therapy because of their immunomodulatory properties and in regenerative medicine. In addition to general markers, EVs are characterized by the presence of specific biomarkers (proteins and miRNAs) that allow the identification of their cell or tissue origin. For these features, they represent a potential powerful diagnostic tool to monitor state and progression of specific diseases. A large body of studies supports the idea that endothelial derived (EMPs) together with platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs) are deeply involved in the pathogenesis of diseases characterized by micro- and macrovascular damages, including diabetes. Existing literature suggests that the detection of circulating EMPs and PMPs and their specific miRNA profile may represent a very useful non-invasive signature to achieve information on the onset of peculiar disease manifestations. In this review, we discuss the possible utility of EVs in the early diagnosis of diabetes-associated microvascular complications, specifically related to kidney.

  12. Ultrastructure and biological function of matrix vesicles in bone mineralization.

    PubMed

    Hasegawa, Tomoka

    2018-04-01

    Bone mineralization is initiated by matrix vesicles, small extracellular vesicles secreted by osteoblasts, inducing the nucleation and subsequent growth of calcium phosphate crystals inside. Although calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) are abundant throughout the tissue fluid close to the matrix vesicles, the influx of phosphate ions (PO4 3- ) into matrix vesicles is a critical process mediated by several enzymes and transporters such as ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1), ankylosis (ANK), and tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). The catalytic activity of ENPP1 in osteoblasts generates inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) intracellularly and extracellularly, and ANK may allow the intracellular PPi to pass through the plasma membrane to the outside of the osteoblasts. Although the extracellular PPi binds to growing hydroxyapatite crystals to prevent crystal overgrowth, TNSALP on the osteoblasts and matrix vesicles hydrolyzes PPi into PO4 3- monomers: the prevention of crystal growth is blocked, and PO4 3- monomers are supplied to matrix vesicles. In addition, PHOSPHO1 is thought to function inside matrix vesicles to catalyze phosphocoline, a constituent of the plasma membrane, consequently increasing PO4 3- in the vesicles. Accumulation of Ca 2+ and PO4 3- inside the matrix vesicles then initiates crystalline nucleation associated with the inner leaflet of the matrix vesicles. Calcium phosphate crystals elongate radially, penetrate the matrix vesicle's membrane, and finally grow out of the vesicles to form calcifying nodules, globular assemblies of needle-shaped mineral crystals retaining some of those transporters and enzymes. The subsequent growth of calcifying nodules appears to be regulated by surrounding organic compounds, finally leading to collagen mineralization.

  13. Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Array: microarray capturing of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles for multiplexed phenotyping.

    PubMed

    Jørgensen, Malene; Bæk, Rikke; Pedersen, Shona; Søndergaard, Evo K L; Kristensen, Søren R; Varming, Kim

    2013-01-01

    Exosomes are one of the several types of cell-derived vesicles with a diameter of 30-100 nm. These extracellular vesicles are recognized as potential markers of human diseases such as cancer. However, their use in diagnostic tests requires an objective and high-throughput method to define their phenotype and determine their concentration in biological fluids. To identify circulating as well as cell culture-derived vesicles, the current standard is immunoblotting or a flow cytometrical analysis for specific proteins, both of which requires large amounts of purified vesicles. Based on the technology of protein microarray, we hereby present a highly sensitive Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Array capable of detecting and phenotyping exosomes and other extracellular vesicles from unpurified starting material in a high-throughput manner. To only detect the exosomes captured on the EV Array, a cocktail of antibodies against the tetraspanins CD9, CD63 and CD81 was used. These antibodies were selected to ensure that all exosomes captured are detected, and concomitantly excluding the detection of other types of microvesicles. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined on exosomes derived from the colon cancer cell line LS180. It clarified that supernatant from only approximately 10(4) cells was needed to obtain signals or that only 2.5×10(4) exosomes were required for each microarray spot (~1 nL). Phenotyping was performed on plasma (1-10 µL) from 7 healthy donors, which were applied to the EV Array with a panel of antibodies against 21 different cellular surface antigens and cancer antigens. For each donor, there was considerable heterogeneity in the expression levels of individual markers. The protein profiles of the exosomes (defined as positive for CD9, CD63 and CD81) revealed that only the expression level of CD9 and CD81 was approximately equal in the 7 donors. This implies questioning the use of CD63 as a standard exosomal marker since the expression level of this

  14. Synaptic vesicle distribution by conveyor belt.

    PubMed

    Moughamian, Armen J; Holzbaur, Erika L F

    2012-03-02

    The equal distribution of synaptic vesicles among synapses along the axon is critical for robust neurotransmission. Wong et al. show that the continuous circulation of synaptic vesicles throughout the axon driven by molecular motors ultimately yields this even distribution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Bovine milk exosome proteome

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Exosomes are 40-100 nm membrane vesicles of endocytic origin and are found in blood, urine, amniotic fluid, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, as well as human and bovine milk. Exosomes are extracellular organelles important in intracellular communication/signaling, immune function, and biomarkers ...

  16. Raft-dependent endocytic movement and intracellular cluster formation during T cell activation triggered by concanavalin A.

    PubMed

    Yabuuchi, Satomi; Endo, Satoshi; Baek, KeangOk; Hoshino, Kunihide; Tsujino, Yoshio; Vestergaard, Mun'delanji C; Takagi, Masahiro

    2017-12-01

    Certain food ingredients can stimulate the human immune system. A lectin, concanavalin A (ConA), from Canavalia ensiformis (jack bean) is one of the most well-known food-derived immunostimulants and mediates activation of cell-mediated immunity through T cell proliferation. Generally, T cell activation is known to be triggered by the interaction between T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) via a juxtacrine (contact-dependent) signaling pathway. The mechanism has been well characterized and is referred to as formation of the immunological synapse (IS). We were interested in the mechanism behind the T cell activation by food-derived ConA which might be different from that of T cell activation by APCs. The purpose of this study was to characterize T cell activation by ConA with regard to (i) movement of raft domain, (ii) endocytic vesicular transport, (iii) the cytoskeleton (actin and microtubules), and (iv) cholesterol composition. We found that raft-dependent endocytic movement was important for T cell activation by ConA and this movement was dependent on actin, microtubules, and cholesterol. The T cell signaling mechanism triggered by ConA can be defined as endocrine signaling which is distinct from the activation process triggered by interaction between T cells and APCs by juxtacrine signaling. Therefore, we hypothesized that T cell activation by ConA includes both two-dimensional superficial raft movement on the membrane surface along actin filaments and three-dimensional endocytic movement toward the inside of the cell along microtubules. These findings are important for developing new methods for immune stimulation and cancer therapy based on the function of ConA. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles attenuate kidney inflammation.

    PubMed

    Eirin, Alfonso; Zhu, Xiang-Yang; Puranik, Amrutesh S; Tang, Hui; McGurren, Kelly A; van Wijnen, Andre J; Lerman, Amir; Lerman, Lilach O

    2017-07-01

    Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have distinct capability for renal repair, but may have safety concerns. MSC-derived extracellular vesicles emerged as a novel noncellular alternative. Using a porcine model of metabolic syndrome and renal artery stenosis we tested whether extracellular vesicles attenuate renal inflammation, and if this capacity is mediated by their cargo of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL) 10. Pigs with metabolic syndrome were studied after 16 weeks of renal artery stenosis untreated or treated four weeks earlier with a single intrarenal delivery of extracellular vesicles harvested from adipose tissue-derived autologous MSCs. Lean and sham metabolic syndrome animals served as controls (seven each). Five additional pigs with metabolic syndrome and renal artery stenosis received extracellular vesicles with pre-silenced IL10 (IL10 knock-down). Single-kidney renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, and oxygenation were studied in vivo and renal injury pathways ex vivo. Retention of extracellular vesicles in the stenotic kidney peaked two days after delivery and decreased thereafter. Four weeks after injection, extracellular vesicle fragments colocalized with stenotic-kidney tubular cells and macrophages, indicating internalization or fusion. Extracellular vesicle delivery attenuated renal inflammation, and improved medullary oxygenation and fibrosis. Renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate fell in metabolic syndrome and renal artery stenosis compared to metabolic syndrome, but was restored in pigs treated with extracellular vesicles. These renoprotective effects were blunted in pigs treated with IL10-depleted extracellular vesicles. Thus, extracellular vesicle-based regenerative strategies might be useful for patients with metabolic syndrome and renal artery stenosis. Copyright © 2017 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Topological defects and shapes of triatic liquid crystal vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Serafin, Francesco; Manyuhina, Oksana; Bowick, Mark

    Is shape the manifestation of function, or does shape determine function? Since the time of Aristotle, the study of shape has proven to be a fruitful way to understand the behavior of physical systems, from atomic to biological systems scales. Two dimensional soft membranes are a perfect setting to understand the emergence of shape. An interesting possibility is to control and design new self-assemblable supramolecular shapes by coating the surface of soft closed vesicles with liquid crystals (LC) of various symmetries. The microscopic geometry of the liquid crystal molecules, in particular the structure of topological defects, when combined with the topology of the vesicle's surface, ultimately determines the vesicle's shape. Recent work has shown that the minimal energy shapes of smectic and nematic vesicles are faceted polyhedra. A very soft smectic vesicle develops sharp creases and forms a faceted tetrahedron. When the coating LC has the symmetries of the square, the vesicle forms a cube. In this work we extend these results to a 3-fold symmetric LC, proving that the vesicle's ground state is an octahedron. This gives a systematic way of predicting vesicle's shapes as we change the liquid crystal's symmetry. Soft Matter Program of Syracuse University.

  19. HLB1 Is a Tetratricopeptide Repeat Domain-Containing Protein That Operates at the Intersection of the Exocytic and Endocytic Pathways at the TGN/EE in Arabidopsis

    DOE PAGES

    Sparks, J. Alan; Kwon, Taegun; Renna, Luciana; ...

    2016-03-03

    The endomembrane system plays essential roles in plant development, but the proteome responsible for its function and organization remains largely uncharacterized in plants. For this study, we identified and characterized the HYPERSENSITIVE TO LATRUNCULIN B1 (HLB1) protein isolated through a forward-genetic screen in Arabidopsis thaliana for mutants with heightened sensitivity to actin-disrupting drugs. HLB1 is a plant-specific tetratricopeptide repeat domain-containing protein of unknown function encoded by a single Arabidopsis gene. HLB1 associated with the trans-Golgi network (TGN)/early endosome (EE) and tracked along filamentous actin, indicating that it could link post-Golgi traffic with the actin cytoskeleton in plants. HLB1 was foundmore » to interact with the ADP-ribosylation-factor guanine nucleotide exchange factor, MIN7/BEN1 (HOPM INTERACTOR7/BREFELDIN A-VISUALIZED ENDOCYTIC TRAFFICKING DEFECTIVE1) by coimmunoprecipitation. The min7/ben1 mutant phenocopied the mild root developmental defects and latrunculin B hypersensitivity of hlb1, and analyses of a hlb1/ min7/ben1 double mutant showed that hlb1 and min7/ben1 operate in common genetic pathways. Based on these data, we propose that HLB1 together with MIN7/BEN1 form a complex with actin to modulate the function of the TGN/EE at the intersection of the exocytic and endocytic pathways in plants.« less

  20. Metal Sorbing Vesicles: Light Scattering Characterization and Metal Sorbtion Behavior.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Zanten, John Hollis

    1992-01-01

    The research described herein consisted of two parts: light scattering characterization of vesicles and kinetic investigations of metal sorbing vesicles. Static light scattering techniques can be used to determine the geometric size, shape and apparent molecular weight of phosphatidylcholine vesicles in aqueous suspension. A Rayleigh-Gans-Debye (RGD) approximation analysis of multiangle scattered light intensity data yields the size and degree of polydispersity of the vesicles in solution, while the Zimm plot technique provides the radius of gyration and apparent weight-average molecular weight. Together the RGD approximation and Zimm plots can be used to confirm the geometric shape of vesicles and can give a good estimate of the vesicle wall thickness in some cases. Vesicles varying from 40 to 115 nm in diameter have been characterized effectively. The static light scattering measurements indicate that, as expected, phosphatidylcholine vesicles in this size range scatter light as isotropic hollow spheres. Additionally, static and dynamic light scattering measurements have been made and compared with one another. The values for geometric radii determined by static light scattering typically agree with those estimated by dynamic light scattering to within a few percent. Interestingly however, dynamic measurements suggest that there is a significant degree of polydispersity present in the vesicle dispersions, while static measurements indicate near size monodisperse dispersions. Metal sorbing vesicles which harbor ionophores, such as antibiotic A23187 and synthetic carriers, in their bilayer membranes have been produced. These vesicles also encapsulate the chelating compound, nitrilotriacetate, to provide the driving force for metal ion uptake. Very dilute dispersions (on the order of 0.03% w/v) of these metal sorbing vesicles were capable of removing Cd ^{2+} and Pb^{2+ } from dilute aqueous solution (5 ppm and less) and concentrating these metal ions several

  1. Formation and size distribution of self-assembled vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Changjin; Quinn, David; Suresh, Subra

    2017-01-01

    When detergents and phospholipid membranes are dispersed in aqueous solutions, they tend to self-assemble into vesicles of various shapes and sizes by virtue of their hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments. A clearer understanding of such vesiculation processes holds promise for better elucidation of human physiology and disease, and paves the way to improved diagnostics, drug development, and drug delivery. Here we present a detailed analysis of the energetics and thermodynamics of vesiculation by recourse to nonlinear elasticity, taking into account large deformation that may arise during the vesiculation process. The effects of membrane size, spontaneous curvature, and membrane stiffness on vesiculation and vesicle size distribution were investigated, and the critical size for vesicle formation was determined and found to compare favorably with available experimental evidence. Our analysis also showed that the critical membrane size for spontaneous vesiculation was correlated with membrane thickness, and further illustrated how the combined effects of membrane thickness and physical properties influenced the size, shape, and distribution of vesicles. These findings shed light on the formation of physiological extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes. The findings also suggest pathways for manipulating the size, shape, distribution, and physical properties of synthetic vesicles, with potential applications in vesicle physiology, the pathobiology of cancer and other diseases, diagnostics using in vivo liquid biopsy, and drug delivery methods. PMID:28265065

  2. Primary vesicles, vesicle-rich segregation structures and recognition of primary and secondary porosities in lava flows from the Paraná igneous province, southern Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barreto, Carla Joana S.; de Lima, Evandro F.; Goldberg, Karin

    2017-04-01

    This study focuses on a volcanic succession of pāhoehoe to rubbly lavas of the Paraná-Etendeka Province exposed in a single road profile in southernmost Brazil. This work provides an integrated approach for examining primary vesicles and vesicle-rich segregation structures at the mesoscopic scale. In addition, this study provides a quantitative analysis of pore types in thin section. We documented distinct distribution patterns of vesicle and vesicle-rich segregation structures according to lava thickness. In compound pāhoehoe lavas, the cooling allows only vesicles (<1 cm size) and pipe vesicles to be frozen into place. In inflated pāhoehoe lavas, vesicles of different sizes are common, including pipe vesicles, and also segregation structures such as proto-cylinders, cylinders, cylinder sheets, vesicle sheets, and pods. In rubbly lavas, only vesicles of varying sizes occur. Gas release from melt caused the formation of primary porosity, while hydrothermal alteration and tectonic fracturing are the main processes that generated secondary porosity. Although several forms of porosity were created in the basaltic lava flows, the precipitation of secondary minerals within the pores has tended to reduce the original porosities. Late-stage fractures could create efficient channel networks for possible hydrocarbon/groundwater migration and entrapment owing to their ability to connect single pores. Quantitative permeability data should be gathered in future studies to confirm the potential of these lavas for store hydrocarbons or groundwater.

  3. Switch-like Arp2/3 activation upon WASP and WIP recruitment to an apparent threshold level by multivalent linker proteins in vivo.

    PubMed

    Sun, Yidi; Leong, Nicole T; Jiang, Tommy; Tangara, Astou; Darzacq, Xavier; Drubin, David G

    2017-08-16

    Actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex activation by nucleation promoting factors (NPFs) such as WASP, plays an important role in many actin-mediated cellular processes. In yeast, Arp2/3-mediated actin filament assembly drives endocytic membrane invagination and vesicle scission. Here we used genetics and quantitative live-cell imaging to probe the mechanisms that concentrate NPFs at endocytic sites, and to investigate how NPFs regulate actin assembly onset. Our results demonstrate that SH3 (Src homology 3) domain-PRM (proline-rich motif) interactions involving multivalent linker proteins play central roles in concentrating NPFs at endocytic sites. Quantitative imaging suggested that productive actin assembly initiation is tightly coupled to accumulation of threshold levels of WASP and WIP, but not to recruitment kinetics or release of autoinhibition. These studies provide evidence that WASP and WIP play central roles in establishment of a robust multivalent SH3 domain-PRM network in vivo, giving actin assembly onset at endocytic sites a switch-like behavior.

  4. Membrane recycling at the infranuclear pole of the outer hair cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harasztosi, Csaba; Harasztosi, Emese; Gummer, Anthony W.

    2015-12-01

    Rapid endocytic activity of outer hair cells (OHCs) in the guinea-pig cochlea has been already studied using the fluorescent membrane marker FM1-43. It was demonstrated that vesicles were endocytosed at the apical pole of OHCs and transcytosed to the basolateral membrane and through a central strand towards the nucleus. The significance of endocytic activity in the infranuclear region is still not clear. Therefore, in this study endocytic activity at the synaptic pole of OHCs was investigated. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to visualize dye uptake of OHCs isolated from the guinea-pig cochlea. Signal intensity changes were quantified in the apical and basal poles relative to the signal at the membrane. Data showed no significant difference in fluorescent signal intensity changes between the opposite poles of the OHC. These results suggest that endocytic activities in both the basal and the apical poles contribute equally to the membrane recycling of OHCs.

  5. Low-resolution simulations of vesicle suspensions in 2D

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kabacaoğlu, Gökberk; Quaife, Bryan; Biros, George

    2018-03-01

    Vesicle suspensions appear in many biological and industrial applications. These suspensions are characterized by rich and complex dynamics of vesicles due to their interaction with the bulk fluid, and their large deformations and nonlinear elastic properties. Many existing state-of-the-art numerical schemes can resolve such complex vesicle flows. However, even when using provably optimal algorithms, these simulations can be computationally expensive, especially for suspensions with a large number of vesicles. These high computational costs can limit the use of simulations for parameter exploration, optimization, or uncertainty quantification. One way to reduce the cost is to use low-resolution discretizations in space and time. However, it is well-known that simply reducing the resolution results in vesicle collisions, numerical instabilities, and often in erroneous results. In this paper, we investigate the effect of a number of algorithmic empirical fixes (which are commonly used by many groups) in an attempt to make low-resolution simulations more stable and more predictive. Based on our empirical studies for a number of flow configurations, we propose a scheme that attempts to integrate these fixes in a systematic way. This low-resolution scheme is an extension of our previous work [51,53]. Our low-resolution correction algorithms (LRCA) include anti-aliasing and membrane reparametrization for avoiding spurious oscillations in vesicles' membranes, adaptive time stepping and a repulsion force for handling vesicle collisions and, correction of vesicles' area and arc-length for maintaining physical vesicle shapes. We perform a systematic error analysis by comparing the low-resolution simulations of dilute and dense suspensions with their high-fidelity, fully resolved, counterparts. We observe that the LRCA enables both efficient and statistically accurate low-resolution simulations of vesicle suspensions, while it can be 10× to 100× faster.

  6. Deformation of phospholipid vesicles in an optical stretcher.

    PubMed

    Delabre, Ulysse; Feld, Kasper; Crespo, Eleonore; Whyte, Graeme; Sykes, Cecile; Seifert, Udo; Guck, Jochen

    2015-08-14

    Phospholipid vesicles are common model systems for cell membranes. Important aspects of the membrane function relate to its mechanical properties. Here we have investigated the deformation behaviour of phospholipid vesicles in a dual-beam laser trap, also called an optical stretcher. This study explicitly makes use of the inherent heating present in such traps to investigate the dependence of vesicle deformation on temperature. By using lasers with different wavelengths, optically induced mechanical stresses and temperature increase can be tuned fairly independently with a single setup. The phase transition temperature of vesicles can be clearly identified by an increase in deformation. In the case of no heating effects, a minimal model for drop deformation in an optical stretcher and a more specific model for vesicle deformation that takes explicitly into account the angular dependence of the optical stress are presented to account for the experimental results. Elastic constants are extracted from the fitting procedures, which agree with literature data. This study demonstrates the utility of optical stretching, which is easily combined with microfluidic delivery, for the future serial, high-throughput study of the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of phospholipid vesicles.

  7. Membrane Transport in Isolated Vesicles from Sugarbeet Taproot 1

    PubMed Central

    Briskin, Donald P.; Thornley, W. Robert; Wyse, Roger E.

    1985-01-01

    Sealed membrane vesicles were isolated from homogenates of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) taproot by a combination of differential centrifugation, extraction with KI, and dextran gradient centrifugation. Relative to the KI-extracted microsomes, the content of plasma membranes, mitochondrial membranes, and Golgi membranes was much reduced in the final vesicle fraction. A component of ATPase activity that was inhibited by nitrate co-enriched with the capacity of the vesicles to form a steady state pH gradient during the purification procedure. This suggests that the nitrate-sensitive ATPase may be involved in driving H+-transport, and this is consistent with the observation that H+-transport, in the final vesicle fraction was inhibited by nitrate. Proton transport in the sugarbeet vesicles was substrate specific for ATP, insensitive to sodium vanadate and oligomycin but was inhibited by diethylstilbestrol and N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The formation of a pH gradient in the vesicles was enhanced by halide ions in the sequence I− > Br− > Cl− while F− was inhibitory. These stimulatory effects occur from both a direct stimulation of the ATPase by anions and a reduction in the vesicle membrane potential. In the presence of Cl−, alkali cations reduce the pH gradient relative to that observed with bis-tris-propane, possibly by H+/alkali cation exchange. Based upon the properties of the H+-transporting vesicles, it is proposed that they are most likely derived from the tonoplast so that this vesicle preparation would represent a convenient system for studying the mechanism of transport at this membrane boundary. PMID:16664342

  8. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles launches the first massive open online course on extracellular vesicles.

    PubMed

    Lässer, Cecilia; Théry, Clotilde; Buzás, Edit I; Mathivanan, Suresh; Zhao, Weian; Gho, Yong Song; Lötvall, Jan

    2016-01-01

    The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) has organised its first educational online course for students and beginners in the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs). This course, "Basics of Extracellular Vesicles," uses recorded lectures from experts in the field and will be open for an unlimited number of participants. The course is divided into 5 modules and can be accessed at www.coursera.org/learn/extracellular-vesicles. The first module is an introduction to the field covering the nomenclature and history of EVs. Module 2 focuses on the biogenesis and uptake mechanisms of EVs, as well as their RNA, protein and lipid cargo. Module 3 covers the collection and processing of cell culture media and body fluids such as blood, breast milk, cerebrospinal fluid and urine prior to isolation of EVs. Modules 4 and 5 present different isolation methods and characterisation techniques utilised in the EV field. Here, differential ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion chromatography, density gradient centrifugation, kit-based precipitation, electron microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, flow cytometry, atomic-force microscopy and nanoparticle-tracking analysis are covered. This first massive open online course (MOOC) on EVs was launched on 15 August 2016 at the platform "Coursera" and is free of charge.

  9. Haloarchaea and the Formation of Gas Vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Pfeifer, Felicitas

    2015-01-01

    Halophilic Archaea (Haloarchaea) thrive in salterns containing sodium chloride concentrations up to saturation. Many Haloarchaea possess genes encoding gas vesicles, but only a few species, such as Halobacterium salinarum and Haloferax mediterranei, produce these gas-filled, proteinaceous nanocompartments. Gas vesicles increase the buoyancy of cells and enable them to migrate vertically in the water body to regions with optimal conditions. Their synthesis depends on environmental factors, such as light, oxygen supply, temperature and salt concentration. Fourteen gas vesicle protein (gvp) genes are involved in their formation, and regulation of gvp gene expression occurs at the level of transcription, including the two regulatory proteins, GvpD and GvpE, but also at the level of translation. The gas vesicle wall is solely formed of proteins with the two major components, GvpA and GvpC, and seven additional accessory proteins are also involved. Except for GvpI and GvpH, all of these are required to form the gas permeable wall. The applications of gas vesicles include their use as an antigen presenter for viral or pathogen proteins, but also as a stable ultrasonic reporter for biomedical purposes. PMID:25648404

  10. The motion of a train of vesicles in channel flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barakat, Joseph; Shaqfeh, Eric

    2017-11-01

    The inertialess motion of a train of lipid-bilayer vesicles flowing through a channel is simulated using a 3D boundary integral equation method. Steady-state results are reported for vesicles positioned concentrically inside cylindrical channels of circular, square, and rectangular cross sections. The vesicle translational velocity U and excess channel pressure drop Δp+ depend strongly on the ratio of the vesicle radius to the hydraulic radius λ and the vesicle reduced volume υ. ``Deflated vesicles'' of lower reduced volume υ are more streamlined and translate with greater velocity U relative to the mean flow velocity V. Increasing the vesicle size (λ) increases the wall friction force and extra pressure drop Δp+, which in turn reduces the vesicle velocity U. Hydrodynamic interactions between vesicles in a periodic train are largely screened by the channel walls, in accordance with previous results for spheres and drops. The hydraulic resistance is compared across different cross sections, and a simple correction factor is proposed to unify the results. Nonlinear effects are observed when β - the ratio of membrane bending elasticity to viscous traction - is changed. The simulation results show excellent agreement with available experimental measurements as well as a previously reported ``small-gap theory'' valid for large values of λ. NSF CBET 1066263/1066334.

  11. Diffusion behavior of lipid vesicles in entangled polymer solutions.

    PubMed Central

    Cao, X; Bansil, R; Gantz, D; Moore, E W; Niu, N; Afdhal, N H

    1997-01-01

    Dynamic light scattering was used to follow the tracer diffusion of phospholipid/cholesterol vesicles in aqueous polyacrylamide solutions and compared with the diffusive behavior of polystyrene (PS) latex spheres of comparable diameters. Over the range of the matrix concentration examined (Cp = 0.1-10 mg/ml), the diffusivities of the PS spheres and the large multilamellar vesicles exhibited the Stokes-Einstein (SE) relation, while the diffusivity of the unilamellar vesicles did not follow the increase of the solution's viscosity caused by the presence of the matrix molecules. The difference between the diffusion behaviors of unilamellar vesicles and hard PS spheres of similar size is possibly due to the flexibility of the lipid bilayer of the vesicles. The unilamellar vesicles are capable of changing their shape to move through the entangled polymer solution so that the hindrance to their diffusion due to the presence of the polymer chains is reduced, while the rigid PS spheres have little flexibility and they encounter greater resistance. The multilamellar vesicles are less flexible, thus their diffusion is similar to the hard PS spheres of similar diameter. Images FIGURE 2 PMID:9336189

  12. Anticancer drug delivery with transferrin targeted polymeric chitosan vesicles.

    PubMed

    Dufes, Christine; Muller, Jean-Marc; Couet, William; Olivier, Jean-Christophe; Uchegbu, Ijeoma F; Schätzlein, Andreas G

    2004-01-01

    The study reports the initial biological evaluation of targeted polymeric glycol chitosan vesicles as carrier systems for doxorubicin (Dox). Transferrin (Tf) was covalently bound to the Dox-loaded palmitoylated glycol chitosan (GCP) vesicles using dimethylsuberimidate (DMSI). For comparison, glucose targeted niosomes were prepared using N-palmitoyl glucosamine. Biological properties were studied using confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and cytotoxicity assays as well as a mouse xenograft model. Tf vesicles were taken up rapidly with a plateau after 1-2 h and Dox reached the nucleus after 60-90 min. Uptake was not increased with the use of glucose ligands, but higher uptake and increased cytotoxicity were observed for Tf targeted as compared to GCP Dox alone. In the drug-resistant A2780AD cells and in A431 cells, the relative increase in activity was significantly higher for the Tf-GCP vesicles than would have been expected from the uptake studies. All vesicle formulations had a superior in vivo safety profile compared to the free drug. The in vitro advantage of targeted Tf vesicles did not translate into a therapeutic advantage in vivo. All vesicles reduced tumor size on day 2 but were overall less active than the free drug.

  13. The cell-based L-glutathione protection assays to study endocytosis and recycling of plasma membrane proteins.

    PubMed

    Cihil, Kristine M; Swiatecka-Urban, Agnieszka

    2013-12-13

    Membrane trafficking involves transport of proteins from the plasma membrane to the cell interior (i.e. endocytosis) followed by trafficking to lysosomes for degradation or to the plasma membrane for recycling. The cell based L-glutathione protection assays can be used to study endocytosis and recycling of protein receptors, channels, transporters, and adhesion molecules localized at the cell surface. The endocytic assay requires labeling of cell surface proteins with a cell membrane impermeable biotin containing a disulfide bond and the N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester at 4 ºC - a temperature at which membrane trafficking does not occur. Endocytosis of biotinylated plasma membrane proteins is induced by incubation at 37 ºC. Next, the temperature is decreased again to 4 ºC to stop endocytic trafficking and the disulfide bond in biotin covalently attached to proteins that have remained at the plasma membrane is reduced with L-glutathione. At this point, only proteins that were endocytosed remain protected from L-glutathione and thus remain biotinylated. After cell lysis, biotinylated proteins are isolated with streptavidin agarose, eluted from agarose, and the biotinylated protein of interest is detected by western blotting. During the recycling assay, after biotinylation cells are incubated at 37 °C to load endocytic vesicles with biotinylated proteins and the disulfide bond in biotin covalently attached to proteins remaining at the plasma membrane is reduced with L-glutathione at 4 ºC as in the endocytic assay. Next, cells are incubated again at 37 °C to allow biotinylated proteins from endocytic vesicles to recycle to the plasma membrane. Cells are then incubated at 4 ºC, and the disulfide bond in biotin attached to proteins that recycled to the plasma membranes is reduced with L-glutathione. The biotinylated proteins protected from L-glutathione are those that did not recycle to the plasma membrane.

  14. Minimal experimental requirements for definition of extracellular vesicles and their functions: a position statement from the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.

    PubMed

    Lötvall, Jan; Hill, Andrew F; Hochberg, Fred; Buzás, Edit I; Di Vizio, Dolores; Gardiner, Christopher; Gho, Yong Song; Kurochkin, Igor V; Mathivanan, Suresh; Quesenberry, Peter; Sahoo, Susmita; Tahara, Hidetoshi; Wauben, Marca H; Witwer, Kenneth W; Théry, Clotilde

    2014-01-01

    Secreted membrane-enclosed vesicles, collectively called extracellular vesicles (EVs), which include exosomes, ectosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, apoptotic bodies and other EV subsets, encompass a very rapidly growing scientific field in biology and medicine. Importantly, it is currently technically challenging to obtain a totally pure EV fraction free from non-vesicular components for functional studies, and therefore there is a need to establish guidelines for analyses of these vesicles and reporting of scientific studies on EV biology. Here, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) provides researchers with a minimal set of biochemical, biophysical and functional standards that should be used to attribute any specific biological cargo or functions to EVs.

  15. Sculpting and fusing biomimetic vesicle networks using optical tweezers.

    PubMed

    Bolognesi, Guido; Friddin, Mark S; Salehi-Reyhani, Ali; Barlow, Nathan E; Brooks, Nicholas J; Ces, Oscar; Elani, Yuval

    2018-05-14

    Constructing higher-order vesicle assemblies has discipline-spanning potential from responsive soft-matter materials to artificial cell networks in synthetic biology. This potential is ultimately derived from the ability to compartmentalise and order chemical species in space. To unlock such applications, spatial organisation of vesicles in relation to one another must be controlled, and techniques to deliver cargo to compartments developed. Herein, we use optical tweezers to assemble, reconfigure and dismantle networks of cell-sized vesicles that, in different experimental scenarios, we engineer to exhibit several interesting properties. Vesicles are connected through double-bilayer junctions formed via electrostatically controlled adhesion. Chemically distinct vesicles are linked across length scales, from several nanometres to hundreds of micrometres, by axon-like tethers. In the former regime, patterning membranes with proteins and nanoparticles facilitates material exchange between compartments and enables laser-triggered vesicle merging. This allows us to mix and dilute content, and to initiate protein expression by delivering biomolecular reaction components.

  16. Additive effects on the energy barrier for synaptic vesicle fusion cause supralinear effects on the vesicle fusion rate.

    PubMed

    Schotten, Sebastiaan; Meijer, Marieke; Walter, Alexander Matthias; Huson, Vincent; Mamer, Lauren; Kalogreades, Lawrence; ter Veer, Mirelle; Ruiter, Marvin; Brose, Nils; Rosenmund, Christian; Sørensen, Jakob Balslev; Verhage, Matthijs; Cornelisse, Lennart Niels

    2015-04-14

    The energy required to fuse synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane ('activation energy') is considered a major determinant in synaptic efficacy. From reaction rate theory, we predict that a class of modulations exists, which utilize linear modulation of the energy barrier for fusion to achieve supralinear effects on the fusion rate. To test this prediction experimentally, we developed a method to assess the number of releasable vesicles, rate constants for vesicle priming, unpriming, and fusion, and the activation energy for fusion by fitting a vesicle state model to synaptic responses induced by hypertonic solutions. We show that complexinI/II deficiency or phorbol ester stimulation indeed affects responses to hypertonic solution in a supralinear manner. An additive vs multiplicative relationship between activation energy and fusion rate provides a novel explanation for previously observed non-linear effects of genetic/pharmacological perturbations on synaptic transmission and a novel interpretation of the cooperative nature of Ca(2+)-dependent release.

  17. Associative polymers bridging between layers of multilamellar vesicles.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Seo; Bhatia, Surita

    2006-03-01

    Multilamellar vesicles can be found in a variety of pharmaceutical formulations, personal care products, and home care products. Hydrophobically modified associative polymers are often used to stabilize the vesicles or to control the rheological properties of these formulations. The hydrophobic groups are expected to insert themselves into the vesicle bilayers. Recent experimental work shows that hydrophobically modified polymers may from bridges between vesicles or may bridge between layers of a single vesicle. The latter configuration forces an interlayer spacing roughly equal to the radius of gyration of the backbone between associative groups. We have performed simple mean-field calculations on ideal telechelic associative polymers between concentric spherical surfaces. We find that the free energy per chain has an attractive minimum when the layer spacing is approximately N^1/2l, which is consistent with experimental results. The depth of the minimum depends on both chain length and curvature, and as expected when the curvature becomes small, the result for telechelic chains between flat surfaces is recovered.

  18. Vesicle Pool Size at the Salamander Cone Ribbon Synapse

    PubMed Central

    Bartoletti, Theodore M.; Babai, Norbert

    2010-01-01

    Cone light responses are transmitted to postsynaptic neurons by changes in the rate of synaptic vesicle release. Vesicle pool size at the cone synapse constrains the amount of release and can thus shape contrast detection. We measured the number of vesicles in the rapidly releasable and reserve pools at cone ribbon synapses by performing simultaneous whole cell recording from cones and horizontal or off bipolar cells in the salamander retinal slice preparation. We found that properties of spontaneously occurring miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) are representative of mEPSCs evoked by depolarizing presynaptic stimulation. Strong, brief depolarization of the cone stimulated release of the entire rapidly releasable pool (RRP) of vesicles. Comparing charge transfer of the EPSC with mEPSC charge transfer, we determined that the fast component of the EPSC reflects release of ∼40 vesicles. Comparing EPSCs with simultaneous presynaptic capacitance measurements, we found that horizontal cell EPSCs constitute 14% of the total number of vesicles released from a cone terminal. Using a fluorescent ribeye-binding peptide, we counted ∼13 ribbons per cone. Together, these results suggest each cone contacts a single horizontal cell at ∼2 ribbons. The size of discrete components in the EPSC amplitude histogram also suggested ∼2 ribbon contacts per cell pair. We therefore conclude there are ∼20 vesicles per ribbon in the RRP, similar to the number of vesicles contacting the plasma membrane at the ribbon base. EPSCs evoked by lengthy depolarization suggest a reserve pool of ∼90 vesicles per ribbon, similar to the number of additional docking sites further up the ribbon. PMID:19923246

  19. Release of outer membrane vesicles from Bordetella pertussis.

    PubMed

    Hozbor, D; Rodriguez, M E; Fernández, J; Lagares, A; Guiso, N; Yantorno, O

    1999-05-01

    The aim of the study reported here was to investigate the production of Bordetella pertussis outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Numerous vesicles released from cells grown in Stainer-Scholte liquid medium were observed. The formation of similar vesicle-like structures could also be artificially induced by sonication of concentrated bacterial suspensions. Immunoblot analysis showed that OMVs contain adenylate cyclase-hemolysin (AC-Hly), among other polypeptides, as well as the lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Experiments carried out employing purified AC-Hly and OMVs isolated from B. pertussis AC-Hly- showed that AC-Hly is an integral component of the vesicles. OMVs reported here contain several protective immunogens and might be considered a possible basic material for the development of acellular pertussis vaccines.

  20. Plasma membrane aquaporins mediates vesicle stability in broccoli

    PubMed Central

    Martínez-Ballesta, Maria del Carmen; García-Gomez, Pablo; Yepes-Molina, Lucía; Guarnizo, Angel L.; Teruel, José A.

    2018-01-01

    The use of in vitro membrane vesicles is attractive because of possible applications in therapies. Here we aimed to compare the stability and functionality of plasma membrane vesicles extracted from control and salt-treated broccoli. The impact of the amount of aquaporins was related to plasma membrane osmotic water permeability and the stability of protein secondary structure. Here, we describe for first time an increase in plant aquaporins acetylation under high salinity. Higher osmotic water permeability in NaCl vesicles has been related to higher acetylation, upregulation of aquaporins, and a more stable environment to thermal denaturation. Based on our findings, we propose that aquaporins play an important role in vesicle stability. PMID:29420651

  1. Yeast Membrane Vesicles: Isolation and General Characteristics1

    PubMed Central

    Christensen, Michael S.; Cirillo, Vincent P.

    1972-01-01

    Yeast membrane vesicles are formed when packed yeast are ground manually in a porcelain mortar and pestle with glass beads (0.2 mm diameter). These vesicles can be separated from the other components of the grinding mixture by a combination of centrifugation steps and elution from a column of the same glass beads (0.2 mm diameter). Isolated vesicles are osmotically sensitive, contain cytoplasmic components, and have energy-independent transport function. They are unable to metabolize glucose, but have respiratory function which is thought to be associated with intravesicular mitochondria. Invertase and oligomycin-insensitive adenosine triphosphatase are present in lysed vesicle preparations, and the appropriateness of these enzyme activities as membrane markers is discussed. Images PMID:4337848

  2. Ultrastructural and functional fate of recycled vesicles in hippocampal synapses

    PubMed Central

    Rey, Stephanie A.; Smith, Catherine A.; Fowler, Milena W.; Crawford, Freya; Burden, Jemima J.; Staras, Kevin

    2015-01-01

    Efficient recycling of synaptic vesicles is thought to be critical for sustained information transfer at central terminals. However, the specific contribution that retrieved vesicles make to future transmission events remains unclear. Here we exploit fluorescence and time-stamped electron microscopy to track the functional and positional fate of vesicles endocytosed after readily releasable pool (RRP) stimulation in rat hippocampal synapses. We show that most vesicles are recovered near the active zone but subsequently take up random positions in the cluster, without preferential bias for future use. These vesicles non-selectively queue, advancing towards the release site with further stimulation in an actin-dependent manner. Nonetheless, the small subset of vesicles retrieved recently in the stimulus train persist nearer the active zone and exhibit more privileged use in the next RRP. Our findings reveal heterogeneity in vesicle fate based on nanoscale position and timing rules, providing new insights into the origins of future pool constitution. PMID:26292808

  3. Magnetic vesicles as MRI-trackable biogenic nanovectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andriola Silva, Amanda K.; Luciani, Nathalie; Gazeau, Florence; Wilhelm, Claire

    2012-03-01

    Magnetic labeling renders cells MRI-detectable which provides attractive solutions for tracking the fate of a transplanted cell population. Understanding the interplay of magnetic nanoparticles and cells is then an important point that should not be neglected. Here we show that in the condition of food starvation, macrophage cells emit vesicles containing nanoparticles. First, we inferred the intracellular iron oxide load from the magnetophoretic velocity of cells at a calibrated magnetic field gradient. After magnetic labeling and culture in stress conditions, the intracellular iron oxide load was once more determined and a detectable difference was observed before and after stress. Moreover, we identified in the stress conditioned medium membrane vesicle structures carrying magnetic particles. Besides pointing out the role of cell-derived vesicles in the sequestration of the intracellular magnetic label, experiments also demonstrated that vesicles were able to chaperone the magnetic cargo into naïve cells.

  4. CO2-filled vesicles in mid-ocean basalt

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moore, J.G.; Batchelder, J.N.; Cunningham, C.G.

    1977-01-01

    Volatile-filled vesicles are present in minor amounts in all samples of mid-ocean basalt yet collected (and presumably erupted) down to depths of 4.8 km. When such vesicles are pierced in liquid under standard conditions, the volume expansion of the gas is 0.2 ?? 0.05 times the eruption pressure in bars or 20 ?? 5 times the eruption depth in km. Such expansion could be used as a measure of eruption depth. A variety of techniques: (1) vacuum crushing and gas chromatographic, freezing separation, and mass spectrographic analyses; (2) measurements of phase changes on a freezing microscope stage; (3) microscopic chemical and solubility observations; and (4) volume change measurements, all indicate that CO2 comprises more than 95% by volume of the vesicle gas in several submarine basalt samples from the Atlantic and Pacific. The CO2 held in vesicles is present in quantities about equal to or greater than that presumed to be dissolved in the glass (melt) and amounts to 400-900 ppm of the rock. The rigid temperature of the glass is 800-1000??C and increases for shallower samples. A sulfur gas was originally present in subordinate amounts in the vesicles, but has largely reacted with iron in the vesicle walls to produce sulfide spherules. ?? 1977.

  5. Studies of vesicle distribution patterns in Hawaiian lavas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, George P. L.

    1987-01-01

    Basaltic lava flows are generally vesicular, and the broader facts relating to vesicle distribution have long been established; few studies have yet been made with a view to determining how and when vesicles form in the cooling history of the lava, explaining vesicle shape and size distribution, and gaining enough understanding to employ vesicles as a geological tool. Various avenues of approach exist by which one may seek to gain a better understanding of these ubiquitous structures and make a start towards developing a general theory, and three such avenues have recently been explored. One avenue involves the study of pipe vesicles; these are a well known feature of lava flows and are narrow pipes which occur near the base of many pahoehoe flow units. Another avenue of approach is that presented by the distinctive spongy pahoehoe facies of lava that is common in distal locations on Hawaiian volcanoes. A third avenue of approach is that of the study of gas blisters in lava. Gas blisters are voids, which can be as much as tens of meters wide, where the lava split along a vesicle-rich layer and the roof up-arched by gas pressure. These three avenues are briefly discussed.

  6. Measuring Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons.

    PubMed

    Villarreal, Seth; Lee, Sung Hoon; Wu, Ling-Gang

    2017-09-04

    During endocytosis, fused synaptic vesicles are retrieved at nerve terminals, allowing for vesicle recycling and thus the maintenance of synaptic transmission during repetitive nerve firing. Impaired endocytosis in pathological conditions leads to decreases in synaptic strength and brain functions. Here, we describe methods used to measure synaptic vesicle endocytosis at the mammalian hippocampal synapse in neuronal culture. We monitored synaptic vesicle protein endocytosis by fusing a synaptic vesicular membrane protein, including synaptophysin and VAMP2/synaptobrevin, at the vesicular lumenal side, with pHluorin, a pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein that increases its fluorescence intensity as the pH increases. During exocytosis, vesicular lumen pH increases, whereas during endocytosis vesicular lumen pH is re-acidified. Thus, an increase of pHluorin fluorescence intensity indicates fusion, whereas a decrease indicates endocytosis of the labelled synaptic vesicle protein. In addition to using the pHluorin imaging method to record endocytosis, we monitored vesicular membrane endocytosis by electron microscopy (EM) measurements of Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) uptake by vesicles. Finally, we monitored the formation of nerve terminal membrane pits at various times after high potassium-induced depolarization. The time course of HRP uptake and membrane pit formation indicates the time course of endocytosis.

  7. Active elastohydrodynamics of vesicles in narrow blind constrictions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fai, T. G.; Kusters, R.; Harting, J.; Rycroft, C. H.; Mahadevan, L.

    2017-11-01

    Fluid-resistance limited transport of vesicles through narrow constrictions is a recurring theme in many biological and engineering applications. Inspired by the motor-driven movement of soft membrane-bound vesicles into closed neuronal dendritic spines, here we study this problem using a combination of passive three-dimensional simulations and a simplified semianalytical theory for the active transport of vesicles forced through constrictions by molecular motors. We show that the motion of these objects is characterized by two dimensionless quantities related to the geometry and to the strength of forcing relative to the vesicle elasticity. We use numerical simulations to characterize the transit time for a vesicle forced by fluid pressure through a constriction in a channel and find that relative to an open channel, transport into a blind end leads to the formation of a smaller forward-flowing lubrication layer that strongly impedes motion. When the fluid pressure forcing is complemented by forces due to molecular motors that are responsible for vesicle trafficking into dendritic spines, we find that the competition between motor forcing and fluid drag results in multistable dynamics reminiscent of the real system. Our study highlights the role of nonlocal hydrodynamic effects in determining the kinetics of vesicular transport in constricted geometries.

  8. CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase binds anionic phospholipid vesicles in a cross-bridging mode.

    PubMed

    Taneva, Svetla G; Patty, Philipus J; Frisken, Barbara J; Cornell, Rosemary B

    2005-07-05

    CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis, and its activity is regulated by reversible association with membranes, mediated by an amphipathic helical domain M. Here we describe a new feature of the CCTalpha isoform, vesicle tethering. We show, using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, that dimers of CCTalpha can cross-bridge separate vesicles to promote vesicle aggregation. The vesicles contained either class I activators (anionic phospholipids) or the less potent class II activators, which favor nonlamellar phase formation. CCT increased the apparent hydrodynamic radius and polydispersity of anionic phospholipid vesicles even at low CCT concentrations corresponding to only one or two dimers per vesicle. Electron micrographs of negatively stained phosphatidylglycerol (PG) vesicles confirmed CCT-mediated vesicle aggregation. CCT conjugated to colloidal gold accumulated on the vesicle surfaces and in areas of vesicle-vesicle contact. PG vesicle aggregation required both the membrane-binding domain and the intact CCT dimer, suggesting binding of CCT to apposed membranes via the two M domains situated on opposite sides of the dimerization domain. In contrast to the effects on anionic phospholipid vesicles, CCT did not induce aggregation of PC vesicles containing the class II lipids, oleic acid, diacylglycerol, or phosphatidylethanolamine. The different behavior of the two lipid classes reflected differences in measured binding affinity, with only strongly binding phospholipid vesicles being susceptible to CCT-induced aggregation. Our findings suggest a new model for CCTalpha domain organization and membrane interaction, and a potential involvement of the enzyme in cellular events that implicate close apposition of membranes.

  9. Physical determinants of vesicle mobility and supply at a central synapse

    PubMed Central

    Rothman, Jason Seth; Kocsis, Laszlo; Herzog, Etienne; Nusser, Zoltan; Silver, Robin Angus

    2016-01-01

    Encoding continuous sensory variables requires sustained synaptic signalling. At several sensory synapses, rapid vesicle supply is achieved via highly mobile vesicles and specialized ribbon structures, but how this is achieved at central synapses without ribbons is unclear. Here we examine vesicle mobility at excitatory cerebellar mossy fibre synapses which sustain transmission over a broad frequency bandwidth. Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching in slices from VGLUT1Venus knock-in mice reveal 75% of VGLUT1-containing vesicles have a high mobility, comparable to that at ribbon synapses. Experimentally constrained models establish hydrodynamic interactions and vesicle collisions are major determinants of vesicle mobility in crowded presynaptic terminals. Moreover, models incorporating 3D reconstructions of vesicle clouds near active zones (AZs) predict the measured releasable pool size and replenishment rate from the reserve pool. They also show that while vesicle reloading at AZs is not diffusion-limited at the onset of release, diffusion limits vesicle reloading during sustained high-frequency signalling. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15133.001 PMID:27542193

  10. Controlling Two-dimensional Tethered Vesicle Motion Using an Electric Field

    PubMed Central

    Yoshina-Ishii, Chiaki; Boxer, Steven G.

    2008-01-01

    We recently introduced methods to tether phospholipid vesicles or proteoliposomes onto a fluid supported lipid bilayer using DNA hybridization. These intact tethered vesicles diffuse in two dimensions parallel to the supporting membrane surface. In this paper, we report the dynamic response of individual tethered vesicles to an electric field applied parallel to the bilayer surface. Vesicles respond to the field by moving in the direction of electro-osmotic flow, and this can be used to reversibly concentrate tethered vesicles against a barrier. By adding increasing amounts of negatively charged phosphatidylserine to the supporting bilayer to increase electro-osmosis, the electrophoretic mobility of the tethered vesicles can be increased. The electro-osmotic contribution can be modeled well by a sphere connected to a cylindrical anchor in a viscous membrane with charged head groups. The electrophoretic force on the negatively charged tethered vesicles opposes the electro-osmotic force. By increasing the amount of negative charge on the tethered vesicle, drift in the direction of electro-osmotic flow can be slowed; at high negative charge on the tethered vesicle, motion can be forced in the direction of electrophoresis. The balance between these forces can be visualized on a patterned supporting bilayer containing negatively charged lipids which themselves reorganize in an externally applied electric field to create a gradient of charge within a corralled region. The charge gradient at the surface creates a gradient of electro-osmotic flow, and vesicles carrying similar amounts of negative charge can be focused to a region perpendicular to the applied field where electrophoresis is balanced by electro-osmosis, away from the corral boundary. Electric fields are effective tools to direct tethered vesicles, concentrate them and to measure the tethered vesicle’s electrostatic properties. PMID:16489833

  11. Feruloyl Dioleoyglycerol Antioxidant Capacity in Phospholipid Vesicles

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Ferulic acid and its esters are known to be effective antioxidants. Feruloyl dioleoylglycerol was assessed for its ability to serve as an antioxidant in model membrane phospholipid vesicles. The molecule was incorporated into single-lamellar vesicles of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine at ...

  12. Molecular genetic and physical analysis of gas vesicles in buoyant enterobacteria

    PubMed Central

    Tashiro, Yosuke; Monson, Rita E.; Ramsay, Joshua P.

    2016-01-01

    Summary Different modes of bacterial taxis play important roles in environmental adaptation, survival, colonization and dissemination of disease. One mode of taxis is flotation due to the production of gas vesicles. Gas vesicles are proteinaceous intracellular organelles, permeable only to gas, that enable flotation in aquatic niches. Gene clusters for gas vesicle biosynthesis are partially conserved in various archaea, cyanobacteria, and some proteobacteria, such as the enterobacterium, S erratia sp. ATCC 39006 (S39006). Here we present the first systematic analysis of the genes required to produce gas vesicles in S39006, identifying how this differs from the archaeon H alobacterium salinarum. We define 11 proteins essential for gas vesicle production. Mutation of gvpN or gvpV produced small bicone gas vesicles, suggesting that the cognate proteins are involved in the morphogenetic assembly pathway from bicones to mature cylindrical forms. Using volumetric compression, gas vesicles were shown to comprise 17% of S39006 cells, whereas in E scherichia coli heterologously expressing the gas vesicle cluster in a deregulated environment, gas vesicles can occupy around half of cellular volume. Gas vesicle production in S39006 and E . coli was exploited to calculate the instantaneous turgor pressure within cultured bacterial cells; the first time this has been performed in either strain. PMID:26743231

  13. Neratinib induces ErbB2 ubiquitylation and endocytic degradation via HSP90 dissociation in breast cancer cells.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yingqiu; Zhang, Jinrui; Liu, Congcong; Du, Sha; Feng, Lu; Luan, Xuelin; Zhang, Yayun; Shi, Yulin; Wang, Taishu; Wu, Yue; Cheng, Wei; Meng, Songshu; Li, Man; Liu, Han

    2016-11-28

    Receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB2/HER2 is frequently observed to be overexpressed in human cancers, leading to over activation of downstream signaling modules. HER2 positive is a major type of breast cancer for which ErbB2 targeting is already proving to be an effective therapeutic strategy. Apart from antibodies against ErbB2, the small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib has had successful clinical outcomes, and other inhibitors such as neratinib are currently undergoing clinical investigations. In this study we report the effects of lapatinib and neratinib on the mRNA and protein levels of the ErbB2 receptor. We provide evidence that neratinib-induced down regulation of ErbB2 occurs through ubiquitin-mediated endocytic sorting and lysosomal degradation. At the mechanistic level, neratinib treatment leads to HSP90 release from ErbB2 and its subsequent ubiquitylation and endocytic degradation. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanism of ErbB2 inhibition by neratinib. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Entry of Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicles into epithelial cells causes cellular functional impairment.

    PubMed

    Furuta, Nobumichi; Takeuchi, Hiroki; Amano, Atsuo

    2009-11-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen, secretes outer membrane vesicles (MVs) that contain major virulence factors, including proteases termed gingipains (Arg-gingipain [Rgp] and Lys-gingipain [Kgp]). We recently showed that P. gingivalis MVs swiftly enter host epithelial cells via an endocytosis pathway and are finally sorted to lytic compartments. However, it remains unknown whether MV entry impairs cellular function. Herein, we analyzed cellular functional impairment following entry of P. gingivalis into epithelial cells, including HeLa and immortalized human gingival epithelial (IHGE) cells. After being taken up by endocytic vacuoles, MVs degraded the cellular transferrin receptor (TfR) and integrin-related signaling molecules, such as paxillin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which resulted in depletion of intracellular transferrin and inhibition of cellular migration. Few Rgp-null MVs entered the cells, and these negligibly degraded TfR, whereas paxillin and FAK degradation was significant. In contrast, Kgp-null MVs clearly entered the cells and degraded TfR, while they scarcely degraded paxillin and FAK. In addition, both wild-type and Kgp-null MVs significantly impaired cellular migration, whereas the effect of Rgp-null MVs was limited. Our findings suggest that, following entry of P. gingivalis MVs into host cells, MV-associated gingipains degrade cellular functional molecules such as TfR and paxillin/FAK, resulting in cellular impairment, indicating that P. gingivalis MVs are potent vehicles for transmission of virulence factors into host cells and are involved in the etiology of periodontitis.

  15. Entry of Porphyromonas gingivalis Outer Membrane Vesicles into Epithelial Cells Causes Cellular Functional Impairment▿

    PubMed Central

    Furuta, Nobumichi; Takeuchi, Hiroki; Amano, Atsuo

    2009-01-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen, secretes outer membrane vesicles (MVs) that contain major virulence factors, including proteases termed gingipains (Arg-gingipain [Rgp] and Lys-gingipain [Kgp]). We recently showed that P. gingivalis MVs swiftly enter host epithelial cells via an endocytosis pathway and are finally sorted to lytic compartments. However, it remains unknown whether MV entry impairs cellular function. Herein, we analyzed cellular functional impairment following entry of P. gingivalis into epithelial cells, including HeLa and immortalized human gingival epithelial (IHGE) cells. After being taken up by endocytic vacuoles, MVs degraded the cellular transferrin receptor (TfR) and integrin-related signaling molecules, such as paxillin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which resulted in depletion of intracellular transferrin and inhibition of cellular migration. Few Rgp-null MVs entered the cells, and these negligibly degraded TfR, whereas paxillin and FAK degradation was significant. In contrast, Kgp-null MVs clearly entered the cells and degraded TfR, while they scarcely degraded paxillin and FAK. In addition, both wild-type and Kgp-null MVs significantly impaired cellular migration, whereas the effect of Rgp-null MVs was limited. Our findings suggest that, following entry of P. gingivalis MVs into host cells, MV-associated gingipains degrade cellular functional molecules such as TfR and paxillin/FAK, resulting in cellular impairment, indicating that P. gingivalis MVs are potent vehicles for transmission of virulence factors into host cells and are involved in the etiology of periodontitis. PMID:19737899

  16. Fast and ultrafast endocytosis.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Shigeki; Boucrot, Emmanuel

    2017-08-01

    Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is the main endocytic pathway supporting housekeeping functions in cells. However, CME may be too slow to internalize proteins from the cell surface during certain physiological processes such as reaction to stress hormones ('fight-or-flight' reaction), chemotaxis or compensatory endocytosis following exocytosis of synaptic vesicles or hormone-containing vesicles. These processes take place on a millisecond to second timescale and thus require very rapid cellular reaction to prevent overstimulation or exhaustion of the response. There are several fast endocytic processes identified so far: macropinocytosis, activity-dependent bulk endocytosis (ABDE), fast-endophilin-mediated endocytosis (FEME), kiss-and-run and ultrafast endocytosis. All are clathrin-independent and are not constitutively active but may use different molecular mechanisms to rapidly remove receptors and proteins from the cell surface. Here, we review our current understanding of fast and ultrafast endocytosis, their functions, and molecular mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Monensin inhibits intracellular dissociation of asialoglycoproteins from their receptor

    PubMed Central

    1983-01-01

    Treatment of short-term monolayer cultures of rat hepatocytes with the proton ionophore, monensin, abolishes asialoglycoprotein degradation, despite little effect of the drug on either surface binding of ligand or internalization of prebound ligand. Centrifuging cell homogenates on Percoll density gradients indicates that, as a result of monensin treatment, ligand does not enter lysosomes but sediments instead in a lower density subcellular fraction that is likely an endocytic vesicle. Analyzing the degree of receptor association of intracellular ligand revealed that monensin prevents the dissociation of the receptor-ligand complex that normally occurs subsequent to endocytosis. The weak base, chloroquine, also blocks this intracellular dissociation. Evidence from sequential substitution experiments is presented, indicating that monensin and chloroquine act at the same point in the sequence of events leading to ligand dissociation. These data are discussed in terms of a pH-mediated dissociation of the receptor-ligand complex within a prelysosomal endocytic vesicle. PMID:6304116

  18. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles launches the first massive open online course on extracellular vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Lässer, Cecilia; Théry, Clotilde; Buzás, Edit I.; Mathivanan, Suresh; Zhao, Weian; Gho, Yong Song; Lötvall, Jan

    2016-01-01

    The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) has organised its first educational online course for students and beginners in the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs). This course, “Basics of Extracellular Vesicles,” uses recorded lectures from experts in the field and will be open for an unlimited number of participants. The course is divided into 5 modules and can be accessed at www.coursera.org/learn/extracellular-vesicles. The first module is an introduction to the field covering the nomenclature and history of EVs. Module 2 focuses on the biogenesis and uptake mechanisms of EVs, as well as their RNA, protein and lipid cargo. Module 3 covers the collection and processing of cell culture media and body fluids such as blood, breast milk, cerebrospinal fluid and urine prior to isolation of EVs. Modules 4 and 5 present different isolation methods and characterisation techniques utilised in the EV field. Here, differential ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion chromatography, density gradient centrifugation, kit-based precipitation, electron microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, flow cytometry, atomic-force microscopy and nanoparticle-tracking analysis are covered. This first massive open online course (MOOC) on EVs was launched on 15 August 2016 at the platform “Coursera” and is free of charge. PMID:27989272

  19. ABC triblock copolymer vesicles with mesh-like morphology.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Wei; Chen, Dian; Hu, Yunxia; Grason, Gregory M; Russell, Thomas P

    2011-01-25

    Polymer vesicles made from poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine) (PI-b-PS-b-P2VP) triblock copolymer confined within the nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane are studied. It was found that these vesicles have well-defined, nanoscopic size, and complex microphase-separated hydrophobic membranes, comprised of the PS and PI blocks, while the coronas are formed by the P2VP block. Vesicle formation was tracked using both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A mesh-like morphology formed in the membrane at a well-defined composition of the three blocks that can be tuned by changing the copolymer composition. The nanoscale confinement, copolymer composition, and subtle molecular interactions contribute to the generation of these vesicles with such unusual morphologies.

  20. Sizing and phenotyping of cellular vesicles using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Dragovic, Rebecca A.; Gardiner, Christopher; Brooks, Alexandra S.; Tannetta, Dionne S.; Ferguson, David J.P.; Hole, Patrick; Carr, Bob; Redman, Christopher W.G.; Harris, Adrian L.; Dobson, Peter J.; Harrison, Paul; Sargent, Ian L.

    2011-01-01

    Cellular microvesicles and nanovesicles (exosomes) are involved in many disease processes and have major potential as biomarkers. However, developments in this area are constrained by limitations in the technology available for their measurement. Here we report on the use of fluorescence nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) to rapidly size and phenotype cellular vesicles. In this system vesicles are visualized by light scattering using a light microscope. A video is taken, and the NTA software tracks the brownian motion of individual vesicles and calculates their size and total concentration. Using human placental vesicles and plasma, we have demonstrated that NTA can measure cellular vesicles as small as ∼50 nm and is far more sensitive than conventional flow cytometry (lower limit ∼300 nm). By combining NTA with fluorescence measurement we have demonstrated that vesicles can be labeled with specific antibody-conjugated quantum dots, allowing their phenotype to be determined. From the Clinical Editor The authors of this study utilized fluorescence nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) to rapidly size and phenotype cellular vesicles, demonstrating that NTA is far more sensitive than conventional flow cytometry. PMID:21601655

  1. Additive effects on the energy barrier for synaptic vesicle fusion cause supralinear effects on the vesicle fusion rate

    PubMed Central

    Schotten, Sebastiaan; Meijer, Marieke; Walter, Alexander Matthias; Huson, Vincent; Mamer, Lauren; Kalogreades, Lawrence; ter Veer, Mirelle; Ruiter, Marvin; Brose, Nils; Rosenmund, Christian

    2015-01-01

    The energy required to fuse synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane (‘activation energy’) is considered a major determinant in synaptic efficacy. From reaction rate theory, we predict that a class of modulations exists, which utilize linear modulation of the energy barrier for fusion to achieve supralinear effects on the fusion rate. To test this prediction experimentally, we developed a method to assess the number of releasable vesicles, rate constants for vesicle priming, unpriming, and fusion, and the activation energy for fusion by fitting a vesicle state model to synaptic responses induced by hypertonic solutions. We show that complexinI/II deficiency or phorbol ester stimulation indeed affects responses to hypertonic solution in a supralinear manner. An additive vs multiplicative relationship between activation energy and fusion rate provides a novel explanation for previously observed non-linear effects of genetic/pharmacological perturbations on synaptic transmission and a novel interpretation of the cooperative nature of Ca2+-dependent release. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05531.001 PMID:25871846

  2. Commercial cow milk contains physically stable extracellular vesicles expressing immunoregulatory TGF-β.

    PubMed

    Pieters, Bartijn C H; Arntz, Onno J; Bennink, Miranda B; Broeren, Mathijs G A; van Caam, Arjan P M; Koenders, Marije I; van Lent, Peter L E M; van den Berg, Wim B; de Vries, Marieke; van der Kraan, Peter M; van de Loo, Fons A J

    2015-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, have been identified in all biological fluids and rediscovered as an important part of the intercellular communication. Breast milk also contains extracellular vesicles and the proposed biological function is to enhance the antimicrobial defense in newborns. It is, however, unknown whether extracellular vesicles are still present in commercial milk and, more importantly, whether they retained their bioactivity. Here, we characterize the extracellular vesicles present in semi-skimmed cow milk available for consumers and study their effect on T cells. Extracellular vesicles from commercial milk were isolated and characterized. Milk-derived extracellular vesicles contained several immunomodulating miRNAs and membrane protein CD63, characteristics of exosomes. In contrast to RAW 267.4 derived extracellular vesicles the milk-derived extracellular vesicles were extremely stable under degrading conditions, including low pH, boiling and freezing. Milk-derived extracellular vesicles were easily taken up by murine macrophages in vitro. Furthermore, we found that they can facilitate T cell differentiation towards the pathogenic Th17 lineage. Using a (CAGA)12-luc reporter assay we showed that these extracellular vesicles carried bioactive TGF-β, and that anti-TGF-β antibodies blocked Th17 differentiation. Our findings show that commercial milk contains stable extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, and carry immunoregulatory cargo. These data suggest that the extracellular vesicles present in commercial cow milk remains intact in the gastrointestinal tract and exert an immunoregulatory effect.

  3. Differential effects of BDNF and neurotrophin 4 (NT4) on endocytic sorting of TrkB receptors.

    PubMed

    Proenca, Catia C; Song, Minseok; Lee, Francis S

    2016-08-01

    Neurotrophins are a family of growth factors playing key roles in the survival, development, and function of neurons. The neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and NT4 both bind to and activate TrkB receptors, however, they mediate distinct neuronal functions. The molecular mechanism of how TrkB activation by BDNF and NT4 leads to diverse outcomes is unknown. Here, we report that BDNF and NT4 lead to differential endocytic sorting of TrkB receptors resulting in diverse biological functions in cultured cortical neurons. Fluorescent microscopy and surface biotinylation experiments showed that both neurotrophins stimulate internalization of TrkB with similar kinetics. Exposure to BDNF for 2-3 h reduced the surface pool of TrkB receptors to half, whereas a longer treatment (4-5 h) with NT4 was necessary to achieve a similar level of down-regulation. Although BDNF and NT4 induced TrkB phosphorylation with similar intensities, BDNF induced more rapid ubiquitination and degradation of TrkB than NT4. Interestingly, TrkB receptor ubiquitination by these ligands have substantially different pH sensitivities, resulting in varying degrees of receptor ubiquitination at lower pH levels. Consequently, NT4 was capable of maintaining longer sustained downstream signaling activation that correlated with reduced TrkB ubiquitination at endosomal pH. Thus, by leading to altered endocytic trafficking itineraries for TrkB receptors, BDNF and NT4 elicit differential TrkB signaling in terms of duration, intensity, and specificity, which may contribute to their functional differences in vivo. The neurotrophins, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4 (NT4), both bind to and activate TrkB receptors, however, they mediate distinct neuronal functions. Here, we propose that BDNF and NT4 lead to differential endocytic sorting of TrkB receptors resulting in diverse biological functions. BDNF induces more rapid ubiquitination and degradation of TrkB than NT4

  4. Phosphorylation of Synaptojanin Differentially Regulates Endocytosis of Functionally Distinct Synaptic Vesicle Pools

    PubMed Central

    Geng, Junhua; Wang, Liping; Lee, Joo Yeun; Chen, Chun-Kan

    2016-01-01

    The rapid replenishment of synaptic vesicles through endocytosis is crucial for sustaining synaptic transmission during intense neuronal activity. Synaptojanin (Synj), a phosphoinositide phosphatase, is known to play an important role in vesicle recycling by promoting the uncoating of clathrin following synaptic vesicle uptake. Synj has been shown to be a substrate of the minibrain (Mnb) kinase, a fly homolog of the dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A); however, the functional impacts of Synj phosphorylation by Mnb are not well understood. Here we identify that Mnb phosphorylates Synj at S1029 in Drosophila. We find that phosphorylation of Synj at S1029 enhances Synj phosphatase activity, alters interaction between Synj and endophilin, and promotes efficient endocytosis of the active cycling vesicle pool (also referred to as exo-endo cycling pool) at the expense of reserve pool vesicle endocytosis. Dephosphorylated Synj, on the other hand, is deficient in the endocytosis of the active recycling pool vesicles but maintains reserve pool vesicle endocytosis to restore total vesicle pool size and sustain synaptic transmission. Together, our findings reveal a novel role for Synj in modulating reserve pool vesicle endocytosis and further indicate that dynamic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of Synj differentially maintain endocytosis of distinct functional synaptic vesicle pools. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Synaptic vesicle endocytosis sustains communication between neurons during a wide range of neuronal activities by recycling used vesicle membrane and protein components. Here we identify that Synaptojanin, a protein with a known role in synaptic vesicle endocytosis, is phosphorylated at S1029 in vivo by the Minibrain kinase. We further demonstrate that the phosphorylation status of Synaptojanin at S1029 differentially regulates its participation in the recycling of distinct synaptic vesicle pools. Our results reveal a new role for

  5. Combining endocytic and freezing-induced trehalose uptake for cryopreservation of mammalian cells.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Miao; Oldenhof, Harriëtte; Sieme, Harald; Wolkers, Willem F

    2017-01-01

    Fibroblasts take up trehalose during freezing and thawing, which facilitates cryosurvival of the cells. The aim of this study was to investigate if trehalose uptake via fluid-phase endocytosis prefreeze increases cryosurvival. To determine endocytic trehalose uptake in attached as well as suspended fibroblasts, intracellular trehalose concentrations were determined during incubation at 37°C using an enzymatically based trehalose assay. In addition, freezing-induced trehalose uptake of extracellularly added trehalose was determined. Cryosurvival rates were determined via trypan blue staining. Intracellular trehalose contents of attached as well as suspended cells were found to increase linearly with time, consistent with fluid-phase endocytosis. Furthermore, the intracellular trehalose concentration increased with increasing extracellular trehalose concentration (0-100 mM) in a linear fashion. Prefreeze loading of cells with trehalose via fluid-phase endocytosis only showed increased cryosurvival rates at extracellular trehalose concentrations lower than 50 mM in the cryopreservation medium. To obtain satisfactory cryosurvival rates after endocytic preloading, extracellular trehalose is needed to prevent efflux of trehalose during freezing and thawing and for freezing-induced trehalose uptake. At trehalose concentrations greater than 100 mM, cryosurvival rates were similar or slightly higher if cells were not loaded with trehalose prefreeze. Cells that were grown in the presence of trehalose showed a tendency to aggregate after harvesting. It is concluded that it is particularly freezing-induced trehalose uptake that facilitates cryosurvival when trehalose is used as the sole cryoprotectant for cryopreservation of fibroblasts. Preloading with trehalose does not increase cryosurvival rates if trehalose is also added as extracellular protectant. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:229-230, 2017. © 2016 American Institute of

  6. Regulated Production of Mineralization-competent Matrix Vesicles in Hypertrophic Chondrocytes

    PubMed Central

    Kirsch, Thorsten; Nah, Hyun-Duck; Shapiro, Irving M.; Pacifici, Maurizio

    1997-01-01

    Matrix vesicles have a critical role in the initiation of mineral deposition in skeletal tissues, but the ways in which they exert this key function remain poorly understood. This issue is made even more intriguing by the fact that matrix vesicles are also present in nonmineralizing tissues. Thus, we tested the novel hypothesis that matrix vesicles produced and released by mineralizing cells are structurally and functionally different from those released by nonmineralizing cells. To test this hypothesis, we made use of cultures of chick embryonic hypertrophic chondrocytes in which mineralization was triggered by treatment with vitamin C and phosphate. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that both control nonmineralizing and vitamin C/phosphatetreated mineralizing chondrocytes produced and released matrix vesicles that exhibited similar round shape, smooth contour, and average size. However, unlike control vesicles, those produced by mineralizing chondrocytes had very strong alkaline phosphatase activity and contained annexin V, a membrane-associated protein known to mediate Ca2+ influx into matrix vesicles. Strikingly, these vesicles also formed numerous apatite-like crystals upon incubation with synthetic cartilage lymph, while control vesicles failed to do so. Northern blot and immunohistochemical analyses showed that the production and release of annexin V-rich matrix vesicles by mineralizing chondrocytes were accompanied by a marked increase in annexin V expression and, interestingly, were followed by increased expression of type I collagen. Studies on embryonic cartilages demonstrated a similar sequence of phenotypic changes during the mineralization process in vivo. Thus, chondrocytes located in the hypertrophic zone of chick embryo tibial growth plate were characterized by strong annexin V expression, and those located at the chondro–osseous mineralizing border exhibited expression of both annexin V and type I collagen. These findings reveal that

  7. Cell-sized asymmetric lipid vesicles facilitate the investigation of asymmetric membranes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamiya, Koki; Kawano, Ryuji; Osaki, Toshihisa; Akiyoshi, Kazunari; Takeuchi, Shoji

    2016-09-01

    Asymmetric lipid giant vesicles have been used to model the biochemical reactions in cell membranes. However, methods for producing asymmetric giant vesicles lead to the inclusion of an organic solvent layer that affects the mechanical and physical characteristics of the membrane. Here we describe the formation of asymmetric giant vesicles that include little organic solvent, and use them to investigate the dynamic responses of lipid molecules in the vesicle membrane. We formed the giant vesicles via the inhomogeneous break-up of a lipid microtube generated by applying a jet flow to an asymmetric planar lipid bilayer. The asymmetric giant vesicles showed a lipid flip-flop behaviour in the membrane, superficially similar to the lipid flip-flop activity observed in apoptotic cells. In vitro synthesis of membrane proteins into the asymmetric giant vesicles revealed that the lipid asymmetry in bilayer membranes improves the reconstitution ratio of membrane proteins. Our asymmetric giant vesicles will be useful in elucidating lipid-lipid and lipid-membrane protein interactions involved in the regulation of cellular functions.

  8. Frequency-dependent electrodeformation of giant phospholipid vesicles in AC electric field

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    A model of vesicle electrodeformation is described which obtains a parametrized vesicle shape by minimizing the sum of the membrane bending energy and the energy due to the electric field. Both the vesicle membrane and the aqueous media inside and outside the vesicle are treated as leaky dielectrics, and the vesicle itself is modeled as a nearly spherical shape enclosed within a thin membrane. It is demonstrated (a) that the model achieves a good quantitative agreement with the experimentally determined prolate-to-oblate transition frequencies in the kilohertz range and (b) that the model can explain a phase diagram of shapes of giant phospholipid vesicles with respect to two parameters: the frequency of the applied alternating current electric field and the ratio of the electrical conductivities of the aqueous media inside and outside the vesicle, explored in a recent paper (S. Aranda et al., Biophys J 95:L19–L21, 2008). A possible use of the frequency-dependent shape transitions of phospholipid vesicles in conductometry of microliter samples is discussed. PMID:21886342

  9. Neuronal Depolarization Drives Increased Dopamine Synaptic Vesicle Loading via VGLUT

    PubMed Central

    Aguilar, Jenny I.; Dunn, Matthew; Mingote, Susana; Karam, Caline S.; Farino, Zachary J.; Sonders, Mark S.; Choi, Se Joon; Grygoruk, Anna; Zhang, Yuchao; Cela, Carolina; Choi, Ben Jiwon; Flores, Jorge; Freyberg, Robin J.; McCabe, Brian D.; Mosharov, Eugene V.; Krantz, David E.; Javitch, Jonathan A.; Sulzer, David; Sames, Dalibor; Rayport, Stephen; Freyberg, Zachary

    2017-01-01

    SUMMARY The ability of presynaptic dopamine terminals to tune neurotransmitter release to meet the demands of neuronal activity is critical to neurotransmission. Although vesicle content has been assumed to be static, in vitro data increasingly suggest that cell activity modulates vesicle content. Here, we use a coordinated genetic, pharmacological, and imaging approach in Drosophila to study the presynaptic machinery responsible for these vesicular processes in vivo. We show that cell depolarization increases synaptic vesicle dopamine content prior to release via vesicular hyperacidification. This depolarization-induced hyperacidification is mediated by the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT). Remarkably, both depolarization-induced dopamine vesicle hyperacidification and its dependence on VGLUT2 are seen in ventral midbrain dopamine neurons in the mouse. Together, these data suggest that in response to depolarization, dopamine vesicles utilize a cascade of vesicular transporters to dynamically increase the vesicular pH gradient, thereby increasing dopamine vesicle content. PMID:28823729

  10. Activation of calcineurin by phosphotidylserine containing vesicles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Politino, M.; King, M.M.

    1986-05-01

    Calcineurin (CaN) is a Ca/sup 2 +/- and calmodulin-regulated phosphatase. Recent findings suggested an association of CaN with biological membranes and prompted the present investigation into the interactions of the phosphatase with phospholipids in vitro. In the absence of calmodulin, sonicated preparations of phosphatidylserine (PS) provided a five-fold activation of the Ni- and Mn-supported activities of CaN towards (/sup 32/P) histone Hl; activation in the presence of calmodulin was much less pronounced. Half-maximal activation in the absence of calmodulin required approximately 0.1 mg/ml of PS. Activation of CaN was also observed with mixed vesicles of phosphatidylcholine (PC) containing 20% PSmore » but not with PC alone, or with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Molecular sieve chromatography on Ultrogel AcA 34 provided further evidence that CaN associates with phospholipid vesicles composed of PS, or PC containing 20% PS, but not with vesicles of PC or PE. Complete association with medium sized vesicles of PS and PC/PS required Ca/sup 2 +/ ions; in the absence of the metal ion at least 60% of the enzyme failed to interact with the lipids while the remainder preferentially migrated with larger vesicles. These results suggest a role for Ca/sup 2 +/ in regulating CaN's interaction with phospholipids.« less

  11. Isolation and characterization of urinary extracellular vesicles: implications for biomarker discovery.

    PubMed

    Merchant, Michael L; Rood, Ilse M; Deegens, Jeroen K J; Klein, Jon B

    2017-12-01

    Urine is a valuable diagnostic medium and, with the discovery of urinary extracellular vesicles, is viewed as a dynamic bioactive fluid. Extracellular vesicles are lipid-enclosed structures that can be classified into three categories: exosomes, microvesicles (or ectosomes) and apoptotic bodies. This classification is based on the mechanisms by which membrane vesicles are formed: fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasma membranes (exosomes), budding of vesicles directly from the plasma membrane (microvesicles) or those shed from dying cells (apoptotic bodies). During their formation, urinary extracellular vesicles incorporate various cell-specific components (proteins, lipids and nucleic acids) that can be transferred to target cells. The rigour needed for comparative studies has fueled the search for optimal approaches for their isolation, purification, and characterization. RNA, the newest extracellular vesicle component to be discovered, has received substantial attention as an extracellular vesicle therapeutic, and compelling evidence suggests that ex vivo manipulation of microRNA composition may have uses in the treatment of kidney disorders. The results of these studies are building the case that urinary extracellular vesicles act as mediators of renal pathophysiology. As the field of extracellular vesicle studies is burgeoning, this Review focuses on primary data obtained from studies of human urine rather than on data from studies of laboratory animals or cultured immortalized cells.

  12. The pollen-specific R-SNARE/longin PiVAMP726 mediates fusion of endo- and exocytic compartments in pollen tube tip growth

    PubMed Central

    Guo, Feng; McCubbin, Andrew G.

    2012-01-01

    The growing pollen tube apex is dedicated to balancing exo- and endocytic processes to form a rapidly extending tube. As perturbation of either tends to cause a morphological phenotype, this system provides tractable model for studying these processes. Vesicle-associated membrane protein 7s (VAMP7s) are members of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) family that mediate cognate membrane fusion but their role in pollen tube growth has not been investigated. This manuscript identifies PiVAMP726 of Petunia inflata as a pollen-specific VAMP7 that localizes to the inverted cone of transport vesicles at the pollen tube tip. The endocytic marker FM4-64 was found to colocalize with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-PiVAMP726, which is consistent with PiVAMP726 containing an amino-acid motif implicated in endosomal localization, At high overexpression levels, YFP- PiVAMP726 inhibited growth and caused the formation of novel membrane compartments within the pollen tube tip. Functional dissection of PiVAMP726 implicated the N-terminal longin domain in negative regulation of the SNARE activity, but not localization of PiVAMP726. Expression of the constitutively active C-terminal SNARE domain alone, in pollen tubes, generated similar phenotypes to the full-length protein, but the truncated domain was more potent than the wild-type protein at both inhibiting growth and forming the novel membrane compartments. Both endo- and exocytic markers localized to these compartments in addition to YFP-PiVAMP726, leading to the speculation that PiVAMP726 might be involved in the recycling of endocytic vesicles in tip growth. PMID:22345643

  13. Prominin-1-containing membrane vesicles: origins, formation, and utility.

    PubMed

    Marzesco, Anne-Marie

    2013-01-01

    The stem cell antigen prominin-1 (CD133) is associated with two major types (small and large) of extracellular membrane vesicles in addition to its selective concentration in various kinds of plasma membrane protrusion. During development of the mammalian central nervous system, differentiating neuroepithelial stem cells release these vesicles into the embryonic cerebrospinal fluid. In glioblastoma patients, an increase of such vesicles, particularly the smaller ones, have been also observed in cerebrospinal fluid. Similarly, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells release small ones concomitantly with their differentiation. Although the functional significance of these prominin-1-containing membrane vesicles is poorly understood, a link between differentiation of stem (and cancer stem) cells and their release is emerging. In this chapter, I will summarize our knowledge about prominin-1-containing membrane vesicles including a potential role in cell-cell communication and highlight their prospective value as a new biomarker for tumorigenesis diagnostics.

  14. EGF receptor lysosomal degradation is delayed in the cells stimulated with EGF-Quantum dot bioconjugate but earlier key events of endocytic degradative pathway are similar to that of native EGF

    PubMed Central

    Leontieva, Ekaterina A.; Kornilova, Elena S.

    2017-01-01

    Quantum dots (QDs) complexed to ligands recognizing surface receptors undergoing internalization are an attractive tool for live cell imaging of ligand-receptor complexes behavior and for specific tracking of the cells of interest. However, conjugation of quasi-multivalent large QD-particle to monovalent small growth factors like EGF that bound their tyrosine-kinase receptors may affect key endocytic events tightly bound to signaling. Here, by means of confocal microscopy we have addressed the key endocytic events of lysosomal degradative pathway stimulated by native EGF or EGF-QD bioconjugate. We have demonstrated that the decrease in endosome number, increase in mean endosome integrated density and the pattern of EEA1 co-localization with EGF-EGFR complexes at early stages of endocytosis were similar for the both native and QD-conjugated ligands. In both cases enlarged hollow endosomes appeared after wortmannin treatment. This indicates that early endosomal fusions and their maturation proceed similar for both ligands. EGF-QD and native EGF similarly accumulated in juxtanuclear region, and live cell imaging of endosome motion revealed the behavior described elsewhere for microtubule-facilitated motility. Finally, EGF-QD and the receptor were found in lysosomes. However, degradation of receptor part of QD-EGF-EGFR-complex was delayed compared to native EGF, but not inhibited, while QDs fluorescence was detected in lysosomes even after 24 hours. Importantly, in HeLa and A549 cells the both ligands behaved similarly. We conclude that during endocytosis EGF-QD behaves as a neutral marker for degradative pathway up to lysosomal stage and can also be used as a long-term cell marker. PMID:28574831

  15. Compartmentalization and Transport in Synthetic Vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Schmitt, Christine; Lippert, Anna H.; Bonakdar, Navid; Sandoghdar, Vahid; Voll, Lars M.

    2016-01-01

    Nanoscale vesicles have become a popular tool in life sciences. Besides liposomes that are generated from phospholipids of natural origin, polymersomes fabricated of synthetic block copolymers enjoy increasing popularity, as they represent more versatile membrane building blocks that can be selected based on their specific physicochemical properties, such as permeability, stability, or chemical reactivity. In this review, we focus on the application of simple and nested artificial vesicles in synthetic biology. First, we provide an introduction into the utilization of multicompartmented vesosomes as compartmentalized nanoscale bioreactors. In the bottom-up development of protocells from vesicular nanoreactors, the specific exchange of pathway intermediates across compartment boundaries represents a bottleneck for future studies. To date, most compartmented bioreactors rely on unspecific exchange of substrates and products. This is either based on changes in permeability of the coblock polymer shell by physicochemical triggers or by the incorporation of unspecific porin proteins into the vesicle membrane. Since the incorporation of membrane transport proteins into simple and nested artificial vesicles offers the potential for specific exchange of substances between subcompartments, it opens new vistas in the design of protocells. Therefore, we devote the main part of the review to summarize the technical advances in the use of phospholipids and block copolymers for the reconstitution of membrane proteins. PMID:26973834

  16. The Bretherton Problem for a Vesicle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barakat, Joseph; Spann, Andrew; Shaqfeh, Eric

    2016-11-01

    The motion of a lipid bilayer vesicle through a circular tube is investigated by singular perturbation theory in the limit of vanishing clearance. The vesicle is treated as a sac of fluid enclosed by a thin, elastic sheet that admits a bending stiffness. It is assumed that the vesicle is axisymmetric and swollen to a near-critical volume such that the clearance "e" between the membrane and the tube wall is very small. In this limit, bending resistance is of negligible importance compared to the isotropic tension, allowing the vesicle to be treated as a "no-slip bubble." The effective membrane tension is found to scale inversely with "e" raised to the 3/2 power with a comparatively weak Marangoni gradient. The extra pressure drop is found to have a leading contribution due to the cylindrical midsection, which scales inversely with "e," as well as a correction due to the end caps, which scales inversely with the square root of "e." The apparent viscosity is predicted as a unique function of the geometry. The theory exhibits excellent agreement with a simplified, "quasi-parallel" theory and with direct numerical simulations using the boundary element method. The results of this work are compared to those for bubbles, rigid particles, and red blood cells in confined flows.

  17. From Vesicles to Protocells: The Roles of Amphiphilic Molecules

    PubMed Central

    Sakuma, Yuka; Imai, Masayuki

    2015-01-01

    It is very challenging to construct protocells from molecular assemblies. An important step in this challenge is the achievement of vesicle dynamics that are relevant to cellular functions, such as membrane trafficking and self-reproduction, using amphiphilic molecules. Soft matter physics will play an important role in the development of vesicles that have these functions. Here, we show that simple binary phospholipid vesicles have the potential to reproduce the relevant functions of adhesion, pore formation and self-reproduction of vesicles, by coupling the lipid geometries (spontaneous curvatures) and the phase separation. This achievement will elucidate the pathway from molecular assembly to cellular life. PMID:25738256

  18. Identification of a human synaptotagmin-1 mutation that perturbs synaptic vesicle cycling

    PubMed Central

    Baker, Kate; Gordon, Sarah L.; Grozeva, Detelina; van Kogelenberg, Margriet; Roberts, Nicola Y.; Pike, Michael; Blair, Edward; Hurles, Matthew E.; Chong, W. Kling; Baldeweg, Torsten; Kurian, Manju A.; Boyd, Stewart G.; Cousin, Michael A.; Raymond, F. Lucy

    2015-01-01

    Synaptotagmin-1 (SYT1) is a calcium-binding synaptic vesicle protein that is required for both exocytosis and endocytosis. Here, we describe a human condition associated with a rare variant in SYT1. The individual harboring this variant presented with an early onset dyskinetic movement disorder, severe motor delay, and profound cognitive impairment. Structural MRI was normal, but EEG showed extensive neurophysiological disturbances that included the unusual features of low-frequency oscillatory bursts and enhanced paired-pulse depression of visual evoked potentials. Trio analysis of whole-exome sequence identified a de novo SYT1 missense variant (I368T). Expression of rat SYT1 containing the equivalent human variant in WT mouse primary hippocampal cultures revealed that the mutant form of SYT1 correctly localizes to nerve terminals and is expressed at levels that are approximately equal to levels of endogenous WT protein. The presence of the mutant SYT1 slowed synaptic vesicle fusion kinetics, a finding that agrees with the previously demonstrated role for I368 in calcium-dependent membrane penetration. Expression of the I368T variant also altered the kinetics of synaptic vesicle endocytosis. Together, the clinical features, electrophysiological phenotype, and in vitro neuronal phenotype associated with this dominant negative SYT1 mutation highlight presynaptic mechanisms that mediate human motor control and cognitive development. PMID:25705886

  19. How neurosecretory vesicles release their cargo.

    PubMed

    Scalettar, Bethe A

    2006-04-01

    Neurons and related cell types often contain two major classes of neurosecretory vesicles, synaptic vesicles (SVs) and dense-core granules (DCGs), which store and release distinct cargo. SVs store and release classic neurotransmitters, which facilitate propagation of action potentials across the synaptic cleft, whereas DCGs transport, store, and release hormones, proteins, and neuropeptides, which facilitate neuronal survival, synaptic transmission, and learning. Over the past few years, there has been a major surge in our understanding of many of the key molecular mechanisms underlying cargo release from SVs and DCGs. This surge has been driven largely by the use of fluorescence microscopy (especially total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy) to visualize SVs or DCGs in living cells. This review highlights some of the recent insights into cargo release from neurosecretory vesicles provided by fluorescence microscopy, with emphasis on DCGs.

  20. Sulfur vesicles from Thermococcales: A possible role in sulfur detoxifying mechanisms

    PubMed Central

    Gorlas, A.; Marguet, E.; Gill, S.; Geslin, C.; Guigner, J.-M.; Guyot, F.; Forterre, P.

    2015-01-01

    The euryarchaeon Thermococcus prieurii inhabits deep-sea hydrothermal vents, one of the most extreme environments on Earth, which is reduced and enriched with heavy metals. Transmission electron microscopy and cryo-electron microscopy imaging of T. prieurii revealed the production of a plethora of diverse membrane vesicles (MVs) (from 50 nm to 400 nm), as is the case for other Thermococcales. T. prieurii also produces particularly long nanopods/nanotubes, some of them containing more than 35 vesicles encased in a S-layer coat. Notably, cryo-electron microscopy of T. prieurii cells revealed the presence of numerous intracellular dark vesicles that bud from the host cells via interaction with the cytoplasmic membrane. These dark vesicles are exclusively found in conjunction with T. prieurii cells and never observed in the purified membrane vesicles preparations. Energy-Dispersive-X-Ray analyses revealed that these dark vesicles are filled with sulfur. Furthermore, the presence of these sulfur vesicles (SVs) is exclusively observed when elemental sulfur was added into the growth medium. In this report, we suggest that these atypical vesicles sequester the excess sulfur not used for growth, thus preventing the accumulation of toxic levels of sulfur in the host's cytoplasm. These SVs transport elemental sulfur out of the cell where they are rapidly degraded. Intriguingly, closely related archaeal species, Thermococcus nautili and Thermococcus kodakaraensis, show some differences about the production of sulfur vesicles. Whereas T. kodakaraensis produces less sulfur vesicles than T. prieurii, T. nautili does not produce such sulfur vesicles, suggesting that Thermococcales species exhibit significant differences in their sulfur metabolic pathways. PMID:26234734

  1. Inkjet formation of unilamellar lipid vesicles for cell-like encapsulation†

    PubMed Central

    Stachowiak, Jeanne C.; Richmond, David L.; Li, Thomas H.; Brochard-Wyart, Françoise

    2010-01-01

    Encapsulation of macromolecules within lipid vesicles has the potential to drive biological discovery and enable development of novel, cell-like therapeutics and sensors. However, rapid and reliable production of large numbers of unilamellar vesicles loaded with unrestricted and precisely-controlled contents requires new technologies that overcome size, uniformity, and throughput limitations of existing approaches. Here we present a high-throughput microfluidic method for vesicle formation and encapsulation using an inkjet printer at rates up to 200 Hz. We show how multiple high-frequency pulses of the inkjet’s piezoelectric actuator create a microfluidic jet that deforms a bilayer lipid membrane, controlling formation of individual vesicles. Variations in pulse number, pulse voltage, and solution viscosity are used to control the vesicle size. As a first step toward cell-like reconstitution using this method, we encapsulate the cytoskeletal protein actin and use co-encapsulated microspheres to track its polymerization into a densely entangled cytoskeletal network upon vesicle formation. PMID:19568667

  2. Exosome-like vesicles with dipeptidyl peptidase IV in human saliva.

    PubMed

    Ogawa, Yuko; Kanai-Azuma, Masami; Akimoto, Yoshihiro; Kawakami, Hayato; Yanoshita, Ryohei

    2008-06-01

    Saliva contains a large number of proteins that participate in the protection of oral tissue. We found, for the first time, small vesicles (30-130 nm in diameter) in human whole saliva. Vesicles from saliva were identified by electron microscopy after isolation by gel-filtration on Sepharose CL-4B. They resemble exosomes, which are vesicles with an endosome-derived limiting membrane that are secreted by a diverse range of cell types. We performed a biochemical characterization of these vesicles by amino acid sequence analysis and Western blot analysis. We found that they contain dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), galectin-3 and immunoglobulin A, which have potential to influence immune response. The DPP IV in the vesicles was metabolically active in cleaving substance P and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide to release N-terminal dipeptides. Our results demonstrate that human whole saliva contains exosome-like vesicles; they might participate in the catabolism of bioactive peptides and play a regulatory role in local immune defense in the oral cavity.

  3. Neuronal Depolarization Drives Increased Dopamine Synaptic Vesicle Loading via VGLUT.

    PubMed

    Aguilar, Jenny I; Dunn, Matthew; Mingote, Susana; Karam, Caline S; Farino, Zachary J; Sonders, Mark S; Choi, Se Joon; Grygoruk, Anna; Zhang, Yuchao; Cela, Carolina; Choi, Ben Jiwon; Flores, Jorge; Freyberg, Robin J; McCabe, Brian D; Mosharov, Eugene V; Krantz, David E; Javitch, Jonathan A; Sulzer, David; Sames, Dalibor; Rayport, Stephen; Freyberg, Zachary

    2017-08-30

    The ability of presynaptic dopamine terminals to tune neurotransmitter release to meet the demands of neuronal activity is critical to neurotransmission. Although vesicle content has been assumed to be static, in vitro data increasingly suggest that cell activity modulates vesicle content. Here, we use a coordinated genetic, pharmacological, and imaging approach in Drosophila to study the presynaptic machinery responsible for these vesicular processes in vivo. We show that cell depolarization increases synaptic vesicle dopamine content prior to release via vesicular hyperacidification. This depolarization-induced hyperacidification is mediated by the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT). Remarkably, both depolarization-induced dopamine vesicle hyperacidification and its dependence on VGLUT2 are seen in ventral midbrain dopamine neurons in the mouse. Together, these data suggest that in response to depolarization, dopamine vesicles utilize a cascade of vesicular transporters to dynamically increase the vesicular pH gradient, thereby increasing dopamine vesicle content. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Asymmetric osmotic water permeation through a vesicle membrane

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Jiaye; Zhao, Yunzhen; Fang, Chang; Shi, Yue

    2017-05-01

    Understanding the water permeation through a cell membrane is of primary importance for biological activities and a key step to capture its shape transformation in salt solution. In this work, we reveal the dynamical behaviors of osmotically driven transport of water molecules across a vesicle membrane by molecular dynamics simulations. Of particular interest is that the water transport in and out of vesicles is highly distinguishable given the osmotic force are the same, suggesting an asymmetric osmotic transportation. This asymmetric phenomenon exists in a broad range of parameter space such as the salt concentration, temperature, and vesicle size and can be ascribed to the similar asymmetric potential energy of lipid-ion, lipid-water, lipid-solution, lipid-lipid, and the lipid-lipid energy fluctuation. Specifically, the water flux has a linear increase with the salt concentration, similar to the prediction by Nernst-Planck equation or Fick's first law. Furthermore, due to the Arrhenius relation between the membrane permeability and temperature, the water flux also exhibits excellent Arrhenius dependence on the temperature. Meanwhile, the water flux shows a linear increase with the vesicle surface area since the flux amount across a unit membrane area should be a constant. Finally, we also present the anonymous diffusion behaviors for the vesicle itself, where transitions from normal diffusion at short times to subdiffusion at long times are identified. Our results provide significant new physical insights for the osmotic water permeation through a vesicle membrane and are helpful for future experimental studies.

  5. Overall energy conversion efficiency of a photosynthetic vesicle

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sener, Melih; Strumpfer, Johan; Singharoy, Abhishek

    The chromatophore of purple bacteria is an intracellular spherical vesicle that exists in numerous copies in the cell and that efficiently converts sunlight into ATP synthesis, operating typically under low light conditions. Building on an atomic-level structural model of a low-light-adapted chromatophore vesicle from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we investigate the cooperation between more than a hundred protein complexes in the vesicle. The steady-state ATP production rate as a function of incident light intensity is determined after identifying quinol turnover at the cytochrome bc1 complex (cytbc1) as rate limiting and assuming that the quinone/quinol pool of about 900 molecules acts in amore » quasi-stationary state. For an illumination condition equivalent to 1% of full sunlight, the vesicle exhibits an ATP production rate of 82 ATP molecules/s. The energy conversion efficiency of ATP synthesis at illuminations corresponding to 1%–5% of full sunlight is calculated to be 0.12-0.04, respectively. The vesicle stoichiometry, evolutionarily adapted to the low light intensities in the habitat of purple bacteria, is suboptimal for steady-state ATP turnover for the benefit of protection against over-illumination.« less

  6. Overall energy conversion efficiency of a photosynthetic vesicle

    DOE PAGES

    Sener, Melih; Strumpfer, Johan; Singharoy, Abhishek; ...

    2016-08-26

    The chromatophore of purple bacteria is an intracellular spherical vesicle that exists in numerous copies in the cell and that efficiently converts sunlight into ATP synthesis, operating typically under low light conditions. Building on an atomic-level structural model of a low-light-adapted chromatophore vesicle from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we investigate the cooperation between more than a hundred protein complexes in the vesicle. The steady-state ATP production rate as a function of incident light intensity is determined after identifying quinol turnover at the cytochrome bc1 complex (cytbc1) as rate limiting and assuming that the quinone/quinol pool of about 900 molecules acts in amore » quasi-stationary state. For an illumination condition equivalent to 1% of full sunlight, the vesicle exhibits an ATP production rate of 82 ATP molecules/s. The energy conversion efficiency of ATP synthesis at illuminations corresponding to 1%–5% of full sunlight is calculated to be 0.12-0.04, respectively. The vesicle stoichiometry, evolutionarily adapted to the low light intensities in the habitat of purple bacteria, is suboptimal for steady-state ATP turnover for the benefit of protection against over-illumination.« less

  7. Puzzling Out Synaptic Vesicle 2 Family Members Functions.

    PubMed

    Bartholome, Odile; Van den Ackerveken, Priscilla; Sánchez Gil, Judit; de la Brassinne Bonardeaux, Orianne; Leprince, Pierre; Franzen, Rachelle; Rogister, Bernard

    2017-01-01

    Synaptic vesicle proteins 2 (SV2) were discovered in the early 80s, but the clear demonstration that SV2A is the target of efficacious anti-epileptic drugs from the racetam family stimulated efforts to improve understanding of its role in the brain. Many functions have been suggested for SV2 proteins including ions or neurotransmitters transport or priming of SVs. Moreover, several recent studies highlighted the link between SV2 and different neuronal disorders such as epilepsy, Schizophrenia (SCZ), Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. In this review article, we will summarize our present knowledge on SV2A function(s) and its potential role(s) in the pathophysiology of various brain disorders.

  8. Puzzling Out Synaptic Vesicle 2 Family Members Functions

    PubMed Central

    Bartholome, Odile; Van den Ackerveken, Priscilla; Sánchez Gil, Judit; de la Brassinne Bonardeaux, Orianne; Leprince, Pierre; Franzen, Rachelle; Rogister, Bernard

    2017-01-01

    Synaptic vesicle proteins 2 (SV2) were discovered in the early 80s, but the clear demonstration that SV2A is the target of efficacious anti-epileptic drugs from the racetam family stimulated efforts to improve understanding of its role in the brain. Many functions have been suggested for SV2 proteins including ions or neurotransmitters transport or priming of SVs. Moreover, several recent studies highlighted the link between SV2 and different neuronal disorders such as epilepsy, Schizophrenia (SCZ), Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. In this review article, we will summarize our present knowledge on SV2A function(s) and its potential role(s) in the pathophysiology of various brain disorders. PMID:28588450

  9. Multiple vesicle recycling pathways in central synapses and their impact on neurotransmission

    PubMed Central

    Kavalali, Ege T

    2007-01-01

    Short-term synaptic depression during repetitive activity is a common property of most synapses. Multiple mechanisms contribute to this rapid depression in neurotransmission including a decrease in vesicle fusion probability, inactivation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels or use-dependent inhibition of release machinery by presynaptic receptors. In addition, synaptic depression can arise from a rapid reduction in the number of vesicles available for release. This reduction can be countered by two sources. One source is replenishment from a set of reserve vesicles. The second source is the reuse of vesicles that have undergone exocytosis and endocytosis. If the synaptic vesicle reuse is fast enough then it can replenish vesicles during a brief burst of action potentials and play a substantial role in regulating the rate of synaptic depression. In the last 5 years, we have examined the impact of synaptic vesicle reuse on neurotransmission using fluorescence imaging of synaptic vesicle trafficking in combination with electrophysiological detection of short-term synaptic plasticity. These studies have revealed that synaptic vesicle reuse shapes the kinetics of short-term synaptic depression in a frequency-dependent manner. In addition, synaptic vesicle recycling helps maintain the level of neurotransmission at steady state. Moreover, our studies showed that synaptic vesicle reuse is a highly plastic process as it varies widely among synapses and can adapt to changes in chronic activity levels. PMID:17690145

  10. The Role of Monoubiquitination in Endocytic Degradation of Human Ether-a-go-go-related Gene (hERG) Channels under Low K+ Conditions*

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Tao; Guo, Jun; Shallow, Heidi; Yang, Tonghua; Xu, Jianmin; Li, Wentao; Hanson, Christian; Wu, James G.; Li, Xian; Massaeli, Hamid; Zhang, Shetuan

    2011-01-01

    A reduction in extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o) causes cardiac arrhythmias and triggers internalization of the cardiac rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium channel (IKr) encoded by the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG). We investigated the role of ubiquitin (Ub) in endocytic degradation of hERG channels stably expressed in HEK cells. Under low K+ conditions, UbKO, a lysine-less mutant Ub that only supports monoubiquitination, preferentially interacted and selectively enhanced degradation of the mature hERG channels. Overexpression of Vps24 protein, also known as charged multivesicular body protein 3, significantly accelerated degradation of mature hERG channels, whereas knockdown of Vps24 impeded this process. Moreover, the lysosomal inhibitor bafilomycin A1 inhibited degradation of the internalized mature hERG channels. Thus, monoubiquitination directs mature hERG channels to degrade through the multivesicular body/lysosome pathway. Interestingly, the protease inhibitor lactacystin inhibited the low K+-induced hERG endocytosis and concomitantly led to an accumulation of monoubiquitinated mature hERG channels, suggesting that deubiquitination is also required for the endocytic degradation. Consistently, overexpression of the endosomal deubiquitinating enzyme signal transducing adaptor molecule-binding protein significantly accelerated whereas knockdown of endogenous signal transducing adaptor molecule-binding protein impeded degradation of the mature hERG channels under low K+ conditions. Thus, monoubiquitin dynamically mediates endocytic degradation of mature hERG channels under low K+ conditions. PMID:21177251

  11. Phosphorylation of Synaptojanin Differentially Regulates Endocytosis of Functionally Distinct Synaptic Vesicle Pools.

    PubMed

    Geng, Junhua; Wang, Liping; Lee, Joo Yeun; Chen, Chun-Kan; Chang, Karen T

    2016-08-24

    The rapid replenishment of synaptic vesicles through endocytosis is crucial for sustaining synaptic transmission during intense neuronal activity. Synaptojanin (Synj), a phosphoinositide phosphatase, is known to play an important role in vesicle recycling by promoting the uncoating of clathrin following synaptic vesicle uptake. Synj has been shown to be a substrate of the minibrain (Mnb) kinase, a fly homolog of the dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A); however, the functional impacts of Synj phosphorylation by Mnb are not well understood. Here we identify that Mnb phosphorylates Synj at S1029 in Drosophila We find that phosphorylation of Synj at S1029 enhances Synj phosphatase activity, alters interaction between Synj and endophilin, and promotes efficient endocytosis of the active cycling vesicle pool (also referred to as exo-endo cycling pool) at the expense of reserve pool vesicle endocytosis. Dephosphorylated Synj, on the other hand, is deficient in the endocytosis of the active recycling pool vesicles but maintains reserve pool vesicle endocytosis to restore total vesicle pool size and sustain synaptic transmission. Together, our findings reveal a novel role for Synj in modulating reserve pool vesicle endocytosis and further indicate that dynamic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of Synj differentially maintain endocytosis of distinct functional synaptic vesicle pools. Synaptic vesicle endocytosis sustains communication between neurons during a wide range of neuronal activities by recycling used vesicle membrane and protein components. Here we identify that Synaptojanin, a protein with a known role in synaptic vesicle endocytosis, is phosphorylated at S1029 in vivo by the Minibrain kinase. We further demonstrate that the phosphorylation status of Synaptojanin at S1029 differentially regulates its participation in the recycling of distinct synaptic vesicle pools. Our results reveal a new role for Synaptojanin in

  12. Isolation of Tonoplast Vesicles from Tomato Fruit Pericarp

    PubMed Central

    Snowden, Christopher J.; Thomas, Benjamin; Baxter, Charles J.; Smith, J. Andrew C.; Sweetlove, Lee J.

    2017-01-01

    This protocol describes the isolation of tonoplast vesicles from tomato fruit. The vesicles isolated using this procedure are of sufficiently high purity for downstream proteomic analysis whilst remaining transport competent for functional assays. The methodology was used to study the transport of amino acids during tomato fruit ripening (Snowden et al., 2015) and based on the procedure used by Betty and Smith (Bettey and Smith, 1993). Such vesicles may be useful in further studies into the dynamic transfer of metabolites across the tonoplast for storage and metabolism during tomato fruit development. PMID:29085859

  13. Engineering Globular Protein Vesicles through Tunable Self-Assembly of Recombinant Fusion Proteins

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jang, Yeongseon; Choi, Won Tae; Heller, William T.

    Vesicles assembled from folded, globular proteins have potential for functions different from traditional lipid or polymeric vesicles. However, they also present challenges in understanding the assembly process and controlling vesicle properties. From detailed investigation of the assembly behavior of recombinant fusion proteins, this work reports a simple strategy to engineer protein vesicles containing functional, globular domains. This is achieved through tunable self-assembly of recombinant globular fusion proteins containing leucine zippers and elastin-like polypeptides. The fusion proteins form complexes in solution via high affinity binding of the zippers, and transition through dynamic coacervates to stable hollow vesicles upon warming. The thermalmore » driving force, which can be tuned by protein concentration or temperature, controls both vesicle size and whether vesicles are single or bi-layered. Lastly, these results provide critical information to engineer globular protein vesicles via self-assembly with desired size and membrane structure.« less

  14. Engineering Globular Protein Vesicles through Tunable Self-Assembly of Recombinant Fusion Proteins

    DOE PAGES

    Jang, Yeongseon; Choi, Won Tae; Heller, William T.; ...

    2017-07-27

    Vesicles assembled from folded, globular proteins have potential for functions different from traditional lipid or polymeric vesicles. However, they also present challenges in understanding the assembly process and controlling vesicle properties. From detailed investigation of the assembly behavior of recombinant fusion proteins, this work reports a simple strategy to engineer protein vesicles containing functional, globular domains. This is achieved through tunable self-assembly of recombinant globular fusion proteins containing leucine zippers and elastin-like polypeptides. The fusion proteins form complexes in solution via high affinity binding of the zippers, and transition through dynamic coacervates to stable hollow vesicles upon warming. The thermalmore » driving force, which can be tuned by protein concentration or temperature, controls both vesicle size and whether vesicles are single or bi-layered. Lastly, these results provide critical information to engineer globular protein vesicles via self-assembly with desired size and membrane structure.« less

  15. Selective flow-induced vesicle rupture to sort by membrane mechanical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pommella, Angelo; Brooks, Nicholas J.; Seddon, John M.; Garbin, Valeria

    2015-08-01

    Vesicle and cell rupture caused by large viscous stresses in ultrasonication is central to biomedical and bioprocessing applications. The flow-induced opening of lipid membranes can be exploited to deliver drugs into cells, or to recover products from cells, provided that it can be obtained in a controlled fashion. Here we demonstrate that differences in lipid membrane and vesicle properties can enable selective flow-induced vesicle break-up. We obtained vesicle populations with different membrane properties by using different lipids (SOPC, DOPC, or POPC) and lipid:cholesterol mixtures (SOPC:chol and DOPC:chol). We subjected vesicles to large deformations in the acoustic microstreaming flow generated by ultrasound-driven microbubbles. By simultaneously deforming vesicles with different properties in the same flow, we determined the conditions in which rupture is selective with respect to the membrane stretching elasticity. We also investigated the effect of vesicle radius and excess area on the threshold for rupture, and identified conditions for robust selectivity based solely on the mechanical properties of the membrane. Our work should enable new sorting mechanisms based on the difference in membrane composition and mechanical properties between different vesicles, capsules, or cells.

  16. Selective flow-induced vesicle rupture to sort by membrane mechanical properties

    PubMed Central

    Pommella, Angelo; Brooks, Nicholas J.; Seddon, John M.; Garbin, Valeria

    2015-01-01

    Vesicle and cell rupture caused by large viscous stresses in ultrasonication is central to biomedical and bioprocessing applications. The flow-induced opening of lipid membranes can be exploited to deliver drugs into cells, or to recover products from cells, provided that it can be obtained in a controlled fashion. Here we demonstrate that differences in lipid membrane and vesicle properties can enable selective flow-induced vesicle break-up. We obtained vesicle populations with different membrane properties by using different lipids (SOPC, DOPC, or POPC) and lipid:cholesterol mixtures (SOPC:chol and DOPC:chol). We subjected vesicles to large deformations in the acoustic microstreaming flow generated by ultrasound-driven microbubbles. By simultaneously deforming vesicles with different properties in the same flow, we determined the conditions in which rupture is selective with respect to the membrane stretching elasticity. We also investigated the effect of vesicle radius and excess area on the threshold for rupture, and identified conditions for robust selectivity based solely on the mechanical properties of the membrane. Our work should enable new sorting mechanisms based on the difference in membrane composition and mechanical properties between different vesicles, capsules, or cells. PMID:26302783

  17. Passive Diffusion as a Mechanism Underlying Ribbon Synapse Vesicle Release and Resupply

    PubMed Central

    Graydon, Cole W.; Zhang, Jun; Oesch, Nicholas W.; Sousa, Alioscka A.; Leapman, Richard D.

    2014-01-01

    Synaptic ribbons are presynaptic protein structures found at many synapses that convey graded, “analog” sensory signals in the visual, auditory, and vestibular pathways. Ribbons, typically anchored to the presynaptic membrane and surrounded by tethered synaptic vesicles, are thought to regulate or facilitate vesicle delivery to the presynaptic membrane. No direct evidence exists, however, to indicate how vesicles interact with the ribbon or, once attached, move along the ribbon's surface to reach the presynaptic release sites at its base. To address these questions, we have created, validated, and tested a passive vesicle diffusion model of retinal rod bipolar cell ribbon synapses. We used axial (bright-field) electron tomography in the scanning transmission electron microscopy to obtain 3D structures of rat rod bipolar cell terminals in 1-μm-thick sections of retinal tissue at an isotropic spatial resolution of ∼3 nm. The resulting structures were then incorporated with previously published estimates of vesicle diffusion dynamics into numerical simulations that accurately reproduced electrophysiologically measured vesicle release/replenishment rates and vesicle pool sizes. The simulations suggest that, under physiologically realistic conditions, diffusion of vesicles crowded on the ribbon surface gives rise to a flow field that enhances delivery of vesicles to the presynaptic membrane without requiring an active transport mechanism. Numerical simulations of ribbon–vesicle interactions predict that transient binding and unbinding of multiple tethers to each synaptic vesicle may achieve sufficiently tight association of vesicles to the ribbon while permitting the fast diffusion along the ribbon that is required to sustain high release rates. PMID:24990916

  18. Mover Is a Homomeric Phospho-Protein Present on Synaptic Vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Kremer, Thomas; Hoeber, Jan; Kiran Akula, Asha; Urlaub, Henning; Islinger, Markus; Kirsch, Joachim; Dean, Camin; Dresbach, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    With remarkably few exceptions, the molecules mediating synaptic vesicle exocytosis at active zones are structurally and functionally conserved between vertebrates and invertebrates. Mover was found in a yeast-2-hybrid assay using the vertebrate-specific active zone scaffolding protein bassoon as a bait. Peptides of Mover have been reported in proteomics screens for self-interacting proteins, phosphorylated proteins, and synaptic vesicle proteins, respectively. Here, we tested the predictions arising from these screens. Using flotation assays, carbonate stripping of peripheral membrane proteins, mass spectrometry, immunogold labelling of purified synaptic vesicles, and immuno-organelle isolation, we found that Mover is indeed a peripheral synaptic vesicle membrane protein. In addition, by generating an antibody against phosphorylated Mover and Western blot analysis of fractionated rat brain, we found that Mover is a bona fide phospho-protein. The localization of Mover to synaptic vesicles is phosphorylation dependent; treatment with a phosphatase caused Mover to dissociate from synaptic vesicles. A yeast-2-hybrid screen, co-immunoprecipitation and cell-based optical assays of homomerization revealed that Mover undergoes homophilic interaction, and regions within both the N- and C- terminus of the protein are required for this interaction. Deleting a region required for homomeric interaction abolished presynaptic targeting of recombinant Mover in cultured neurons. Together, these data prove that Mover is associated with synaptic vesicles, and implicate phosphorylation and multimerization in targeting of Mover to synaptic vesicles and presynaptic sites. PMID:23723986

  19. Morphofunctional study of the haemocytes of the bivalve mollusc Mytilus galloprovincialis with emphasis on the endolysosomal compartment.

    PubMed

    Cajaraville, M P; Pal, S G

    1995-10-01

    In the present work the haemocytes of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mollusca, Bivalvia) have been studied by light and electron microscopy in order to describe their main morphological features and to relate these to their roles in immune defence. The haemocytes belong to two definitive differentiated types, hyalinocytes and granulocytes. The former shows the presence of several fine pseudopodial protrusions, large nucleus with clumps of dense chromatin, scant cytoplasm, a well developed Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, several mitochondria (some with characteristic inclusions), coated pits and peripherally placed membrane-bound endocytic vesicles, considerable amounts of endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes. The granulocytes generally possess an organelle-free ectoplasmic zone, numerous membrane-delimited dense granules of various types, coated pits and vesicles, endocytic and phagocytic vesicles, multivesicular bodies, several peroxisome-like organelles, mitochondria with inclusions, scant endoplasmic reticulum and small Golgi apparatus. These cells show the presence of few lipid droplets and variable amounts of glycogen particles. Some of the substructural features of the granules are documented here to indicate their probable biogenesis, growth and relationship with the endolysosomal compartment. In addition, in vitro phagocytosis experiments demonstrate that both hyalinocytes and granulocytes uptake latex and zymosan particles, granulocytes being much more active in phagocytosis than hyalinocytes.

  20. Intracellular Route of Canine Parvovirus Entry

    PubMed Central

    Vihinen-Ranta, Maija; Kalela, Anne; Mäkinen, Päivi; Kakkola, Laura; Marjomäki, Varpu; Vuento, Matti

    1998-01-01

    The present study was designed to investigate the endocytic pathway involved in canine parvovirus (CPV) infection. Reduced temperature (18°C) or the microtubule-depolymerizing drug nocodazole was found to inhibit productive infection of canine A72 cells by CPV and caused CPV to be retained in cytoplasmic vesicles as indicated by immunofluorescence microscopy. Consistent with previously published results, these data indicate that CPV enters a host cell via an endocytic route and further suggest that microtubule-dependent delivery of CPV to late endosomes is required for productive infection. Cytoplasmic microinjection of CPV particles was used to circumvent the endocytosis and membrane fusion steps in the entry process. Microinjection experiments showed that CPV particles which were injected directly into the cytoplasm, thus avoiding the endocytic pathway, were unable to initiate progeny virus production. CPV treated at pH 5.0 prior to microinjection was unable to initiate virus production, showing that factors of the endocytic route other than low pH are necessary for the initiation of infection by CPV. PMID:9420290

  1. Passive diffusion as a mechanism underlying ribbon synapse vesicle release and resupply.

    PubMed

    Graydon, Cole W; Zhang, Jun; Oesch, Nicholas W; Sousa, Alioscka A; Leapman, Richard D; Diamond, Jeffrey S

    2014-07-02

    Synaptic ribbons are presynaptic protein structures found at many synapses that convey graded, "analog" sensory signals in the visual, auditory, and vestibular pathways. Ribbons, typically anchored to the presynaptic membrane and surrounded by tethered synaptic vesicles, are thought to regulate or facilitate vesicle delivery to the presynaptic membrane. No direct evidence exists, however, to indicate how vesicles interact with the ribbon or, once attached, move along the ribbon's surface to reach the presynaptic release sites at its base. To address these questions, we have created, validated, and tested a passive vesicle diffusion model of retinal rod bipolar cell ribbon synapses. We used axial (bright-field) electron tomography in the scanning transmission electron microscopy to obtain 3D structures of rat rod bipolar cell terminals in 1-μm-thick sections of retinal tissue at an isotropic spatial resolution of ∼3 nm. The resulting structures were then incorporated with previously published estimates of vesicle diffusion dynamics into numerical simulations that accurately reproduced electrophysiologically measured vesicle release/replenishment rates and vesicle pool sizes. The simulations suggest that, under physiologically realistic conditions, diffusion of vesicles crowded on the ribbon surface gives rise to a flow field that enhances delivery of vesicles to the presynaptic membrane without requiring an active transport mechanism. Numerical simulations of ribbon-vesicle interactions predict that transient binding and unbinding of multiple tethers to each synaptic vesicle may achieve sufficiently tight association of vesicles to the ribbon while permitting the fast diffusion along the ribbon that is required to sustain high release rates. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/348948-15$15.00/0.

  2. Functional transferred DNA within extracellular vesicles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cai, Jin; Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Jiangsu Province; Wu, Gengze

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane vesicles including exosomes and shedding vesicles that mediated a cell-to-cell communication. EVs are released from almost all cell types under both physiological and pathological conditions and incorporate nuclear and cytoplasmic molecules for intercellular delivery. Besides protein, mRNA, and microRNA of these molecules, as recent studies show, specific DNA are prominently packaged into EVs. It appears likely that some of exosomes or shedding vesicles, bearing nuclear molecules are released upon bubble-like blebs. Specific interaction of EVs with susceptible recipients performs the uptake of EVs into the target cells, discharging their cargo including nuclear and cytoplasmicmore » macromolecules into the cytosol. These findings expand the nucleic acid content of EVs to include increased levels of specific DNA. Thus, EVs contain a repertoire of genetic information available for horizontal gene transfer and potential use as blood biomarkers for cancer and atherosclerosis. In this review, the focus is on the characteristics, biological functions, and roles in diseases of DNA within EVs. - Highlights: • This review is focused on the DNA within EVs including its characteristics, biological functions, and roles in diseases. • It is clear that DNA within EVs might have important physiological and pathological roles in various diseases. • Knowledge in this area may provides us alternative methods for disease diagnosis or therapy in the future.« less

  3. The parasite Toxoplasma sequesters diverse Rab host vesicles within an intravacuolar network

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Many intracellular pathogens subvert host membrane trafficking pathways to promote their replication. Toxoplasma multiplies in a membrane-bound parasitophorous vacuole (PV) that interacts with mammalian host organelles and intercepts Golgi Rab vesicles to acquire sphingolipids. The mechanisms of host vesicle internalization and processing within the PV remain undefined. We demonstrate that Toxoplasma sequesters a broad range of Rab vesicles into the PV. Correlative light and electron microscopy analysis of infected cells illustrates that intravacuolar Rab1A vesicles are surrounded by the PV membrane, suggesting a phagocytic-like process for vesicle engulfment. Rab11A vesicles concentrate to an intravacuolar network (IVN), but this is reduced in Δgra2 and Δgra2Δgra6 parasites, suggesting that tubules stabilized by the TgGRA2 and TgGRA6 proteins secreted by the parasite within the PV contribute to host vesicle sequestration. Overexpression of a phospholipase TgLCAT, which is localized to the IVN, results in a decrease in the number of intravacuolar GFP-Rab11A vesicles, suggesting that TgLCAT controls lipolytic degradation of Rab vesicles for cargo release. PMID:29070609

  4. Chromatic response of polydiacetylene vesicle induced by the permeation of methotrexate.

    PubMed

    Shin, Min Jae; Kim, Ye Jin; Kim, Jong-Duk

    2015-07-07

    The noble vesicular system of polydiacetylene showed a red shift using two types of detecting systems. One of the systems involves the absorption of target materials from the outer side of the vesicle, and the other system involves the permeation through the vesicular layers from within the vesicle. The chromatic mixed vesicles of N-(2-aminoethyl)pentacosa-10,12-diynamide (AEPCDA) and dimethyldioctadecylammonium chloride (DODAC) were fabricated by sonication, followed by polymerization by UV irradiation. The stability of monomeric vesicles was observed to increase with the polymerization of the vesicles. Methotrexate was used as a target material. The polymerized mixed vesicles having a blue color were exposed to a concentration gradient of methotrexate, and a red shift was observed indicating the adsorption of methotrexate on the polydiacetylene bilayer. In order to check the chromatic change by the permeation of methotrexate, we separated the vesicle portion, which contained methotrexate inside the vesicle, and checked chromatic change during the permeation of methotrexate through the vesicle. The red shift apparently indicates the disturbance in the bilayer induced by the permeation of methotrexate. The maximum contrast of color appeared at the equal molar ratio of AEPCDA and DODAC, indicating that the formation of flexible and deformable vesicular layers is important for red shift. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the system can be applicable for the chromatic detection of the permeation of methotrexate through the polydiacetylene layer.

  5. Comparison of Extruded and Sonicated Vesicles for Planar Bilayer Self-Assembly

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Nam-Joon; Hwang, Lisa Y.; Solandt, Johan J.R.; Frank, Curtis W.

    2013-01-01

    Lipid vesicles are an important class of biomaterials that have a wide range of applications, including drug delivery, cosmetic formulations and model membrane platforms on solid supports. Depending on the application, properties of a vesicle population such as size distribution, charge and permeability need to be optimized. Preparation methods such as mechanical extrusion and sonication play a key role in controlling these properties, and yet the effects of vesicle preparation method on vesicular properties and integrity (e.g., shape, size, distribution and tension) remain incompletely understood. In this study, we prepared vesicles composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) lipid by either extrusion or sonication, and investigated the effects on vesicle size distribution over time as well as the concomitant effects on the self-assembly of solid-supported planar lipid bilayers. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) monitoring, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments were performed to characterize vesicles in solution as well as their interactions with silicon oxide substrates. Collectively, the data support that sonicated vesicles offer more robust control over the self-assembly of homogenous planar lipid bilayers, whereas extruded vesicles are vulnerable to aging and must be used soon after preparation. PMID:28811437

  6. Gold nanoparticles covalently assembled onto vesicle structures as possible biosensing platform

    PubMed Central

    Barroso, M Fátima; Luna, M Alejandra; Tabares, Juan S Flores; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Correa, N Mariano

    2016-01-01

    Summary In this contribution a strategy is shown to covalently immobilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto vesicle bilayers with the aim of using this nanomaterial as platform for the future design of immunosensors. A novel methodology for the self-assembly of AuNPs onto large unilamellar vesicle structures is described. The vesicles were formed with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1-undecanethiol (SH). After, the AuNPs photochemically synthesized in pure glycerol were mixed and anchored onto SH–DOPC vesicles. The data provided by voltammetry, spectrometry and microscopy techniques indicated that the AuNPs were successfully covalently anchored onto the vesicle bilayer and decorated vesicles exhibit a spherical shape with a size of 190 ± 10 nm. The developed procedure is easy, rapid and reproducible to start designing a possible immunosensor by using environmentally friendly procedures. PMID:27335755

  7. Overall energy conversion efficiency of a photosynthetic vesicle

    PubMed Central

    Sener, Melih; Strumpfer, Johan; Singharoy, Abhishek; Hunter, C Neil; Schulten, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    The chromatophore of purple bacteria is an intracellular spherical vesicle that exists in numerous copies in the cell and that efficiently converts sunlight into ATP synthesis, operating typically under low light conditions. Building on an atomic-level structural model of a low-light-adapted chromatophore vesicle from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we investigate the cooperation between more than a hundred protein complexes in the vesicle. The steady-state ATP production rate as a function of incident light intensity is determined after identifying quinol turnover at the cytochrome bc1 complex (cytb⁢c1) as rate limiting and assuming that the quinone/quinol pool of about 900 molecules acts in a quasi-stationary state. For an illumination condition equivalent to 1% of full sunlight, the vesicle exhibits an ATP production rate of 82 ATP molecules/s. The energy conversion efficiency of ATP synthesis at illuminations corresponding to 1%–5% of full sunlight is calculated to be 0.12–0.04, respectively. The vesicle stoichiometry, evolutionarily adapted to the low light intensities in the habitat of purple bacteria, is suboptimal for steady-state ATP turnover for the benefit of protection against over-illumination. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09541.001 PMID:27564854

  8. Synaptophysin regulates the kinetics of synaptic vesicle endocytosis in central neurons

    PubMed Central

    Kwon, Sung E.; Chapman, Edwin R.

    2011-01-01

    Summary Despite being the most abundant synaptic vesicle membrane protein, the function of synaptophysin remains enigmatic. For example, synaptic transmission was reported to be completely normal in synaptophysin knockout mice; however, direct experiments to monitor the synaptic vesicle cycle have not been carried out. Here, using optical imaging and electrophysiological experiments, we demonstrate that synaptophysin is required for kinetically efficient endocytosis of synaptic vesicles in cultured hippocampal neurons. Truncation analysis revealed that distinct structural elements of synaptophysin differentially regulate vesicle retrieval during and after stimulation. Thus, synaptophysin regulates at least two phases of endocytosis to ensure vesicle availability during and after sustained neuronal activity. PMID:21658579

  9. Interaction and rheology of vesicle suspensions in confined shear flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Zaiyi; Farutin, Alexander; Thiébaud, Marine; Misbah, Chaouqi

    2017-10-01

    Dynamics and rheology of a confined suspension of vesicles (a model for red blood cells) are studied numerically in two dimensions by using an immersed boundary lattice Boltzmann method. We pay particular attention to the link between the spatiotemporal organization and the rheology of the suspension. Besides confinement, we analyze the effect of concentration of the suspension, ϕ (defined as the area fraction occupied by the vesicles in the simulation domain), as well as the viscosity contrast λ (defined as the ratio between the viscosity of the fluid inside the vesicles, ηint, and that of the suspending fluid, ηext). The hydrodynamic interaction between two vesicles is shown to play a key role in determining the spatial organization. For λ =1 , the pair of vesicles settles into an equilibrium state with constant interdistance, which is regulated by the confinement. The equilibrium interdistance increases with the gap between walls, following a linear relationship. However, no stable equilibrium interdistance between two tumbling vesicles is observed for λ =10 . A quite ordered suspension is observed concomitant with the existence of an equilibrium interdistance between a vesicle pair. However, a disordered suspension prevails when no pair equilibrium interdistance exists, as occurs for tumbling vesicles. We then analyze the rheology, focusing on the effective viscosity, denoted as η , as well as on normalized viscosity, defined as [η ] =(η -ηext) /(ηextϕ ) . Ordering of the suspension is accompanied by a nonmonotonic behavior of [η ] with ϕ , while η exhibits plateaus. The nonmonotonic behavior of [η ] is suppressed when a disordered pattern prevails.

  10. Development and characterization of nanopore system for nano-vesicle analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goyal, Gaurav

    Nano-vesicles have recently attracted a lot of attention in research and medical communities and are very promising next-generation drug delivery vehicles. This is due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and their ability to protect drug cargo and deliver it to site-specific locations, while maintaining the desired pharmacokinetic profile. The interaction of these drug loaded vesicles with the recipient cells via adsorption, endocytosis or receptor mediated internalization involve significant bending and deformation and is governed by mechanical properties of the nano-vesicles. Currently, the mechanical characteristics of nano-vesicles are left unexplored because of the difficulties associated with vesicle analysis at sub-100 nm length scale. The need for a complete understanding of nano-vesicle interaction with each other and the recipient cells warrants development of an analytical tool capable of mechanical investigation of individual vesicles at sub-100 nm scale. This dissertation presents investigation of nano-vesicle deformability using resistive pulse sensing and solid-state nanopore devices. The dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the motivation, specific aims and presents an overview of nanoparticle characterization techniques, resistive pulse sensing background and principles, techniques for fabricating solid-state nanopores, as well the deformation behavior of giant vesicles when placed in electric field. Chapter 2 is dedicated to understanding of the scientific principles governing transport of sub-100 nm particles in dilute solutions. We investigated the translocation of rigid nanoparticles through nanopores at salt concentrations < 50 mM. When using low electrolyte strength, surface effects become predominant and resulted in unconventional current signatures in our experiments. It prompted us to explore the effects of different experimental parameters using Multiphysics simulations, in order to optimize our system

  11. Adhesion signals of phospholipid vesicles at an electrified interface.

    PubMed

    DeNardis, Nadica Ivošević; Žutić, Vera; Svetličić, Vesna; Frkanec, Ruža

    2012-09-01

    General adhesion behavior of phospholipid vesicles was examined in a wide range of potentials at the mercury electrode by recording time-resolved adhesion signals. It was demonstrated that adhesion-based detection is sensitive to polar headgroups in phospholipid vesicles. We identified a narrow potential window around the point of zero charge of the electrode where the interaction of polar headgroups of phosphatidylcholine vesicles with the substrate is manifested in the form of bidirectional signals. The bidirectional signal is composed of the charge flow due to the nonspecific interaction of vesicle adhesion and spreading and of the charge flow due to a specific interaction of the negatively charged electrode and the most exposed positively charged choline headgroups. These signals are expected to appear only when the electrode surface charge density is less than the surface charge density of the choline groups at the contact interface. In comparison, for the negatively charged phosphatidylserine vesicles, we identified the potential window at the mercury electrode where charge compensation takes place, and bidirectional signals were not detected.

  12. v-SNAREs control exocytosis of vesicles from priming to fusion.

    PubMed

    Borisovska, Maria; Zhao, Ying; Tsytsyura, Yaroslav; Glyvuk, Nataliya; Takamori, Shigeo; Matti, Ulf; Rettig, Jens; Südhof, Thomas; Bruns, Dieter

    2005-06-15

    SNARE proteins (soluble NSF-attachment protein receptors) are thought to be central components of the exocytotic mechanism in neurosecretory cells, but their precise function remained unclear. Here, we show that each of the vesicle-associated SNARE proteins (v-SNARE) of a chromaffin granule, synaptobrevin II or cellubrevin, is sufficient to support Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis and to establish a pool of primed, readily releasable vesicles. In the absence of both proteins, secretion is abolished, without affecting biogenesis or docking of granules indicating that v-SNAREs are absolutely required for granule exocytosis. We find that synaptobrevin II and cellubrevin differentially control the pool of readily releasable vesicles and show that the v-SNARE's amino terminus regulates the vesicle's primed state. We demonstrate that dynamics of fusion pore dilation are regulated by v-SNAREs, indicating their action throughout exocytosis from priming to fusion of vesicles.

  13. Quantification of mixing in vesicle suspensions using numerical simulations in two dimensions.

    PubMed

    Kabacaoğlu, G; Quaife, B; Biros, G

    2017-02-01

    We study mixing in Stokesian vesicle suspensions in two dimensions on a cylindrical Couette apparatus using numerical simulations. The vesicle flow simulation is done using a boundary integral method, and the advection-diffusion equation for the mixing of the solute is solved using a pseudo-spectral scheme. We study the effect of the area fraction, the viscosity contrast between the inside (the vesicles) and the outside (the bulk) fluid, the initial condition of the solute, and the mixing metric. We compare mixing in the suspension with mixing in the Couette apparatus without vesicles. On the one hand, the presence of vesicles in most cases slightly suppresses mixing. This is because the solute can be only diffused across the vesicle interface and not advected. On the other hand, there exist spatial distributions of the solute for which the unperturbed Couette flow completely fails to mix whereas the presence of vesicles enables mixing. We derive a simple condition that relates the velocity and solute and can be used to characterize the cases in which the presence of vesicles promotes mixing.

  14. Quantification of mixing in vesicle suspensions using numerical simulations in two dimensions

    PubMed Central

    Quaife, B.; Biros, G.

    2017-01-01

    We study mixing in Stokesian vesicle suspensions in two dimensions on a cylindrical Couette apparatus using numerical simulations. The vesicle flow simulation is done using a boundary integral method, and the advection-diffusion equation for the mixing of the solute is solved using a pseudo-spectral scheme. We study the effect of the area fraction, the viscosity contrast between the inside (the vesicles) and the outside (the bulk) fluid, the initial condition of the solute, and the mixing metric. We compare mixing in the suspension with mixing in the Couette apparatus without vesicles. On the one hand, the presence of vesicles in most cases slightly suppresses mixing. This is because the solute can be only diffused across the vesicle interface and not advected. On the other hand, there exist spatial distributions of the solute for which the unperturbed Couette flow completely fails to mix whereas the presence of vesicles enables mixing. We derive a simple condition that relates the velocity and solute and can be used to characterize the cases in which the presence of vesicles promotes mixing. PMID:28344432

  15. Vesicle biomechanics in a time-varying magnetic field.

    PubMed

    Ye, Hui; Curcuru, Austen

    2015-01-01

    Cells exhibit distortion when exposed to a strong electric field, suggesting that the field imposes control over cellular biomechanics. Closed pure lipid bilayer membranes (vesicles) have been widely used for the experimental and theoretical studies of cellular biomechanics under this electrodeformation. An alternative method used to generate an electric field is by electromagnetic induction with a time-varying magnetic field. References reporting the magnetic control of cellular mechanics have recently emerged. However, theoretical analysis of the cellular mechanics under a time-varying magnetic field is inadequate. We developed an analytical theory to investigate the biomechanics of a modeled vesicle under a time-varying magnetic field. Following previous publications and to simplify the calculation, this model treated the inner and suspending media as lossy dielectrics, the membrane thickness set at zero, and the electric resistance of the membrane assumed to be negligible. This work provided the first analytical solutions for the surface charges, electric field, radial pressure, overall translational forces, and rotational torques introduced on a vesicle by the time-varying magnetic field. Frequency responses of these measures were analyzed, particularly the frequency used clinically by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The induced surface charges interacted with the electric field to produce a biomechanical impact upon the vesicle. The distribution of the induced surface charges depended on the orientation of the coil and field frequency. The densities of these charges were trivial at low frequency ranges, but significant at high frequency ranges. The direction of the radial force on the vesicle was dependent on the conductivity ratio between the vesicle and the medium. At relatively low frequencies (<200 KHz), including the frequency used in TMS, the computed radial pressure and translational forces on the vesicle were both negligible. This work

  16. Dynamics of coarsening in multicomponent lipid vesicles with non-uniform mechanical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Funkhouser, Chloe M.; Solis, Francisco J.; Thornton, K.

    2014-04-01

    Multicomponent lipid vesicles are commonly used as a model system for the complex plasma membrane. One phenomenon that is studied using such model systems is phase separation. Vesicles composed of simple lipid mixtures can phase-separate into liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases, and since these phases can have different mechanical properties, this separation can lead to changes in the shape of the vesicle. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of phase separation in multicomponent lipid vesicles, using a model that couples composition to mechanical properties such as bending rigidity and spontaneous curvature. The model allows the vesicle surface to deform while conserving surface area and composition. For vesicles initialized as spheres, we study the effects of phase fraction and spontaneous curvature. We additionally initialize two systems with elongated, spheroidal shapes. Dynamic behavior is contrasted in systems where only one phase has a spontaneous curvature similar to the overall vesicle surface curvature and systems where the spontaneous curvatures of both phases are similar to the overall curvature. The bending energy contribution is typically found to slow the dynamics by stabilizing configurations with multiple domains. Such multiple-domain configurations are found more often in vesicles with spheroidal shapes than in nearly spherical vesicles.

  17. Thermodynamically stable vesicle formation from glycolipid biosurfactant sponge phase.

    PubMed

    Imura, Tomohiro; Yanagishita, Hiroshi; Ohira, Junko; Sakai, Hideki; Abe, Masahiko; Kitamoto, Dai

    2005-06-25

    Thermodynamically stable vesicle (L(alpha1)) formation from glycolipid biosurfactant sponge phase (L(3)) and its mechanism were investigated using a "natural" biocompatible mannosyl-erythritol lipid-A (MEL-A)/L-alpha-dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) mixture by varying the composition. The trapping efficiency for calcein and turbidity measurements clearly indicated the existence of three regions: while the trapping efficiencies of the mixed MEL-A/DLPC assemblies at the compositions with X(DLPC)< or =0.1 or X(DLPC)> or =0.8 were almost zero, the mixed assemblies at the compositions with 0.1 or =0.8 were multilamellar vesicles (L(alpha)) with diameter from 2 to 10 microm. Meanwhile, dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement revealed that the average size of the vesicles at the composition of X(DLPC)=0.3 was 633.2 nm, which is remarkably small compared to other compositions. Moreover, the mixed vesicle solution at the composition of X(DLPC)=0.3 was slightly bluish and turbid and kept its dispersion stability at 25 degrees C for more than 3 months, indicating the formation of a thermodynamically stable vesicle (L(alpha1)). These results exhibited the formation of a thermodynamically stable vesicle (L(alpha1)) with a high dispersibility from the MEL-A/DLPC mixture. The asymmetric distribution of MEL-A and DLPC in the two vesicle monolayers caused by the difference in geometrical structures is very likely to have changed their self-assembled structure from a sponge phase (L(3)) to a thermodynamically stable vesicle (L(alpha1)).

  18. Otoferlin acts as a Ca2+ sensor for vesicle fusion and vesicle pool replenishment at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses

    PubMed Central

    Goutman, Juan D; Auclair, Sarah Marie; Boutet de Monvel, Jacques; Tertrais, Margot; Emptoz, Alice; Parrin, Alexandre; Nouaille, Sylvie; Guillon, Marc; Sachse, Martin; Ciric, Danica; Bahloul, Amel; Hardelin, Jean-Pierre; Sutton, Roger Bryan; Avan, Paul; Krishnakumar, Shyam S; Rothman, James E

    2017-01-01

    Hearing relies on rapid, temporally precise, and sustained neurotransmitter release at the ribbon synapses of sensory cells, the inner hair cells (IHCs). This process requires otoferlin, a six C2-domain, Ca2+-binding transmembrane protein of synaptic vesicles. To decipher the role of otoferlin in the synaptic vesicle cycle, we produced knock-in mice (Otof Ala515,Ala517/Ala515,Ala517) with lower Ca2+-binding affinity of the C2C domain. The IHC ribbon synapse structure, synaptic Ca2+ currents, and otoferlin distribution were unaffected in these mutant mice, but auditory brainstem response wave-I amplitude was reduced. Lower Ca2+ sensitivity and delay of the fast and sustained components of synaptic exocytosis were revealed by membrane capacitance measurement upon modulations of intracellular Ca2+ concentration, by varying Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+-channels or Ca2+ uncaging. Otoferlin thus functions as a Ca2+ sensor, setting the rates of primed vesicle fusion with the presynaptic plasma membrane and synaptic vesicle pool replenishment in the IHC active zone. PMID:29111973

  19. Deformation of giant vesicles in AC electric fields —Dependence of the prolate-to-oblate transition frequency on vesicle radius

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Antonova, K.; Vitkova, V.; Mitov, M. D.

    2010-02-01

    The electrodeformation of giant vesicles is studied as a function of their radii and the frequency of the applied AC field. At low frequency the shape is prolate, at sufficiently high frequency it is oblate and at some frequency, fc, the shape changes from prolate to oblate. A linear dependence of the prolate-to-oblate transition inverse frequency, 1/fc, on the vesicle radius is found. The nature of this phenomenon does not change with the variation of both the solution conductivity, σ, and the type of the fluid enclosed by the lipid membrane (water, sucrose or glucose aqueous solution). When σ increases, the value of fc increases while the slope of the line 1/fc(r) decreases. For vesicles in symmetrical conditions (the same conductivity of the inner and the outer solution) a linear dependence between σ and the critical frequency, fc, is obtained for conductivities up to σ=114 μS/cm. For vesicles with sizes below a certain minimum radius, depending on the solution conductivity, no shape transition could be observed.

  20. Otoferlin acts as a Ca2+ sensor for vesicle fusion and vesicle pool replenishment at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses.

    PubMed

    Michalski, Nicolas; Goutman, Juan D; Auclair, Sarah Marie; Boutet de Monvel, Jacques; Tertrais, Margot; Emptoz, Alice; Parrin, Alexandre; Nouaille, Sylvie; Guillon, Marc; Sachse, Martin; Ciric, Danica; Bahloul, Amel; Hardelin, Jean-Pierre; Sutton, Roger Bryan; Avan, Paul; Krishnakumar, Shyam S; Rothman, James E; Dulon, Didier; Safieddine, Saaid; Petit, Christine

    2017-11-07

    Hearing relies on rapid, temporally precise, and sustained neurotransmitter release at the ribbon synapses of sensory cells, the inner hair cells (IHCs). This process requires otoferlin, a six C 2 -domain, Ca 2+ -binding transmembrane protein of synaptic vesicles. To decipher the role of otoferlin in the synaptic vesicle cycle, we produced knock-in mice ( Otof Ala515,Ala517/Ala515,Ala517 ) with lower Ca 2+ -binding affinity of the C 2 C domain. The IHC ribbon synapse structure, synaptic Ca 2+ currents, and otoferlin distribution were unaffected in these mutant mice, but auditory brainstem response wave-I amplitude was reduced. Lower Ca 2+ sensitivity and delay of the fast and sustained components of synaptic exocytosis were revealed by membrane capacitance measurement upon modulations of intracellular Ca 2+ concentration, by varying Ca 2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca 2+ -channels or Ca 2+ uncaging. Otoferlin thus functions as a Ca 2+ sensor, setting the rates of primed vesicle fusion with the presynaptic plasma membrane and synaptic vesicle pool replenishment in the IHC active zone.

  1. Origins of microstructural transformations in charged vesicle suspensions: the crowding hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Seth, Mansi; Ramachandran, Arun; Murch, Bruce P; Leal, L Gary

    2014-09-02

    It is observed that charged unilamellar vesicles in a suspension can spontaneously deflate and subsequently transition to form bilamellar vesicles, even in the absence of externally applied triggers such as salt or temperature gradients. We provide strong evidence that the driving force for this deflation-induced transition is the repulsive electrostatic pressure between charged vesicles in concentrated suspensions, above a critical effective volume fraction. We use volume fraction measurements and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy imaging to quantitatively follow both the macroscopic and microstructural time-evolution of cationic diC18:1 DEEDMAC vesicle suspensions at different surfactant and salt concentrations. A simple model is developed to estimate the extent of deflation of unilamellar vesicles caused by electrostatic interactions with neighboring vesicles. It is determined that when the effective volume fraction of the suspension exceeds a critical value, charged vesicles in a suspension can experience "crowding" due to overlap of their electrical double layers, which can result in deflation and subsequent microstructural transformations to reduce the effective volume fraction of the suspension. Ordinarily in polydisperse colloidal suspensions, particles interacting via a repulsive potential transform into a glassy state above a critical volume fraction. The behavior of charged vesicle suspensions reported in this paper thus represents a new mechanism for the relaxation of repulsive interactions in crowded situations.

  2. Integral equation methods for vesicle electrohydrodynamics in three dimensions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Veerapaneni, Shravan

    2016-12-01

    In this paper, we develop a new boundary integral equation formulation that describes the coupled electro- and hydro-dynamics of a vesicle suspended in a viscous fluid and subjected to external flow and electric fields. The dynamics of the vesicle are characterized by a competition between the elastic, electric and viscous forces on its membrane. The classical Taylor-Melcher leaky-dielectric model is employed for the electric response of the vesicle and the Helfrich energy model combined with local inextensibility is employed for its elastic response. The coupled governing equations for the vesicle position and its transmembrane electric potential are solved using a numerical method that is spectrally accurate in space and first-order in time. The method uses a semi-implicit time-stepping scheme to overcome the numerical stiffness associated with the governing equations.

  3. Single-step isolation of extracellular vesicles by size-exclusion chromatography

    PubMed Central

    Böing, Anita N.; van der Pol, Edwin; Grootemaat, Anita E.; Coumans, Frank A. W.; Sturk, Auguste; Nieuwland, Rienk

    2014-01-01

    Background Isolation of extracellular vesicles from plasma is a challenge due to the presence of proteins and lipoproteins. Isolation of vesicles using differential centrifugation or density-gradient ultracentrifugation results in co-isolation of contaminants such as protein aggregates and incomplete separation of vesicles from lipoproteins, respectively. Aim To develop a single-step protocol to isolate vesicles from human body fluids. Methods Platelet-free supernatant, derived from platelet concentrates, was loaded on a sepharose CL-2B column to perform size-exclusion chromatography (SEC; n=3). Fractions were collected and analysed by nanoparticle tracking analysis, resistive pulse sensing, flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy. The concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and protein were measured in each fraction. Results Fractions 9–12 contained the highest concentrations of particles larger than 70 nm and platelet-derived vesicles (46%±6 and 61%±2 of totals present in all collected fractions, respectively), but less than 5% of HDL and less than 1% of protein (4.8%±1 and 0.65%±0.3, respectively). HDL was present mainly in fractions 18–20 (32%±2 of total), and protein in fractions 19–21 (36%±2 of total). Compared to the starting material, recovery of platelet-derived vesicles was 43%±23 in fractions 9–12, with an 8-fold and 70-fold enrichment compared to HDL and protein. Conclusions SEC efficiently isolates extracellular vesicles with a diameter larger than 70 nm from platelet-free supernatant of platelet concentrates. Application SEC will improve studies on the dimensional, structural and functional properties of extracellular vesicles. PMID:25279113

  4. Deformation analysis of vesicles in an alternating-current electric field.

    PubMed

    Tang, Yu-Gang; Liu, Ying; Feng, Xi-Qiao

    2014-08-01

    In this paper the shape equation for axisymmetric vesicles subjected to an ac electric field is derived on the basis of the liquid-crystal model. The equilibrium morphology of a lipid vesicle is determined by the minimization of its free energy in coupled mechanical and ac electric fields. Besides elastic bending, the effects of the osmotic pressure difference, surface tension, Maxwell pressure, and flexoelectric and dielectric properties of phospholipid membrane as well are taken into account. The influences of elastic bending, osmotic pressure difference, and surface tension on the frequency-dependent behavior of a vesicle membrane in an ac electric field are examined. The singularity of the ac electric field is also investigated. Our theoretical results of vesicle deformation agree well with previous experimental and numerical results. The present study provides insights into the physical mechanisms underpinning the frequency-dependent morphological evolution of vesicles in the electric and mechanical fields.

  5. Vesicle Stability and Dynamics: An Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Del Bianco, Cristina; Torino, Domenica; Mansy, Sheref S.

    2014-01-01

    A laboratory exercise is described that helps students learn about lipid self-assembly by making vesicles under different solution conditions. Concepts covering the chemical properties of different lipids, the dynamics of lipids, and vesicle stability are explored. Further, the described protocol is easy and cheap to implement. One to two…

  6. Theory of Disk-to-Vesicle Transformation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jianfeng; Shi, An-Chang

    2009-03-01

    Self-assembled membranes from amphiphilic molecules, such as lipids and block copolymers, can assume a variety of morphologies dictated by energy minimization of system. The membrane energy is characterized by a bending modulus (κ), a Gaussian modulus (κG), and the line tension (γ) of the edge. Two basic morphologies of membranes are flat disks that minimize the bending energy at the cost of the edge energy, and enclosed vesicles that minimize the edge energy at the cost of bending energy. In our work, the transition from disk to vesicle is studied theoretically using the string method, which is designed to find the minimum energy path (MEP) or the most probable transition path between two local minima of an energy landscape. Previous studies of disk-to-vesicle transition usually approximate the transitional states by a series of spherical cups, and found that the spherical cups do not correspond to stable or meta-stable states of the system. Our calculation demonstrates that the intermediate shapes along the MEP are very different from spherical cups. Furthermore, some of these transitional states can be meta-stable. The disk-to-vesicle transition pathways are governed by two scaled parameters, κG/κ and γR0/4κ, where R0 is the radius of the disk. In particular, a meta-stable intermediate state is predicted, which may correspond to the open morphologies observed in experiments and simulations.

  7. Case report: endoscopic management of seminal vesicle stones with cutaneous fistula.

    PubMed

    Modi, Pranjal R

    2006-06-01

    Stones in the seminal vesicle are rare. Open surgery to remove either the seminal vesicle or the stone usually is required. We report a case of seminal-vesicle stones compounded by cutaneous fistula that was treated by ureteroscopy, intracorporeal lithotripsy, and fulguration of the fistulous tract.

  8. Superresolution and pulse-chase imaging reveal the role of vesicle transport in polar growth of fungal cells

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Lu; Evangelinos, Minoas; Wernet, Valentin; Eckert, Antonia F.; Ishitsuka, Yuji; Fischer, Reinhard; Nienhaus, G. Ulrich; Takeshita, Norio

    2018-01-01

    Polarized growth of filamentous fungi requires continuous transport of biomolecules to the hyphal tip. To this end, construction materials are packaged in vesicles and transported by motor proteins along microtubules and actin filaments. We have studied these processes with quantitative superresolution localization microscopy of live Aspergillus nidulans cells expressing the photoconvertible protein mEosFPthermo fused to the chitin synthase ChsB. ChsB is mainly located at the Spitzenkörper near the hyphal tip and produces chitin, a key component of the cell wall. We have visualized the pulsatory dynamics of the Spitzenkörper, reflecting vesicle accumulation before exocytosis and their subsequent fusion with the apical plasma membrane. Furthermore, high-speed pulse-chase imaging after photoconversion of mEosFPthermo in a tightly focused spot revealed that ChsB is transported with two different speeds from the cell body to the hyphal tip and vice versa. Comparative analysis using motor protein deletion mutants allowed us to assign the fast movements (7 to 10 μm s−1) to transport of secretory vesicles by kinesin-1, and the slower ones (2 to 7 μm s−1) to transport by kinesin-3 on early endosomes. Our results show how motor proteins ensure the supply of vesicles to the hyphal tip, where temporally regulated exocytosis results in stepwise tip extension. PMID:29387789

  9. Vesicle dynamics in a confined Poiseuille flow: from steady state to chaos.

    PubMed

    Aouane, Othmane; Thiébaud, Marine; Benyoussef, Abdelilah; Wagner, Christian; Misbah, Chaouqi

    2014-09-01

    Red blood cells (RBCs) are the major component of blood, and the flow of blood is dictated by that of RBCs. We employ vesicles, which consist of closed bilayer membranes enclosing a fluid, as a model system to study the behavior of RBCs under a confined Poiseuille flow. We extensively explore two main parameters: (i) the degree of confinement of vesicles within the channel and (ii) the flow strength. Rich and complex dynamics for vesicles are revealed, ranging from steady-state shapes (in the form of parachute and slipper shapes) to chaotic dynamics of shape. Chaos occurs through a cascade of multiple periodic oscillations of the vesicle shape. We summarize our results in a phase diagram in the parameter plane (degree of confinement and flow strength). This finding highlights the level of complexity of a flowing vesicle in the small Reynolds number where the flow is laminar in the absence of vesicles and can be rendered turbulent due to elasticity of vesicles.

  10. 5-Aminolevulinic acid-based photochemical internalization of the immunotoxin MOC31-gelonin generates synergistic cytotoxic effects in vitro.

    PubMed

    Selbo, P K; Kaalhus, O; Sivam, G; Berg, K

    2001-08-01

    Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a novel method for the endosomal or lysosomal release of membrane-impermeable molecules into the cytosol of target cells. This novel technology is based on the photodynamically induced rupture of endocytic vesicles preloaded with molecules of therapeutic interest. PCI of the ribosome-inactivating plant toxin gelonin and the immunotoxin monoclonal antibody 31 (MOC31) gelonin has been performed previously by the use of the endocytic vesicle-localizing photosensitizers TPPS2a and AIPcS2a and light, demonstrating synergistic toxicity against the more than 20 different cell lines tested, most of them of neoplastic origin. In this study we demonstrate that 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is also capable of inducing PCI of MOC31-gelonin in the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line WiDr. The cells were incubated with 1 mM 5-ALA for up to 8 h in serum-free medium and from 24 to 96 h in serum-containing medium. Fluorescence microscopical studies indicate a partial plasma membrane localization of PpIX when 5-ALA was applied under serum-free conditions. This plasma membrane localization was not seen when 5-ALA was given in the presence of serum. There was a granular component of the PpIX localization in addition to a diffuse cytoplasmic localization. The granular component resembled the localization of the fluorescent dye conjugate Alexa-gelonin and the lysosomal localizing dye acridine orange. Our present results provide evidence for an endocytic vesicle-associated fraction of PpIX after 5-ALA incubation of the WiDr cells. We demonstrate that PCI, by combining 5-ALA, MOC31-gelonin and light, induces a synergistic cytotoxic effect against the WiDr cells.

  11. Effects of exosome-like vesicles on cumulus expansion in pigs in vitro.

    PubMed

    Matsuno, Yuta; Onuma, Asuka; Fujioka, Yoshie A; Yasuhara, Kazuma; Fujii, Wataru; Naito, Kunihiko; Sugiura, Koji

    2017-02-16

    Cell-secreted vesicles, such as exosomes, have recently been recognized as mediators of cell communication. A recent study in cattle showed the involvement of exosome-like vesicles in the control of cumulus expansion, a prerequisite process for normal ovulation; however, whether this is the case in other mammalian species is not known. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the presence of exosome-like vesicles in ovarian follicles and their effects on cumulus expansion in vitro in pigs. The presence of exosome-like vesicles in porcine follicular fluid (pFF) was confirmed by transmission electron microscopic observation, the detection of marker proteins, and RNA profiles specific to exosomes. Fluorescently labeled exosome-like vesicles isolated from pFF were incorporated into both cumulus and mural granulosa cells in vitro. Exosome-like vesicles were not capable of inducing cumulus expansion to a degree comparable to that induced by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Moreover, exosome-like vesicles had no significant effects on the expression levels of transcripts required for the normal expansion process (HAS2, TNFAIP6, and PTGS2). Interestingly, FSH-induced expression of HAS2 and TNFAIP6 mRNA, but not of PTGS2 mRNA, was significantly increased by the presence of exosome-like vesicles; however, the degree of FSH-induced expansion was not affected. In addition, porcine exosome-like vesicles had no significant effects on the expansion of mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes. Collectively, the present results suggest that exosome-like vesicles are present in pFF, but they are not efficient in inducing cumulus expansion in pigs.

  12. Effects of exosome-like vesicles on cumulus expansion in pigs in vitro

    PubMed Central

    MATSUNO, Yuta; ONUMA, Asuka; FUJIOKA, Yoshie A; YASUHARA, Kazuma; FUJII, Wataru; NAITO, Kunihiko; SUGIURA, Koji

    2017-01-01

    Cell-secreted vesicles, such as exosomes, have recently been recognized as mediators of cell communication. A recent study in cattle showed the involvement of exosome-like vesicles in the control of cumulus expansion, a prerequisite process for normal ovulation; however, whether this is the case in other mammalian species is not known. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the presence of exosome-like vesicles in ovarian follicles and their effects on cumulus expansion in vitro in pigs. The presence of exosome-like vesicles in porcine follicular fluid (pFF) was confirmed by transmission electron microscopic observation, the detection of marker proteins, and RNA profiles specific to exosomes. Fluorescently labeled exosome-like vesicles isolated from pFF were incorporated into both cumulus and mural granulosa cells in vitro. Exosome-like vesicles were not capable of inducing cumulus expansion to a degree comparable to that induced by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Moreover, exosome-like vesicles had no significant effects on the expression levels of transcripts required for the normal expansion process (HAS2, TNFAIP6, and PTGS2). Interestingly, FSH-induced expression of HAS2 and TNFAIP6 mRNA, but not of PTGS2 mRNA, was significantly increased by the presence of exosome-like vesicles; however, the degree of FSH-induced expansion was not affected. In addition, porcine exosome-like vesicles had no significant effects on the expansion of mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes. Collectively, the present results suggest that exosome-like vesicles are present in pFF, but they are not efficient in inducing cumulus expansion in pigs. PMID:28163264

  13. Transfer of Oleic Acid between Albumin and Phospholipid Vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamilton, James A.; Cistola, David P.

    1986-01-01

    The net transfer of oleic acid between egg phosphatidylcholine unilamellar vesicles and bovine serum albumin has been monitored by 13C NMR spectroscopy and 90% isotopically substituted [1-13C]oleic acid. The carboxyl chemical shifts of oleic acid bound to albumin were different from those for oleic acid in phospholipid vesicles. Therefore, in mixtures of donor particles (vesicles or albumin with oleic acid) and acceptor particles (fatty acid-free albumin or vesicles), the equilibrium distribution of oleic acid was determined from chemical shift and peak intensity data without separation of donor and acceptor particles. In a system containing equal masses of albumin and phospholipid and a stoichiometry of 4-5 mol of oleic acid per mol of albumin, the oleic acid distribution was pH dependent, with >= 80% of the oleic acid associated with albumin at pH 7.4; association was >= 90% at pH 8.0. Decreasing the pH below 7.4 markedly decreased the proportion of fatty acid bound to albumin; at pH 5.4, <= 10% of the oleic acid was bound to albumin and >90% was associated with vesicles. The distribution was reversible with pH and was independent of whether vesicles or albumin acted as a donor. These data suggest that pH may strongly influence the partitioning of fatty acid between cellular membranes and albumin. The 13C NMR method is also advantageous because it provides information about the structural environments of oleic acid bound to albumin or phospholipid, the ionization state of oleic acid in each environment, and the structural integrity of the vesicles. In addition, minimum and maximum limits for the exchange rates of oleic acid among different environments were obtained from the NMR data.

  14. Revisiting synaptic vesicle pool localization in the Drosophila neuromuscular junction

    PubMed Central

    Denker, Annette; Kröhnert, Katharina; Rizzoli, Silvio O

    2009-01-01

    The synaptic vesicles are organized in distinct populations or ‘pools’: the readily releasable pool (the first vesicles released upon stimulation), the recycling pool (which maintains release under moderate stimulation) and the reserve pool (which is called into action only upon strong, often unphysiological stimulation). A major question in the field is whether the pools consist of biochemically different vesicles or whether the pool tag is a spatial one (with the recycling vesicles found next to the release sites, and the reserve ones farther away). A strong and stable spatial segregation has been proposed in the last decade in the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction – albeit based solely on light microscopy experiments. We have tested here this hypothesis using electron microscopy (EM) photoconversion. We found the recycling and reserve pools to be thoroughly intermixed at the EM level, indicating that spatial location is irrelevant for the functional properties of the vesicle. PMID:19403600

  15. Shape fluctuations of nearly spherical lipid vesicles and emulsion droplets.

    PubMed

    Bivas, Isak

    2010-06-01

    It is known that the relaxation of the shape fluctuations of nearly spherical lipid vesicles is accompanied by a lateral displacement of the monolayers, comprising their bilayers. In this work a dissipation mechanism of the mechanical energy stored in the fluctuation is revealed that concerns the viscous friction of the flow in the liquid around the vesicle caused by this displacement. The time correlation functions of each of the vesicle's fluctuation modes are calculated as a function of the mechanical and rheological properties of the system which are the tension of the vesicle bilayer, its bending elasticities at free and blocked flip-flop, the viscosities of the liquids bathing the bilayer, the friction coefficient between the two monolayers, as well as the vesicle's dimensions: its bilayer thickness and radius. The correlations of the shape fluctuations of nearly spherical emulsion droplets are also calculated for different viscosities of the liquid inside and outside the droplet.

  16. Two Novel Rab2 Interactors Regulate Dense-core Vesicle Maturation

    PubMed Central

    Ailion, Michael; Hannemann, Mandy; Dalton, Susan; Pappas, Andrea; Watanabe, Shigeki; Hegermann, Jan; Liu, Qiang; Han, Hsiao-Fen; Gu, Mingyu; Goulding, Morgan Q.; Sasidharan, Nikhil; Schuske, Kim; Hullett, Patrick; Eimer, Stefan; Jorgensen, Erik M.

    2014-01-01

    Summary Peptide neuromodulators are released from a unique organelle: the dense-core vesicle. Dense-core vesicles are generated at the trans-Golgi, and then sort cargo during maturation before being secreted. To identify proteins that act in this pathway, we performed a genetic screen in Caenorhabditis elegans for mutants defective in dense-core vesicle function. We identified two conserved Rab2-binding proteins: RUND-1, a RUN domain protein, and CCCP-1, a coiled-coil protein. RUND-1 and CCCP-1 colocalize with RAB-2 at the Golgi, and rab-2, rund-1 and cccp-1 mutants have similar defects in sorting soluble and transmembrane dense-core vesicle cargos. RUND-1 also interacts with the Rab2 GAP protein TBC-8 and the BAR domain protein RIC-19, a RAB-2 effector. In summary, a new pathway of conserved proteins controls the maturation of dense-core vesicles at the trans-Golgi network. PMID:24698274

  17. Involvement of vesicle coat material in casein secretion and surface regeneration

    PubMed Central

    1976-01-01

    The ultrastructure of the apical zone of lactating rat mammary epithelial cells was studied with emphasis on vesicle coat structures. Typical 40-60 nm ID "coated vesicles" were abundant, frequently associated with the internal filamentous plasma membrane coat or in direct continuity with secretory vesicles (SV) or plasma membrane proper. Bristle coats partially or totally covered membranes of secretory vesicles identified by their casein micelle content. This coat survived SV isolation. Exocytotic fusion of SV membranes and release of the casein micelles was observed. Frequently, regularly arranged bristle coat structures were identified in those regions of the plasma membrane that were involved in exocytotic processes. Both coated and uncoated surfaces of the casein-containing vesicles, as well as typical "coated vesicles", were frequently associated with microtubules and/or microfilaments. We suggest that coat materials of vesicles are related or identical to components of the internal coat of the surface membrane and that new plasma membrane and associated internal coat is produced concomitantly by fusion and integration of bristle coat moieties. Postexocytotic association of secreted casein micelles with the cell surface, mediated by finely filamentous extensions, provided a marker for the integrated vesicle membrane. An arrangement of SV with the inner surface of the plasma membrane is described which is characterized by regularly spaced, heabily stained membrane to membrane cross-bridges (pre-exocytotic attachment plaques). Such membrane-interconnecting elements may represent a form of coat structure important to recognition and interaction of membrane surfaces. PMID:1254641

  18. The Rab7 effector PLEKHM1 binds Arl8b to promote cargo traffic to lysosomes

    PubMed Central

    Marwaha, Rituraj; Arya, Subhash B.; Jagga, Divya; Kaur, Harmeet

    2017-01-01

    Endocytic, autophagic, and phagocytic vesicles move on microtubule tracks to fuse with lysosomes. Small GTPases, such as Rab7 and Arl8b, recruit their downstream effectors to mediate this transport and fusion. However, the potential cross talk between these two GTPases is unclear. Here, we show that the Rab7 effector PLEKHM1 simultaneously binds Rab7 and Arl8b, bringing about clustering and fusion of late endosomes and lysosomes. We show that the N-terminal RUN domain of PLEKHM1 is necessary and sufficient for interaction with Arl8b and its subsequent localization to lysosomes. Notably, we also demonstrate that Arl8b mediates recruitment of HOPS complex to PLEKHM1-positive vesicle contact sites. Consequently, Arl8b binding to PLEKHM1 is required for its function in delivery and, therefore, degradation of endocytic and autophagic cargo in lysosomes. Finally, we also show that PLEKHM1 competes with SKIP for Arl8b binding, which dictates lysosome positioning. These findings suggest that Arl8b, along with its effectors, orchestrates lysosomal transport and fusion. PMID:28325809

  19. Membrane trafficking: decoding vesicle identity with contrasting chemistries.

    PubMed

    Frost, Adam

    2011-10-11

    Proteins involved in membrane traffic must distinguish between different classes of vesicles. New work now shows that α-synuclein and ALPS motifs represent two extreme types of amphipathic helix that are tuned to detect both the curvature of transport vesicles as well as their bulk lipid content. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Freeze-thaw and high-voltage discharge allow macromolecule uptake into ileal brush-border vesicles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Donowitz, M.; Emmer, E.; McCullen, J.

    1987-06-01

    High-voltage discharge or one cycle of freeze-thawing are shown to transiently permeabilize rabbit ileal brush-border membrane vesicles to macromolecules. Uptake of the radiolabeled macromolecule dextran, mol wt 70,000, used as a marker for vesicle permeability, was determined by a rapid filtration technique, with uptake defined as substrate associated with the vesicle and releasable after incubation of vesicles with 0.1% saponin. Dextran added immediately after electric shock (2000 V) or at the beginning of one cycle of freeze-thawing was taken up approximately eightfold compared with control. ATP also was taken up into freeze-thawed vesicles, whereas there was no significant uptake intomore » control vesicles. The increase in vesicle permeability was reversible, based on Na-dependent D-glucose uptake being decreased when studied 5 but not 15 min after electric shock, and was not significantly decreased after completion of one cycle of freeze-thawing. In addition, adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate and Ca/sup 2 +/-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity were similar in control vesicles and vesicles exposed to high-voltage discharge or freeze-thawing. Also, vesicles freeze-thawed with (/sup 32/P)ATP demonstrated increased phosphorylation compared with nonfrozen vesicles, while freeze-thawing did not alter vesicle protein as judged by Coomassie blue staining. These techniques should allow intestinal membrane vesicles to be used for studies of intracellular control of transport processes, for instance, studies of protein kinase regulation of transport.« less

  1. Roles of the TRAPP-II Complex and the Exocyst in Membrane Deposition during Fission Yeast Cytokinesis

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Ning; Lee, I-Ju; Rask, Galen; Wu, Jian-Qiu

    2016-01-01

    The cleavage-furrow tip adjacent to the actomyosin contractile ring is believed to be the predominant site for plasma-membrane insertion through exocyst-tethered vesicles during cytokinesis. Here we found that most secretory vesicles are delivered by myosin-V on linear actin cables in fission yeast cytokinesis. Surprisingly, by tracking individual exocytic and endocytic events, we found that vesicles with new membrane are deposited to the cleavage furrow relatively evenly during contractile-ring constriction, but the rim of the cleavage furrow is the main site for endocytosis. Fusion of vesicles with the plasma membrane requires vesicle tethers. Our data suggest that the transport particle protein II (TRAPP-II) complex and Rab11 GTPase Ypt3 help to tether secretory vesicles or tubulovesicular structures along the cleavage furrow while the exocyst tethers vesicles at the rim of the division plane. We conclude that the exocyst and TRAPP-II complex have distinct localizations at the division site, but both are important for membrane expansion and exocytosis during cytokinesis. PMID:27082518

  2. Calcium transport in vesicles energized by cytochrome oxidase

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rosier, Randy N.

    1979-01-01

    Experiments on the reconstitution of cytochrome oxidase into phospholipid vesicles were carried out using techniques of selectivity energizing the suspensions with ascorbate and cytochrome c or ascorbate, PMS, and internally trapped cytochrome c. It was found that the K + selective ionophore valinomycin stimulated the rate of respiration of cytochrome oxidase vesicles regardless of the direction of the K + flux across the vesicle membranes. The stimulation occurred in the presence of protonophoric uncouplers and in the complete absence of potassium or in detergent-lysed suspensions. Gramicidin had similar effects and it was determined that the ionophores acted by specific interactionmore » with cytochrome oxidase rather than by the previously assumed collapse of membrane potentials. When hydrophobic proteins and appropriate coupling factors were incorporated into the cytochrome oxidase, vesicles phosphorylation of ADP could be coupled to the oxidation reaction of cytochrome oxidase. Relatively low P:O, representing poor coupling of the system, were problematical and precluded measurements of protonmotive force. However the system was used to study ion translocation.« less

  3. An AFM-based pit-measuring method for indirect measurements of cell-surface membrane vesicles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Xiaojun; Department of Biotechnology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031; Chen, Yuan

    2014-03-28

    Highlights: • Air drying induced the transformation of cell-surface membrane vesicles into pits. • An AFM-based pit-measuring method was developed to measure cell-surface vesicles. • Our method detected at least two populations of cell-surface membrane vesicles. - Abstract: Circulating membrane vesicles, which are shed from many cell types, have multiple functions and have been correlated with many diseases. Although circulating membrane vesicles have been extensively characterized, the status of cell-surface membrane vesicles prior to their release is less understood due to the lack of effective measurement methods. Recently, as a powerful, micro- or nano-scale imaging tool, atomic force microscopy (AFM)more » has been applied in measuring circulating membrane vesicles. However, it seems very difficult for AFM to directly image/identify and measure cell-bound membrane vesicles due to the similarity of surface morphology between membrane vesicles and cell surfaces. Therefore, until now no AFM studies on cell-surface membrane vesicles have been reported. In this study, we found that air drying can induce the transformation of most cell-surface membrane vesicles into pits that are more readily detectable by AFM. Based on this, we developed an AFM-based pit-measuring method and, for the first time, used AFM to indirectly measure cell-surface membrane vesicles on cultured endothelial cells. Using this approach, we observed and quantitatively measured at least two populations of cell-surface membrane vesicles, a nanoscale population (<500 nm in diameter peaking at ∼250 nm) and a microscale population (from 500 nm to ∼2 μm peaking at ∼0.8 μm), whereas confocal microscopy only detected the microscale population. The AFM-based pit-measuring method is potentially useful for studying cell-surface membrane vesicles and for investigating the mechanisms of membrane vesicle formation/release.« less

  4. Characterization of protective extracellular membrane-derived vesicles produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae.

    PubMed

    Olaya-Abril, Alfonso; Prados-Rosales, Rafael; McConnell, Michael J; Martín-Peña, Reyes; González-Reyes, José Antonio; Jiménez-Munguía, Irene; Gómez-Gascón, Lidia; Fernández, Javier; Luque-García, José L; García-Lidón, Carlos; Estévez, Héctor; Pachón, Jerónimo; Obando, Ignacio; Casadevall, Arturo; Pirofski, Liise-Anne; Rodríguez-Ortega, Manuel J

    2014-06-25

    Extracellular vesicles are produced by many pathogenic microorganisms and have varied functions that include secretion and release of microbial factors, which contribute to virulence. Very little is known about vesicle production by Gram-positive bacteria, as well as their biogenesis and release mechanisms. In this work, we demonstrate the active production of vesicles by Streptococcus pneumoniae from the plasma membrane, rather than being a product from cell lysis. We biochemically characterized them by proteomics and fatty acid analysis, showing that these vesicles and the plasma membrane resemble in essential aspects, but have some differences: vesicles are more enriched in lipoproteins and short-chain fatty acids. We also demonstrate that these vesicles act as carriers of surface proteins and virulence factors. They are also highly immunoreactive against human sera and induce immune responses that protect against infection. Overall, this work provides insights into the biology of this important Gram-positive human pathogen and the role of extracellular vesicles in clinical applications. Pneumococcus is one of the leading causes of bacterial pneumonia worldwide in children and the elderly, being responsible for high morbidity and mortality rates in developing countries. The augment of pneumococcal disease in developed countries has raised major public health concern, since the difficulties to treat these infections due to increasing antibiotic resistance. Vaccination is still the best way to combat pneumococcal infections. One of the mechanisms that bacterial pathogens use to combat the defense responses of invaded hosts is the production and release of extracellular vesicles derived from the outer surface. Little is known about this phenomenon in Gram-positives. We show that pneumococcus produces membrane-derived vesicles particularly enriched in lipoproteins. We also show the utility of pneumococcal vesicles as a new type of vaccine, as they induce protection

  5. Evidence for recycling of synaptic vesicle membrane during transmitter release at the frog neuromuscular junction.

    PubMed

    Heuser, J E; Reese, T S

    1973-05-01

    When the nerves of isolated frog sartorius muscles were stimulated at 10 Hz, synaptic vesicles in the motor nerve terminals became transiently depleted. This depletion apparently resulted from a redistribution rather than disappearance of synaptic vesicle membrane, since the total amount of membrane comprising these nerve terminals remained constant during stimulation. At 1 min of stimulation, the 30% depletion in synaptic vesicle membrane was nearly balanced by an increase in plasma membrane, suggesting that vesicle membrane rapidly moved to the surface as it might if vesicles released their content of transmitter by exocytosis. After 15 min of stimulation, the 60% depletion of synaptic vesicle membrane was largely balanced by the appearance of numerous irregular membrane-walled cisternae inside the terminals, suggesting that vesicle membrane was retrieved from the surface as cisternae. When muscles were rested after 15 min of stimulation, cisternae disappeared and synaptic vesicles reappeared, suggesting that cisternae divided to form new synaptic vesicles so that the original vesicle membrane was now recycled into new synaptic vesicles. When muscles were soaked in horseradish peroxidase (HRP), this tracerfirst entered the cisternae which formed during stimulation and then entered a large proportion of the synaptic vesicles which reappeared during rest, strengthening the idea that synaptic vesicle membrane added to the surface was retrieved as cisternae which subsequently divided to form new vesicles. When muscles containing HRP in synaptic vesicles were washed to remove extracellular HRP and restimulated, HRP disappeared from vesicles without appearing in the new cisternae formed during the second stimulation, confirming that a one-way recycling of synaptic membrane, from the surface through cisternae to new vesicles, was occurring. Coated vesicles apparently represented the actual mechanism for retrieval of synaptic vesicle membrane from the plasma membrane

  6. EVIDENCE FOR RECYCLING OF SYNAPTIC VESICLE MEMBRANE DURING TRANSMITTER RELEASE AT THE FROG NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION

    PubMed Central

    Heuser, J. E.; Reese, T. S.

    1973-01-01

    When the nerves of isolated frog sartorius muscles were stimulated at 10 Hz, synaptic vesicles in the motor nerve terminals became transiently depleted. This depletion apparently resulted from a redistribution rather than disappearance of synaptic vesicle membrane, since the total amount of membrane comprising these nerve terminals remained constant during stimulation. At 1 min of stimulation, the 30% depletion in synaptic vesicle membrane was nearly balanced by an increase in plasma membrane, suggesting that vesicle membrane rapidly moved to the surface as it might if vesicles released their content of transmitter by exocytosis. After 15 min of stimulation, the 60% depletion of synaptic vesicle membrane was largely balanced by the appearance of numerous irregular membrane-walled cisternae inside the terminals, suggesting that vesicle membrane was retrieved from the surface as cisternae. When muscles were rested after 15 min of stimulation, cisternae disappeared and synaptic vesicles reappeared, suggesting that cisternae divided to form new synaptic vesicles so that the original vesicle membrane was now recycled into new synaptic vesicles. When muscles were soaked in horseradish peroxidase (HRP), this tracerfirst entered the cisternae which formed during stimulation and then entered a large proportion of the synaptic vesicles which reappeared during rest, strengthening the idea that synaptic vesicle membrane added to the surface was retrieved as cisternae which subsequently divided to form new vesicles. When muscles containing HRP in synaptic vesicles were washed to remove extracellular HRP and restimulated, HRP disappeared from vesicles without appearing in the new cisternae formed during the second stimulation, confirming that a one-way recycling of synaptic membrane, from the surface through cisternae to new vesicles, was occurring. Coated vesicles apparently represented the actual mechanism for retrieval of synaptic vesicle membrane from the plasma membrane

  7. Dissociation of Recombinant Prion Protein Fibrils into Short Protofilaments: Implications for the Endocytic Pathway and Involvement of the N-Terminal Domain

    PubMed Central

    Qi, Xu; Moore, Roger A.; McGuirl, Michele A.

    2012-01-01

    Fibril dissociation is necessary for efficient conversion of normal prion protein to its misfolded state and continued propagation into amyloid. Recent studies have revealed that conversion occurs along the endocytic pathway. To better understand the dissociation process, we have investigated the effect of low pH on the stability of recombinant prion fibrils. We show that under conditions that mimic the endocytic environment, amyloid fibrils made from full length prion protein dissociate both laterally and axially to form protofilaments. About 5% of the protofilaments are short enough to be considered soluble and contain ~100–300 monomers per structure; these also retain the biophysical characteristics of the filaments. We propose that protonation of His residues and charge repulsion in the N-terminal domain trigger fibril dissociation. Our data suggest that lysosomes and late endosomes are competent milieus for propagating the misfolded state not only by destabilizing the normal prion protein, but by accelerating fibril dissociation into smaller structures that may act as seeds. PMID:22591453

  8. Label-free tracking of single extracellular vesicles in a nano-fluidic optical fiber (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Pol, Edwin; Weidlich, Stefan; Lahini, Yoav; Coumans, Frank A. W.; Sturk, Auguste; Nieuwland, Rienk; Schmidt, Markus A.; Faez, Sanli; van Leeuwen, Ton G.

    2016-03-01

    Background: Extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, are abundantly present in human body fluids. Since the size, concentration and composition of these vesicles change during disease, vesicles have promising clinical applications, including cancer diagnosis. However, since ~70% of the vesicles have a diameter <70 nm, detection of single vesicles remains challenging. Thus far, vesicles <70 nm have only be studied by techniques that require the vesicles to be adhered to a surface. Consequently, the majority of vesicles have never been studied in their physiological environment. We present a novel label-free optical technique to track single vesicles <70 nm in suspension. Method: Urinary vesicles were contained within a single-mode light-guiding silica fiber containing a 600 nm nano-fluidic channel. Light from a diode laser (660 nm wavelength) was coupled to the fiber, resulting in a strongly confined optical mode in the nano-fluidic channel, which continuously illuminated the freely diffusing vesicles inside the channel. The elastic light scattering from the vesicles, in the direction orthogonal to the fiber axis, was collected using a microscope objective (NA=0.95) and imaged with a home-built microscope. Results: We have tracked single urinary vesicles as small as 35 nm by elastic light scattering. Please note that vesicles are low-refractive index (n<1.4) particles, which we confirmed by combining data on thermal diffusion and light scattering cross section. Conclusions: For the first time, we have studied vesicles <70 nm freely diffusing in suspension. The ease-of-use and performance of this technique support its potential for vesicle-based clinical applications.

  9. Kinetics of DNA-mediated docking reactions between vesicles tethered to supported lipid bilayers

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Yee-Hung M.; Lenz, Peter; Boxer, Steven G.

    2007-01-01

    Membrane–membrane recognition and binding are crucial in many biological processes. We report an approach to studying the dynamics of such reactions by using DNA-tethered vesicles as a general scaffold for displaying membrane components. This system was used to characterize the docking reaction between two populations of tethered vesicles that display complementary DNA. Deposition of vesicles onto a supported lipid bilayer was performed by using a microfluidic device to prevent mixing of the vesicles in bulk during sample preparation. Once tethered onto the surface, vesicles mixed via two-dimensional diffusion. DNA-mediated docking of two reacting vesicles results in their colocalization after collision and their subsequent tandem motion. Individual docking events and population kinetics were observed via epifluorescence microscopy. A lattice-diffusion simulation was implemented to extract from experimental data the probability, Pdock, that a collision leads to docking. For individual vesicles displaying small numbers of docking DNA, Pdock shows a first-order relationship with copy number as well as a strong dependence on the DNA sequence. Both trends are explained by a model that includes both tethered vesicle diffusion on the supported bilayer and docking DNA diffusion over each vesicle's surface. These results provide the basis for the application of tethered vesicles to study other membrane reactions including protein-mediated docking and fusion. PMID:18025472

  10. Calmodulin stimulation of calcium transport in carrot microsomal vesicles. [Daucus carota

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pierce, W.S.; Sze, H.

    1987-04-01

    ATP-dependent /sup 45/Ca/sup 2 +/ uptake into microsomal vesicles isolated from cultured carrot cells (Daucus carota Danvers) was stimulated 2-3 fold by 5 ug/ml calmodulin (CaM). Microsomal vesicles separated with a linear sucrose gradient showed two peaks with CaM-stimulated Ca/sup 2 +/ uptake activities. One peak (at 1.12 g/cc) comigrated with the activity of the antimycin A-insensitive NADH-dependent cytochrome c reductase. This transport activity was enhanced 10-20 fold by 10 mM oxalate and appeared to be associates with vesicles derived primarily from the ER. The other peak of CaM-stimulated Ca/sup 2 +/ uptake (at 1.17 g/cc) was not affected bymore » oxalate. These vesicles are probably derived from the plasma membrane. Preliminary experiments with the low-density vesicles (ER) vesicles, indicate that inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate caused a transient reduction in intravesicular Ca/sup 2 +/. These results are consistent with the ER being an important site of intracellular Ca/sup 2 +/ regulation.« less

  11. Equilibrium electrodeformation of a spheroidal vesicle in an ac electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nganguia, H.; Young, Y.-N.

    2013-11-01

    In this work, we develop a theoretical model to explain the equilibrium spheroidal deformation of a giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV) under an alternating (ac) electric field. Suspended in a leaky dielectric fluid, the vesicle membrane is modeled as a thin capacitive spheroidal shell. The equilibrium vesicle shape results from the balance between mechanical forces from the viscous fluid, the restoring elastic membrane forces, and the externally imposed electric forces. Our spheroidal model predicts a deformation-dependent transmembrane potential, and is able to capture large deformation of a vesicle under an electric field. A detailed comparison against both experiments and small-deformation (quasispherical) theory showed that the spheroidal model gives better agreement with experiments in terms of the dependence on fluid conductivity ratio, permittivity ratio, vesicle size, electric field strength, and frequency. The spheroidal model also allows for an asymptotic analysis on the crossover frequency where the equilibrium vesicle shape crosses over between prolate and oblate shapes. Comparisons show that the spheroidal model gives better agreement with experimental observations.

  12. A novel assay to identify the trafficking proteins that bind to specific vesicle populations

    PubMed Central

    Bentley, Marvin; Banker, Gary

    2016-01-01

    Here we describe a method capable of identifying interactions between candidate trafficking proteins and a defined vesicle population in intact cells. The assay involves the expression of an FKBP12-rapamycin–binding domain (FRB)–tagged candidate vesicle-binding protein that can be inducibly linked to an FKBP-tagged molecular motor. If the FRB-tagged candidate protein binds the labeled vesicles, then linking the FRB and FKBP domains recruits motors to the vesicles and causes a predictable, highly distinctive change in vesicle trafficking. We describe two versions of the assay: a general protocol for use in cells with a typical microtubule-organizing center and a specialized protocol designed to detect protein-vesicle interactions in cultured neurons. We have successfully used this assay to identify kinesins and Rabs that bind to a variety of different vesicle populations. In principle, this assay could be used to investigate interactions between any category of vesicle trafficking proteins and any vesicle population that can be specifically labeled. PMID:26621371

  13. Rapid synaptic vesicle endocytosis in cone photoreceptors of salamander retina

    PubMed Central

    Van Hook, Matthew J.; Thoreson, Wallace B.

    2013-01-01

    Following synaptic vesicle exocytosis, neurons retrieve the fused membrane by a process of endocytosis in order to provide a supply of vesicles for subsequent release and maintain the presynaptic active zone. Rod and cone photoreceptors use a specialized structure called the synaptic ribbon that enables them to sustain high rates of neurotransmitter release. They must also employ mechanisms of synaptic vesicle endocytosis capable of keeping up with release. While much is known about endocytosis at another retinal ribbon synapse, that of the goldfish Mb1 bipolar cell, less is known about endocytosis in photoreceptors. We used capacitance recording techniques to measure vesicle membrane fusion and retrieval in photoreceptors from salamander retinal slices. We found that application of brief depolarizing steps (<100 ms) to cones evoked exocytosis followed by rapid endocytosis with a time constant ~250 ms. In some cases, the capacitance trace overshot the baseline, indicating excess endocytosis. Calcium had no effect on the time constant, but enhanced excess endocytosis resulting in a faster rate of membrane retrieval. Surprisingly, endocytosis was unaffected by blockers of dynamin, suggesting that cone endocytosis is dynamin-independent. This contrasts with synaptic vesicle endocytosis in rods, which was inhibited by the dynamin inhibitor dynasore and GTPγS introduced through the patch pipette, suggesting that the two photoreceptor types employ distinct pathways for vesicle retrieval. The fast kinetics of synaptic vesicle endocytosis in photoreceptors likely enables these cells to maintain a high rate of transmitter release, allowing them to faithfully signal changes in illumination to second-order neurons. PMID:23238726

  14. Membrane vesicles in sea water: heterogeneous DNA content and implications for viral abundance estimates

    PubMed Central

    Biller, Steven J; McDaniel, Lauren D; Breitbart, Mya; Rogers, Everett; Paul, John H; Chisholm, Sallie W

    2017-01-01

    Diverse microbes release membrane-bound extracellular vesicles from their outer surfaces into the surrounding environment. Vesicles are found in numerous habitats including the oceans, where they likely have a variety of functional roles in microbial ecosystems. Extracellular vesicles are known to contain a range of biomolecules including DNA, but the frequency with which DNA is packaged in vesicles is unknown. Here, we examine the quantity and distribution of DNA associated with vesicles released from five different bacteria. The average quantity of double-stranded DNA and size distribution of DNA fragments released within vesicles varies among different taxa. Although some vesicles contain sufficient DNA to be visible following staining with the SYBR fluorescent DNA dyes typically used to enumerate viruses, this represents only a small proportion (<0.01–1%) of vesicles. Thus DNA is packaged heterogeneously within vesicle populations, and it appears that vesicles are likely to be a minor component of SYBR-visible particles in natural sea water compared with viruses. Consistent with this hypothesis, chloroform treatment of coastal and offshore seawater samples reveals that vesicles increase epifluorescence-based particle (viral) counts by less than an order of magnitude and their impact is variable in space and time. PMID:27824343

  15. Methods for the physical characterization and quantification of extracellular vesicles in biological samples.

    PubMed

    Rupert, Déborah L M; Claudio, Virginia; Lässer, Cecilia; Bally, Marta

    2017-01-01

    Our body fluids contain a multitude of cell-derived vesicles, secreted by most cell types, commonly referred to as extracellular vesicles. They have attracted considerable attention for their function as intercellular communication vehicles in a broad range of physiological processes and pathological conditions. Extracellular vesicles and especially the smallest type, exosomes, have also generated a lot of excitement in view of their potential as disease biomarkers or as carriers for drug delivery. In this context, state-of-the-art techniques capable of comprehensively characterizing vesicles in biological fluids are urgently needed. This review presents the arsenal of techniques available for quantification and characterization of physical properties of extracellular vesicles, summarizes their working principles, discusses their advantages and limitations and further illustrates their implementation in extracellular vesicle research. The small size and physicochemical heterogeneity of extracellular vesicles make their physical characterization and quantification an extremely challenging task. Currently, structure, size, buoyant density, optical properties and zeta potential have most commonly been studied. The concentration of vesicles in suspension can be expressed in terms of biomolecular or particle content depending on the method at hand. In addition, common quantification methods may either provide a direct quantitative measurement of vesicle concentration or solely allow for relative comparison between samples. The combination of complementary methods capable of detecting, characterizing and quantifying extracellular vesicles at a single particle level promises to provide new exciting insights into their modes of action and to reveal the existence of vesicle subpopulations fulfilling key biological tasks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Diagnosis and management of symptomatic seminal vesicle calculi.

    PubMed

    Christodoulidou, Michelle; Parnham, Arie; Nigam, Raj

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study was to review the management of patients with symptomatic seminal vesicle calculi, from presentation and diagnosis to postoperative outcomes. A systematic review of the English literature in MEDLINE and Embase was performed, based on the following model: patients with a diagnosis of seminal vesicle calculi; all interventions considered with or without control groups with single and comparator interventions; outcomes considered were incidence, presentation, diagnostic methods and treatment. A narrative synthesis of the data was performed according to PRISMA 2009 guidelines. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42016032971). In total, 213 cases of seminal vesicle calculi from 37 studies were identified between 1928 and 2016. Published articles included cohort studies (16), case-control studies (two) and case reports (19). The most likely aetiology was stasis of ejaculate secondary to impaired drainage of secretions from the seminal vesicles. Transrectal ultrasound remains the primary investigation for haematospermia and painful ejaculation; however, magnetic resonance imaging seems to play an increasingly important role, especially when considering surgery. Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy and lithotripsy is the ideal procedure for small calculi but requires surgical expertise. For larger calculi a transperitoneal laparoscopic approach is safe in the hands of experienced laparoscopic surgeons. Modern imaging techniques and cross-sectional imaging are leading to an increased number of diagnosed cases of seminal vesicle calculi. Optimal treatment depends on the stone size and burden, and centralization of services will assist in the development of specialized centres.

  17. Understanding crumpling lipid vesicles at the gel phase transition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirst, Linda; Ossowski, Adam; Fraser, Matthew

    2011-03-01

    Wrinkling and crumpling transitions in different membrane types have been studied extensively in recent years both theoretically and computationally. There has also been very interesting recent work on defects in liquid crystalline shells. Lipid bilayer vesicles, widely used in biophysical research can be considered as a single layer smectic shell in the liquid crystalline phase. On cooling the lipid vesicle a transition to the gel phase may take place in which the lipid chains tilt and assume a more ordered packing arrangement. We observe large scale morphological changes in vesicles close to this transition point using fluorescence microscopy and investigate the possible mechanisms for this transition. Confocal microscopy is used to map 3D vesicle shape and crumpling length-scales. We also employ the molecular tilt sensitive dye, Laurdan to investigate the role of tilt domain formation on macroscopic structure. Funded by NSF CAREER award (DMR - BMAT #0852791).

  18. Development of Targeted Nonionic Surfactant Vesicles for Treatment of Vascular Injury

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-12-01

    antibody and containing drug atorvastatin (test substance-low drug concentration) Test (high) 2. Surfactant vesicle coated with antibody and...containing atorvastatin (test substance-high drug concentration) Control (targeted no drug) 3. Surfactant vesicle coated with antibody and containing...buffered saline solution Control (non targeted with drug) 4. Surfactant vesicle without antibody containing atorvastatin Control (free drug

  19. Flotillin-mediated endocytic events dictate cell type-specific responses to semaphorin 3A.

    PubMed

    Carcea, Ioana; Ma'ayan, Avi; Mesias, Roxana; Sepulveda, Bryan; Salton, Stephen R; Benson, Deanna L

    2010-11-10

    Cortical efferents growing in the same environment diverge early in development. The expression of particular transcription factors dictates the trajectories taken, presumably by regulating responsiveness to guidance cues via cellular mechanisms that are not yet known. Here, we show that cortical neurons that are dissociated and grown in culture maintain their cell type-specific identities defined by the expression of transcription factors. Using this model system, we sought to identify and characterize mechanisms that are recruited to produce cell type-specific responses to Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A), a guidance cue that would be presented similarly to cortical axons in vivo. Axons from presumptive corticofugal neurons lacking the transcription factor Satb2 and expressing Ctip2 or Tbr1 respond far more robustly to Sema3A than those from presumptive callosal neurons expressing Satb2. Both populations of axons express similar levels of Sema3A receptors (neuropilin-1, cell adhesion molecule L1, and plexinA4), but significantly, axons from neurons lacking Satb2 internalize more Sema3A, and they do so via a raft-mediated endocytic pathway. We used an in silico approach to identify the endocytosis effector flotillin-1 as a Sema3A signaling candidate. We tested the contributions of flotillin-1 to Sema3A endocytosis and signaling, and show that raft-mediated Sema3A endocytosis is defined by and depends on the recruitment of flotillin-1, which mediates LIM domain kinase activation and regulates axon responsiveness to Sema3A in presumptive corticofugal axons.

  20. Growth and instability of a phospholipid vesicle in a bath of fatty acids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dervaux, J.; Noireaux, V.; Libchaber, A. J.

    2017-06-01

    Using a microfluidic trap, we study the behavior of individual phospholipid vesicles in contact with fatty acids. We show that spontaneous fatty acids insertion inside the bilayer is controlled by the vesicle size, osmotic pressure difference across the membrane and fatty acids concentration in the external bath. Depending on these parameters, vesicles can grow spherically or become unstable and fragment into several daughter vesicles. We establish the phase diagram for vesicle growth and we derive a simple thermodynamic model that reproduces the time evolution of the vesicle volume. Finally, we show that stable growth can be achieved on an artificial cell expressing a simple set of bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, paving the way toward artificial cell reproduction.

  1. Tumour-derived exosomes as a signature of pancreatic cancer - liquid biopsies as indicators of tumour progression.

    PubMed

    Nuzhat, Zarin; Kinhal, Vyjayanthi; Sharma, Shayna; Rice, Gregory E; Joshi, Virendra; Salomon, Carlos

    2017-03-07

    Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of death due to cancer in the world. It is known to have a poor prognosis, mostly because early stages of the disease are generally asymptomatic. Progress in pancreatic cancer research has been slow, leaving several fundamental questions pertaining to diagnosis and treatment unanswered. Recent studies highlight the putative utility of tissue-specific vesicles (i.e. extracellular vesicles) in the diagnosis of disease onset and treatment monitoring in pancreatic cancer. Extracellular vesicles are membrane-limited structures derived from the cell membrane. They contain specific molecules including proteins, mRNA, microRNAs and non-coding RNAs that are secreted in the extracellular space. Extracellular vesicles can be classified according to their size and/or origin into microvesicles (~150-1000 nm) and exosomes (~40-120 nm). Microvesicles are released by budding from the plasmatic membrane, whereas exosomes are released via the endocytic pathway by fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasmatic membrane. This endosomal origin means that exosomes contain an abundance of cell-specific biomolecules which may act as a 'fingerprint' of the cell of origin. In this review, we discuss our current knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer, particularly the potential role of EVs in these facets of disease management. In particular, we suggest that as exosomes contain cellular protein and RNA molecules in a cell type-specific manner, they may provide extensive information about the signature of the tumour and pancreatic cancer progression.

  2. Integrated self-organization of transitional ER and early Golgi compartments.

    PubMed

    Glick, Benjamin S

    2014-02-01

    COPII coated vesicles bud from an ER domain termed the transitional ER (tER), but the mechanism that clusters COPII vesicles at tER sites is unknown. tER sites are closely associated with early Golgi or pre-Golgi structures, suggesting that the clustering of nascent COPII vesicles could be achieved by tethering to adjacent membranes. This model challenges the prevailing view that COPII vesicles are clustered by a scaffolding protein at the ER surface. Although Sec16 was proposed to serve as such a scaffolding protein, recent data suggest that rather than organizing COPII into higher-order structures, Sec16 acts at the level of individual COPII vesicles to regulate COPII turnover. A plausible synthesis is that tER sites are created by tethering to Golgi membranes and are regulated by Sec16. Meanwhile, the COPII vesicles that bud from tER sites are thought to nucleate new Golgi cisternae. Thus, an integrated self-organization process may generate tER-Golgi units. © 2014 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Synaptic Vesicle-Recycling Machinery Components as Potential Therapeutic Targets

    PubMed Central

    Li, Ying C.

    2017-01-01

    Presynaptic nerve terminals are highly specialized vesicle-trafficking machines. Neurotransmitter release from these terminals is sustained by constant local recycling of synaptic vesicles independent from the neuronal cell body. This independence places significant constraints on maintenance of synaptic protein complexes and scaffolds. Key events during the synaptic vesicle cycle—such as exocytosis and endocytosis—require formation and disassembly of protein complexes. This extremely dynamic environment poses unique challenges for proteostasis at synaptic terminals. Therefore, it is not surprising that subtle alterations in synaptic vesicle cycle-associated proteins directly or indirectly contribute to pathophysiology seen in several neurologic and psychiatric diseases. In contrast to the increasing number of examples in which presynaptic dysfunction causes neurologic symptoms or cognitive deficits associated with multiple brain disorders, synaptic vesicle-recycling machinery remains an underexplored drug target. In addition, irrespective of the involvement of presynaptic function in the disease process, presynaptic machinery may also prove to be a viable therapeutic target because subtle alterations in the neurotransmitter release may counter disease mechanisms, correct, or compensate for synaptic communication deficits without the need to interfere with postsynaptic receptor signaling. In this article, we will overview critical properties of presynaptic release machinery to help elucidate novel presynaptic avenues for the development of therapeutic strategies against neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders. PMID:28265000

  4. Lipid Vesicle Shape Analysis from Populations Using Light Video Microscopy and Computer Vision

    PubMed Central

    Zupanc, Jernej; Drašler, Barbara; Boljte, Sabina; Kralj-Iglič, Veronika; Iglič, Aleš; Erdogmus, Deniz; Drobne, Damjana

    2014-01-01

    We present a method for giant lipid vesicle shape analysis that combines manually guided large-scale video microscopy and computer vision algorithms to enable analyzing vesicle populations. The method retains the benefits of light microscopy and enables non-destructive analysis of vesicles from suspensions containing up to several thousands of lipid vesicles (1–50 µm in diameter). For each sample, image analysis was employed to extract data on vesicle quantity and size distributions of their projected diameters and isoperimetric quotients (measure of contour roundness). This process enables a comparison of samples from the same population over time, or the comparison of a treated population to a control. Although vesicles in suspensions are heterogeneous in sizes and shapes and have distinctively non-homogeneous distribution throughout the suspension, this method allows for the capture and analysis of repeatable vesicle samples that are representative of the population inspected. PMID:25426933

  5. The role of endocytic Rab GTPases in regulation of growth factor signaling and the migration and invasion of tumor cells

    PubMed Central

    Porther, N; Barbieri, MA

    2015-01-01

    Metastasis is characterized pathologically by uncontrolled cell invasion, proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. It is a multistep process that encompasses the modulation of membrane permeability and invasion, cell spreading, cell migration and proliferation of the extracellular matrix, increase in cell adhesion molecules and interaction, decrease in cell attachment and induced survival signals and propagation of nutrient supplies (blood vessels). In cancer, a solid tumor cannot expand and spread without a series of synchronized events. Changes in cell adhesion receptor molecules (e.g., integrins, cadherin-catenins) and protease expressions have been linked to tumor invasion and metastasis. It has also been determined that ligand-growth factor receptor interactions have been associated with cancer development and metastasis via the endocytic pathway. Specifically, growth factors, which include IGF-1 and IGF-2 therapy, have been associated with most if not all of the features of metastasis. In this review, we will revisit some of the key findings on perhaps one of the most important hallmarks of cancer metastasis: cell migration and cell invasion and the role of the endocytic pathway in mediating this phenomenon PMID:26317377

  6. Penetration enhancer containing vesicles as carriers for dermal delivery of tretinoin.

    PubMed

    Manconi, Maria; Sinico, Chiara; Caddeo, Carla; Vila, Amparo Ofelia; Valenti, Donatella; Fadda, Anna Maria

    2011-06-30

    The ability of a recently developed novel class of liposomes to promote dermal delivery of tretinoin (TRA) was evaluated. New penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) were prepared adding to conventional phosphatidylcholine vesicles (control liposomes) different hydrophilic penetration enhancers: Oramix NS10 (OrNS10), Labrasol (Lab), Transcutol P (Trc), and propylene glycol (PG). Vesicles were characterized by morphology, size distribution, zeta potential, incorporation efficiency, stability, rheological behaviour, and deformability. Small, negatively charged, non-deformable, multilamellar vesicles were obtained. Rheological studies showed that PEVs had fluidity higher than conventional liposomes. The influence of the obtained PEVs on (trans)dermal delivery of tretinoin was studied by ex vivo diffusion experiments through new born pig skin using formulations having the drug both inside and outside the vesicles, having TRA only inside, in comparison with non-incorporated drug dispersions of the same composition used to produce the studied vesicles. Main result of these experiments was an improved cutaneous drug accumulation and a reduced transdermal TRA delivery (except for PG-PEVs). TRA deposition provided by PEVs was higher for dialysed than for non-dialysed vesicles. Further, the accumulation increased in the order: control liposomes

  7. The effect of spontaneous curvature on a two-phase vesicle

    PubMed Central

    Cox, Geoffrey; Lowengrub, John

    2015-01-01

    Vesicles are membrane-bound structures commonly known for their roles in cellular transport and the shape of a vesicle is determined by its surrounding membrane (lipid bilayer). When the membrane is composed of different lipids, it is natural for the lipids of similar molecular structure to migrate towards one another (via spinodal decomposition), creating a multi-phase vesicle. In this article, we consider a two-phase vesicle model which is driven by nature’s propensity to maintain a minimal state of elastic energy. The model assumes a continuum limit, thereby treating the membrane as a closed three-dimensional surface. The main purpose of this study is to reveal the complexity of the Helfrich two-phase vesicle model with non-zero spontaneous curvature and provide further evidence to support the relevance of spontaneous curvature as a modelling parameter. In this paper, we illustrate the complexity of the Helfrich two-phase model by providing multiple examples of undocumented solutions and energy hysteresis. We also investigate the influence of spontaneous curvature on morphological effects and membrane phenomena such as budding and fusion. PMID:26097287

  8. Fibronectin on extracellular vesicles from microvascular endothelial cells is involved in the vesicle uptake into oligodendrocyte precursor cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Osawa, Sho; Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511; Kurachi, Masashi

    We previously reported transplantation of brain microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) into cerebral white matter infarction model improved the animal's behavioral outcome by increasing the number of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). We also revealed extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from MVECs promoted survival and proliferation of OPCs in vitro. In this study, we investigated the mechanism how EVs derived from MVECs contribute to OPC survival and proliferation. Protein mass spectrometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed fibronectin was abundant on the surface of EVs from MVECs. As fibronectin has been reported to promote OPC survival and proliferation via integrin signaling pathway, we blocked themore » binding between fibronectin and integrins using RGD sequence mimics. Blocking the binding, however, did not attenuate the survival and proliferation promoting effect of EVs on OPCs. Flow cytometric and imaging analyses revealed fibronectin on EVs mediates their internalization into OPCs by its binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycan on OPCs. OPC survival and proliferation promoted by EVs were attenuated by blocking the internalization of EVs into OPCs. These lines of evidence suggest that fibronectin on EVs mediates their internalization into OPCs, and the cargo of EVs promotes survival and proliferation of OPCs, independent of integrin signaling pathway. - Highlights: • Fibronectin exists on the surface of extracellular vesicles from endothelial cells. • Integrin signaling is not involved in effects of extracellular vesicles on OPCs. • Fibronectin on the surface of extracellular vesicles mediates their uptake into OPCs.« less

  9. Abnormal accumulation and recycling of glycoproteins visualized in Niemann–Pick type C cells using the chemical reporter strategy

    PubMed Central

    Mbua, Ngalle Eric; Flanagan-Steet, Heather; Johnson, Steven; Wolfert, Margreet A.; Boons, Geert-Jan; Steet, Richard

    2013-01-01

    Niemann–Pick type C (NPC) disease is characterized by impaired cholesterol efflux from late endosomes and lysosomes and secondary accumulation of lipids. Although impaired trafficking of individual glycoproteins and glycolipids has been noted in NPC cells and other storage disorders, there is currently no effective way to monitor their localization and movement en masse. Using a chemical reporter strategy in combination with pharmacologic treatments, we demonstrate a disease-specific and previously unrecognized accumulation of a diverse set of glycoconjugates in NPC1-null and NPC2-deficient fibroblasts within endocytic compartments. These labeled vesicles do not colocalize with the cholesterol-laden compartments of NPC cells. Experiments using the endocytic uptake marker dextran show that the endosomal accumulation of sialylated molecules can be largely attributed to impaired recycling as opposed to altered fusion of vesicles. Treatment of either NPC1-null or NPC2-deficient cells with cyclodextrin was effective in reducing cholesterol storage as well as the endocytic accumulation of sialoglycoproteins, demonstrating a direct link between cholesterol storage and abnormal recycling. Our data further demonstrate that this accumulation is largely glycoproteins, given that inhibitors of O-glycan initiation or N-glycan processing led to a significant reduction in staining intensity. Taken together, our results provide a unique perspective on the trafficking defects in NPC cells, and highlight the utility of this methodology in analyzing cells with altered recycling and turnover of glycoproteins. PMID:23733943

  10. Characterization, stabilization and activity of uricase loaded in lipid vesicles.

    PubMed

    Tan, Q Y; Wang, N; Yang, H; Zhang, L K; Liu, S; Chen, L; Liu, J; Zhang, L; Hu, N N; Zhao, C J; Zhang, J Q

    2010-01-15

    Uricase-containing lipid vesicles (UOXLVs) were prepared by reverse-phase evaporation method with high efficiency and the characteristics of UOXLVs were described. The average size and zeta potential of UOXLVs obtained by the optimized formulation were 205.47 nm and -37.33 mV, respectively. Uricase was encapsulated in the alkaline aqueous phase of the lipid vesicle and the stability of its tetrameric structure was thus improved and its activity preserved. The storage stability of uricase in lipid vesicles was significantly increased compared to that of free uricase at 4 degrees C in borate buffer of pH 8.5. At 55 degrees C, free uricase was deactivated much more quickly especially at lower concentration predominantly due to enhanced dissociation of uricase into subunits. An intrinsic tryptophan of uricase recovered from the lipid vesicle thermally treated at 55 degrees C revealed that a partially denatured uricase molecule was stabilized through its hydrophobic interaction with lipid vesicle membrane. This interaction was depressed mainly by dissociation of uricase into subunits. At the physiological pH, significant increase of enzyme activity was found for the uricase entrapped in the lipid vesicles (1.8 times that of free uricase) at their respective optimum pH. The shift of optimum pH and increased uricolytic activity suggested the conformation change of the uricase during the entrapment process. The stability to proteolytic digestion was increased obviously by entrapping the uricase in the lipid vesicles. UOXLVs also showed relatively slower loss in activity compared with free uricase when treated with some chemical reagents. Lastly, in vitro study explicitly indicated that the uricase entrapped by UOXLVs possessed higher uricolytic activity than that of native uricase solution.

  11. Brivaracetam augments short-term depression and slows vesicle recycling.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiaofeng; Bognar, Joseph; He, Tianyu; Mohammed, Mouhari; Niespodziany, Isabelle; Wolff, Christian; Esguerra, Manuel; Rothman, Steven M; Dubinsky, Janet M

    2015-12-01

    Brivaracetam (BRV) decreases seizure activity in a number of epilepsy models and binds to the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) with a higher affinity than the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV). Experiments were performed to determine if BRV acted similarly to LEV to induce or augment short-term depression (STD) under high-frequency neuronal stimulation and slow synaptic vesicle recycling. Electrophysiologic field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) recordings were made from CA1 synapses in rat hippocampal slices loaded with BRV or LEV during intrinsic activity or with BRV actively loaded during hypertonic stimulation. STD was examined in response to 5 or 40 Hz stimulus trains. Presynaptic release of FM1-43 was visualized using two-photon microscopy to assess drug effects upon synaptic vesicle mobilization. When hippocampal slices were incubated in 0.1-30 μm BRV or 30 μm-1 mm LEV for 3 h, the relative CA1 field EPSPs decreased over the course of a high-frequency train of stimuli more than for control slices. This STD was frequency- and concentration-dependent, with BRV being 100-fold more potent than LEV. The extent of STD depended on the length of the incubation time for both drugs. Pretreatment with LEV occluded the effects of BRV. Repeated hypertonic sucrose treatments and train stimulation successfully unloaded BRV from recycling vesicles and reversed BRVs effects on STD, as previously reported for LEV. At their maximal concentrations, BRV slowed FM1-43 release to a greater extent than in slices loaded with LEV during prolonged stimulation. BRV, similar to LEV, entered into recycling synaptic vesicles and produced a frequency-dependent decrement of synaptic transmission at 100-fold lower concentrations than LEV. In addition, BRV slowed synaptic vesicle mobilization more effectively than LEV, suggesting that these drugs may modify multiple functions of the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A to curb synaptic transmission and limit epileptic activity

  12. Endocytic recycling via the TGN underlies the polarized hyphal mode of life.

    PubMed

    Hernández-González, Miguel; Bravo-Plaza, Ignacio; Pinar, Mario; de Los Ríos, Vivian; Arst, Herbert N; Peñalva, Miguel A

    2018-04-01

    Intracellular traffic in Aspergillus nidulans hyphae must cope with the challenges that the high rates of apical extension (1μm/min) and the long intracellular distances (>100 μm) impose. Understanding the ways in which the hyphal tip cell coordinates traffic to meet these challenges is of basic importance, but is also of considerable applied interest, as fungal invasiveness of animals and plants depends critically upon maintaining these high rates of growth. Rapid apical extension requires localization of cell-wall-modifying enzymes to hyphal tips. By combining genetic blocks in different trafficking steps with multidimensional epifluorescence microscopy and quantitative image analyses we demonstrate that polarization of the essential chitin-synthase ChsB occurs by indirect endocytic recycling, involving delivery/exocytosis to apices followed by internalization by the sub-apical endocytic collar of actin patches and subsequent trafficking to TGN cisternae, where it accumulates for ~1 min before being re-delivered to the apex by a RAB11/TRAPPII-dependent pathway. Accordingly, ChsB is stranded at the TGN by Sec7 inactivation but re-polarizes to the apical dome if the block is bypassed by a mutation in geaAgea1 that restores growth in the absence of Sec7. That polarization is independent of RAB5, that ChsB predominates at apex-proximal cisternae, and that upon dynein impairment ChsB is stalled at the tips in an aggregated endosome indicate that endocytosed ChsB traffics to the TGN via sorting endosomes functionally located upstream of the RAB5 domain and that this step requires dynein-mediated basipetal transport. It also requires RAB6 and its effector GARP (Vps51/Vps52/Vps53/Vps54), whose composition we determined by MS/MS following affinity chromatography purification. Ablation of any GARP component diverts ChsB to vacuoles and impairs growth and morphology markedly, emphasizing the important physiological role played by this pathway that, we propose, is central

  13. Shape and Displacement Fluctuations in Soft Vesicles Filled by Active Particles

    PubMed Central

    Paoluzzi, Matteo; Di Leonardo, Roberto; Marchetti, M. Cristina; Angelani, Luca

    2016-01-01

    We investigate numerically the dynamics of shape and displacement fluctuations of two-dimensional flexible vesicles filled with active particles. At low concentration most of the active particles accumulate at the boundary of the vesicle where positive particle number fluctuations are amplified by trapping, leading to the formation of pinched spots of high density, curvature and pressure. At high concentration the active particles cover the vesicle boundary almost uniformly, resulting in fairly homogeneous pressure and curvature, and nearly circular vesicle shape. The change between polarized and spherical shapes is driven by the number of active particles. The center-of-mass of the vesicle performs a persistent random walk with a long time diffusivity that is strongly enhanced for elongated active particles due to orientational correlations in their direction of propulsive motion. In our model shape-shifting induces directional sensing and the cell spontaneously migrate along the polarization direction. PMID:27678166

  14. Endocytosis and membrane receptor internalization: implication of F-BAR protein Carom

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Yanjie; Liu, Suxuan; Xia, Jixiang; Stein, Sam; Ramon, Cueto; Xi, Hang; Wang, Luqiao; Xiong, Xinyu; Zhang, Lixiao; He, Dingwen; Yang, William; Zhao, Xianxian; Cheng, Xiaoshu; Yang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Hong

    2016-01-01

    Endocytosis is a cellular process mostly responsible for membrane receptor internalization. Cell membrane receptors bind to their ligands and form a complex which can be internalized. We previously proposed that F-BAR protein initiates membrane curvature and mediates endocytosis via their binding partners. However, F-BAR protein partners involved in membrane receptor endocytosis and the regulatory mechanism remain unknown. In this study, we established a group of database mining strategies to explore mechanisms underlying receptor-related endocytosis. We identified 34 endocytic membrane receptors and 10 regulating proteins for vesicle formation in clathrin-dependent endocytosis (CDE), a major process of membrane receptor internalization. We found that F-BAR protein FCHSD2 (Carom) may facilitate endocytosis via 9 endocytic partners. Carom is highly expressed, along with highly expressed endocytic membrane receptors and partners, in endothelial cells and macrophages. We established 3 models of Carom-receptor complex and their intracellular trafficking based on protein-protein interaction and subcellular localization. We conclude that Carom may mediate receptor endocytosis and transport endocytic receptors to the cytoplasm for receptor signaling and lysosome/proteasome degradation, or to the nucleus for RNA processing, gene transcription and DNA repair. PMID:28199211

  15. Vesicle Fusion Observed by Content Transfer across a Tethered Lipid Bilayer

    PubMed Central

    Rawle, Robert J.; van Lengerich, Bettina; Chung, Minsub; Bendix, Poul Martin; Boxer, Steven G.

    2011-01-01

    Synaptic transmission is achieved by exocytosis of small, synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitters across the plasma membrane. Here, we use a DNA-tethered freestanding bilayer as a target architecture that allows observation of content transfer of individual vesicles across the tethered planar bilayer. Tethering and fusion are mediated by hybridization of complementary DNA-lipid conjugates inserted into the two membranes, and content transfer is monitored by the dequenching of an aqueous content dye. By analyzing the diffusion profile of the aqueous dye after vesicle fusion, we are able to distinguish content transfer across the tethered bilayer patch from vesicle leakage above the patch. PMID:22004762

  16. Extracellular Vesicles Produced by the Gram-positive Bacterium Bacillus subtilis are Disrupted by the Lipopeptide Surfactin

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Lisa; Kessler, Anne; Cabezas-Sanchez, Pablo; Luque-Garcia, Jose L.; Casadevall, Arturo

    2014-01-01

    Summary Previously, extracellular vesicle production in Gram-positive bacteria was dismissed due to the absence of an outer membrane, where Gram-negative vesicles originate, and the difficulty in envisioning how such a process could occur through the cell wall. However, recent work has shown that Gram-positive bacteria produce extracellular vesicles and that the vesicles are biologically active. In this study, we show that Bacillus subtilis produces extracellular vesicles similar in size and morphology to other bacteria, characterized vesicles using a variety of techniques, provide evidence that these vesicles are actively produced by cells, show differences in vesicle production between strains, and identified a mechanism for such differences based on vesicle disruption. We found that in wild strains of B. subtilis, surfactin disrupted vesicles while in laboratory strains harboring a mutation in the gene sfp, vesicles accumulated in the culture supernatant. Surfactin not only lysed B. subtilis vesicles, but also vesicles from Bacillus anthracis, indicating a mechanism that crossed species boundaries. To our knowledge, this is the first time a gene and a mechanism has been identified in the active disruption of extracellular vesicles and subsequent release of vesicular cargo in Gram-positive bacteria. We also identify a new mechanism of action for surfactin. PMID:24826903

  17. Kinetics of phloretin binding to phosphatidylcholine vesicle membranes

    PubMed Central

    1980-01-01

    The submillisecond kinetics for phloretin binding to unilamellar phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles was investigated using the temperature-jump technique. Spectrophotometric studies of the equilibrium binding performed at 328 nm demonstrated that phloretin binds to a single set of independent, equivalent sites on the vesicle with a dissociation constant of 8.0 microM and a lipid/site ratio of 4.0. The temperature of the phloretin-vesicle solution was jumped by 4 degrees C within 4 microseconds producing a monoexponential, concentration-dependent relaxation process with time constants in the 30--200-microseconds time range. An analysis of the concentration dependence of relaxation time constants at pH 7.30 and 24 degrees C yielded a binding rate constant of 2.7 X 10(8) M-1 s-1 and an unbinding constant of 2,900 s-1; approximately 66 percent of total binding sites are exposed at the outer vesicle surface. The value of the binding rate constant and three additional observations suggest that the binding kinetics are diffusion limited. The phloretin analogue, naringenin, which has a diffusion coefficient similar to phloretin yet a dissociation constant equal to 24 microM, bound to PC vesicle with the same rate constant as phloretin did. In addition, the phloretin-PC system was studied in buffers made one to six times more viscous than water by addition of sucrose or glycerol to the differ. The equilibrium affinity for phloretin binding to PC vesicles is independent of viscosity, yet the binding rate constant decreases with the expected dependence (kappa binding alpha 1/viscosity) for diffusion-limited processes. Thus, the binding rate constant is not altered by differences in binding affinity, yet depends upon the diffusion coefficient in buffer. Finally, studies of the pH dependence of the binding rate constant showed a dependence (kappa binding alpha [1 + 10pH-pK]) consistent with the diffusion-limited binding of a weak acid. PMID:7391812

  18. Viscoelastic deformation of lipid bilayer vesicles.

    PubMed

    Wu, Shao-Hua; Sankhagowit, Shalene; Biswas, Roshni; Wu, Shuyang; Povinelli, Michelle L; Malmstadt, Noah

    2015-10-07

    Lipid bilayers form the boundaries of the cell and its organelles. Many physiological processes, such as cell movement and division, involve bending and folding of the bilayer at high curvatures. Currently, bending of the bilayer is treated as an elastic deformation, such that its stress-strain response is independent of the rate at which bending strain is applied. We present here the first direct measurement of viscoelastic response in a lipid bilayer vesicle. We used a dual-beam optical trap (DBOT) to stretch 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Upon application of a step optical force, the vesicle membrane deforms in two regimes: a fast, instantaneous area increase, followed by a much slower stretching to an eventual plateau deformation. From measurements of dozens of GUVs, the average time constant of the slower stretching response was 0.225 ± 0.033 s (standard deviation, SD). Increasing the fluid viscosity did not affect the observed time constant. We performed a set of experiments to rule out heating by laser absorption as a cause of the transient behavior. Thus, we demonstrate here that the bending deformation of lipid bilayer membranes should be treated as viscoelastic.

  19. Polymer Vesicle Sensor for Visual and Sensitive Detection of SO2 in Water.

    PubMed

    Huang, Tong; Hou, Zhilin; Xu, Qingsong; Huang, Lei; Li, Chuanlong; Zhou, Yongfeng

    2017-01-10

    This study reports the first polymer vesicle sensor for the visual detection of SO 2 and its derivatives in water. A strong binding ability between tertiary alkanolamines and SO 2 has been used as the driving force for the detection by the graft of tertiary amine alcohol (TAA) groups onto an amphiphilic hyperbranched multiarm polymer, which can self-assemble into vesicles with enriched TAA groups on the surface. The polymer vesicles will undergo proton exchange with cresol red (CR) to produce CR-immobilized vesicles (CR@vesicles). Subsequently, through competitive binding with the TAA groups between CR and SO 2 or HSO 3 - , the CR@vesicles (purple) can quickly change into SO 2 @vesicles (colorless) with the release of protonated CR (yellow). Such a fast purple to yellow transition in the solution allows the visual detection of SO 2 or its derivatives in water by the naked eye. A visual test paper for SO 2 gas has also been demonstrated by the adsorption of CR@vesicles onto paper. Meanwhile, the detection limit of CR@vesicles for HSO 3 - is approximately 25 nM, which is improved by approximately 30 times when compared with that of small molecule-based sensors with a similar structure (0.83 μM). Such an enhanced detection sensitivity should be related to the enrichment of TAA groups as well as the CR in CR@vesicles. In addition, the CR@vesicle sensors also show selectivity and specificity for the detection of SO 2 or HSO 3 - among anions such as F - , Br - , Cl - , SO 4 2- , NO 2 - , C 2 O 4 2- , S 2 O 3 2- , SCN - , AcO - , SO 3 2- , S 2- , and HCO 3 - .

  20. Exosomes and other extracellular vesicles in host–pathogen interactions

    PubMed Central

    Schorey, Jeffrey S; Cheng, Yong; Singh, Prachi P; Smith, Victoria L

    2015-01-01

    An effective immune response requires the engagement of host receptors by pathogen-derived molecules and the stimulation of an appropriate cellular response. Therefore, a crucial factor in our ability to control an infection is the accessibility of our immune cells to the foreign material. Exosomes—which are extracellular vesicles that function in intercellular communication—may play a key role in the dissemination of pathogen- as well as host-derived molecules during infection. In this review, we highlight the composition and function of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles produced during viral, parasitic, fungal and bacterial infections and describe how these vesicles could function to either promote or inhibit host immunity. PMID:25488940

  1. Packing of flexible 2D materials in vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zou, Guijin; Yi, Xin; Zhu, Wenpeng; Gao, Huajian

    2018-06-01

    To understand the mechanics of cellular packing of two-dimensional (2D) materials, we perform systematic molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical analysis to investigate the packing of a flexible circular sheet in a spherical vesicle and the 2D packing problem of a strip in a cylindrical vesicle. Depending on the system dimensions and the bending rigidity ratio between the confined sheet and the vesicle membrane, a variety of packing morphologies are observed, including a conical shape, a shape of three-fold symmetry, a cylindrically curved shape, an axisymmetrically buckled shape, as well as the initial circular shape. A set of buckling analyses lead to phase diagrams of the packing morphologies of the encapsulated sheets. These results may have important implications on the mechanism of intracellular packing and toxicity of 2D materials.

  2. Dynamic light scattering study on vesicles of Netaine-Cholesterol system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alenaizi, R.; Radiman, S.; Mohamed, F.; Rahman, I. Abdul

    2014-09-01

    The morphology of vesicles system with defined particle size and shape is one of interest in our technical applications. Here we have used dynamic light scattering technique and transmission electron microscopy for structural characterization of N-dimethylglycine Betaine with 5-cholesten-3β-ol vesicles in aqueous solutions. An isotropic one phase region is found in the very diluted regions depending on Betaine/Cholesterol ratio. The isotropic region was stable for more than 3 months at room temperature, with monodispersed unilamellar vesicles ˜ 300nm.

  3. A TOCA/CDC-42/PAR/WAVE functional module required for retrograde endocytic recycling.

    PubMed

    Bai, Zhiyong; Grant, Barth D

    2015-03-24

    Endosome-to-Golgi transport is required for the function of many key membrane proteins and lipids, including signaling receptors, small-molecule transporters, and adhesion proteins. The retromer complex is well-known for its role in cargo sorting and vesicle budding from early endosomes, in most cases leading to cargo fusion with the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Transport from recycling endosomes to the TGN has also been reported, but much less is understood about the molecules that mediate this transport step. Here we provide evidence that the F-BAR domain proteins TOCA-1 and TOCA-2 (Transducer of Cdc42 dependent actin assembly), the small GTPase CDC-42 (Cell division control protein 42), associated polarity proteins PAR-6 (Partitioning defective 6) and PKC-3/atypical protein kinase C, and the WAVE actin nucleation complex mediate the transport of MIG-14/Wls and TGN-38/TGN38 cargo proteins from the recycling endosome to the TGN in Caenorhabditis elegans. Our results indicate that CDC-42, the TOCA proteins, and the WAVE component WVE-1 are enriched on RME-1-positive recycling endosomes in the intestine, unlike retromer components that act on early endosomes. Furthermore, we find that retrograde cargo TGN-38 is trapped in early endosomes after depletion of SNX-3 (a retromer component) but is mainly trapped in recycling endosomes after depletion of CDC-42, indicating that the CDC-42-associated complex functions after retromer in a distinct organelle. Thus, we identify a group of interacting proteins that mediate retrograde recycling, and link these proteins to a poorly understood trafficking step, recycling endosome-to-Golgi transport. We also provide evidence for the physiological importance of this pathway in WNT signaling.

  4. Fibronectin on circulating extracellular vesicles as a liquid biopsy to detect breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Moon, Pyong-Gon; Lee, Jeong-Eun; Cho, Young-Eun; Lee, Soo Jung; Chae, Yee Soo; Jung, Jin Hyang; Kim, In-San; Park, Ho Yong; Baek, Moon-Chang

    2016-06-28

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted from cancer cells have potential for generating cancer biomarker signatures. Fibronectin (FN) was selected as a biomarker candidate, due to the presence in surface on EVs secreted from human breast cancer cell lines. A subsequent study used two types of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to determine the presence of these proteins in plasma samples from disease-free individuals (n=70), patients with BC (n=240), BC patients after surgical resection (n=40), patients with benign breast tumor (n=55), and patients with non-cancerous diseases (thyroiditis, gastritis, hepatitis B, and rheumatoid arthritis; n=80). FN levels were significantly elevated (p< .0001) at all stages of BC, and returned to normal after tumor removal. The diagnostic accuracy for FN detection in extracellular vesicles (ELISA method 1) (area under the curve, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.76 to 0.86; sensitivity of 65.1% and specificity of 83.2%) were also better than those for FN detection in the plasma (ELISA method 2) (area under the curve, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.83; sensitivity of 69.2% and specificity of 73.3%) in BC. The diagnostic accuracy of plasma FN was similar in both the early-stage BC and all BC patients, as well as in the two sets. This liquid biopsy to detect FN on circulating EVs could be a promising method to detect early breast cancer.

  5. Antibody Binding Alters the Characteristics and Contents of Extracellular Vesicles Released by Histoplasma capsulatum

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Matos Baltazar, Ludmila; Nakayasu, Ernesto S.; Sobreira, Tiago J. P.

    ABSTRACT Histoplasma capsulatumproduces extracellular vesicles containing virulence-associated molecules capable of modulating host machinery, benefiting the pathogen. Treatment ofH. capsulatumcells with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) can change the outcome of infection in mice. We evaluated the sizes, enzymatic contents, and proteomic profiles of the vesicles released by fungal cells treated with either protective MAb 6B7 (IgG1) or nonprotective MAb 7B6 (IgG2b), both of which bindH. capsulatumheat shock protein 60 (Hsp60). Our results showed that treatment with either MAb was associated with changes in size and vesicle loading. MAb treatments reduced vesicle phosphatase and catalase activities compared to those of vesicles from untreated controls. Wemore » identified 1,125 proteins in vesicles, and 250 of these manifested differences in abundance relative to that of proteins in vesicles isolated from yeast cells exposed to Hsp60-binding MAbs, indicating that surface binding of fungal cells by MAbs modified protein loading in the vesicles. The abundance of upregulated proteins in vesicles upon MAb 7B6 treatment was 44.8% of the protein quantities in vesicles from fungal cells treated with MAb 6B7. Analysis of orthologous proteins previously identified in vesicles from other fungi showed that different ascomycete fungi have similar proteins in their extracellular milieu, many of which are associated with virulence. Our results demonstrate that antibody binding can modulate fungal cell responses, resulting in differential loading of vesicles, which could alter fungal cell susceptibility to host defenses. This finding provides additional evidence that antibody binding modulates microbial physiology and suggests a new function for specific immunoglobulins through alterations of fungal secretion. IMPORTANCEDiverse fungal species release extracellular vesicles, indicating that this is a common pathway for the delivery of molecules to the extracellular space. However

  6. Method for loading lipid like vesicles with drugs of other chemicals

    DOEpatents

    Mehlhorn, R.J.

    1998-06-09

    A method for accumulating drugs or other chemicals within synthetic, lipid-like vesicles by means of a pH gradient imposed on the vesicles just prior to use is described. The method is suited for accumulating molecules with basic or acid moieties which are permeable to the vesicles membranes in their uncharged form and for molecules that contain charge moieties that are hydrophobic ions and can therefore cross the vesicle membranes in their charged form. The method is advantageous over prior art methods for encapsulating biologically active materials within vesicles in that is achieves very high degrees of loading with simple procedures that are economical and require little technical expertise, furthermore kits which can be stored for prolonged periods prior to use without impairment of the capacity to achieve drug accumulation are described. A related application of the method consists of using this technology to detoxify animals that have been exposed to poisons with basic, weak acid or hydrophobic charge groups within their molecular structures. 2 figs.

  7. Method for loading lipid like vesicles with drugs of other chemicals

    DOEpatents

    Mehlhorn, Rolf Joachim

    1998-01-01

    A method for accumulating drugs or other chemicals within synthetic, lipid-like vesicles by means of a pH gradient imposed on the vesicles just prior to use is described. The method is suited for accumulating molecules with basic or acid moieties which are permeable to the vesicles membranes in their uncharged form and for molecules that contain charge moieties that are hydrophobic ions and can therefore cross the vesicle membranes in their charged form. The method is advantageous over prior art methods for encapsulating biologically active materials within vesicles in that is achieves very high degrees of loading with simple procedures that are economical and require little technical expertise, furthermore kits which can be stored for prolonged periods prior to use without impairment of the capacity to achieve drug accumulation are described. A related application of the method consists of using this technology to detoxify animals that have been exposed to poisons with basic, weak acid or hydrophobic charge groups within their molecular structures.

  8. Clathrin coat controls synaptic vesicle acidification by blocking vacuolar ATPase activity

    PubMed Central

    Farsi, Zohreh; Rammner, Burkhard; Woehler, Andrew; Lafer, Eileen M; Mim, Carsten; Jahn, Reinhard

    2018-01-01

    Newly-formed synaptic vesicles (SVs) are rapidly acidified by vacuolar adenosine triphosphatases (vATPases), generating a proton electrochemical gradient that drives neurotransmitter loading. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is needed for the formation of new SVs, yet it is unclear when endocytosed vesicles acidify and refill at the synapse. Here, we isolated clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) from mouse brain to measure their acidification directly at the single vesicle level. We observed that the ATP-induced acidification of CCVs was strikingly reduced in comparison to SVs. Remarkably, when the coat was removed from CCVs, uncoated vesicles regained ATP-dependent acidification, demonstrating that CCVs contain the functional vATPase, yet its function is inhibited by the clathrin coat. Considering the known structures of the vATPase and clathrin coat, we propose a model in which the formation of the coat surrounds the vATPase and blocks its activity. Such inhibition is likely fundamental for the proper timing of SV refilling. PMID:29652249

  9. Quantal basis of vesicle growth and information content, a unified approach.

    PubMed

    Nitzany, Eyal; Hammel, Ilan; Meilijson, Isaac

    2010-09-07

    Secretory vesicles express a periodic multimodal size distribution. The successive modes are integral multiples of the smallest mode (G(1)). The vesicle content ranges from macromolecules (proteins, mucopolysaccharides and hormones) to low molecular weight molecules (neurotransmitters). A steady-state model has been developed to emulate a mechanism for the introduction of vesicles of monomer size, which grow by a unit addition mechanism, G(1)+G(n)-->G(n+1) which, at a later stage are eliminated from the system. We describe a model of growth and elimination transition rates which adequately illustrates the distributions of vesicle population size at steady-state and upon elimination. Consequently, prediction of normal behavior and pathological perturbations is feasible. Careful analysis of spontaneous secretion, as compared to short burst-induced secretion, suggests that the basic character-code for reliable communication should be within a range of only 8-10 vesicles' burst which may serve as a yes/no message. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Monitoring Extracellular Vesicle Cargo Active Uptake by Imaging Flow Cytometry.

    PubMed

    Ofir-Birin, Yifat; Abou Karam, Paula; Rudik, Ariel; Giladi, Tal; Porat, Ziv; Regev-Rudzki, Neta

    2018-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles are essential for long distance cell-cell communication. They function as carriers of different compounds, including proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Pathogens, like malaria parasites ( Plasmodium falciparum, Pf ), excel in employing vesicle release to mediate cell communication in diverse processes, particularly in manipulating the host response. Establishing research tools to study the interface between pathogen-derived vesicles and their host recipient cells will greatly benefit the scientific community. Here, we present an imaging flow cytometry (IFC) method for monitoring the uptake of malaria-derived vesicles by host immune cells. By staining different cargo components, we were able to directly track the cargo's internalization over time and measure the kinetics of its delivery. Impressively, we demonstrate that this method can be used to specifically monitor the translocation of a specific protein within the cellular milieu upon internalization of parasitic cargo; namely, we were able to visually observe how uptaken parasitic Pf -DNA cargo leads to translocation of transcription factor IRF3 from the cytosol to the nucleus within the recipient immune cell. Our findings demonstrate that our method can be used to study cellular dynamics upon vesicle uptake in different host-pathogen and pathogen-pathogen systems.

  11. Endothelial cell membrane vesicles in the study of organ preference of metastasis.

    PubMed

    Johnson, R C; Augustin-Voss, H G; Zhu, D Z; Pauli, B U

    1991-01-01

    Many malignancies exhibit distinct patterns of metastasis that appear to be mediated by receptor/ligand-like interactions between tumor cells and organ-specific vascular endothelium. In order to study endothelial cell surface molecules involved in the binding of metastatic cells, we developed a perfusion method to isolate outside-out membrane vesicles from the lumenal surface of rat lung microvascular endothelium. Lungs were perfused in situ for 4 h at 37 degrees C with a solution of 100 mM formaldehyde, 2 mM dithiothreitol in phosphate-buffered saline to induce endothelial cell vesiculation. Radioiodinated rat lung endothelial cell membrane vesicles bound lung-metastatic tumor cells (B16F10, R323OAC-MET) in significantly higher numbers than their low or nonmetastatic counterparts (B16F0, R323OAC-LR). In contrast, leg endothelial membrane vesicle showed no binding preference for either cell line. Neuraminidase treatment of vesicles abolished specificity of adhesion of lung-derived vesicles to lung metastatic tumor cells. These results demonstrate that in situ perfusion is an appropriate technique to obtain pure endothelial cell membrane vesicles containing functionally active adhesion molecules. The preferential binding of lung-derived endothelial cell membrane vesicles by lung metastatic tumor cells is evidence of the importance of endothelial cell adhesion molecules in the formation of metastases.

  12. Vesicle sizing by static light scattering: a Fourier cosine transform approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jianhong; Hallett, F. Ross

    1995-08-01

    A Fourier cosine transform method, based on the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye thin-shell approximation, was developed to retrieve vesicle size distribution directly from the angular dependence of scattered light intensity. Its feasibility for real vesicles was partially tested on scattering data generated by the exact Mie solutions for isotropic vesicles. The noise tolerance of the method in recovering unimodal and biomodal distributions was studied with the simulated data. Applicability of this approach to vesicles with weak anisotropy was examined using Mie theory for anisotropic hollow spheres. A primitive theory about the first four moments of the radius distribution about the origin, excluding the mean radius, was obtained as an alternative to the direct retrieval of size distributions.

  13. Vesicle fusion observed by content transfer across a tethered lipid bilayer.

    PubMed

    Rawle, Robert J; van Lengerich, Bettina; Chung, Minsub; Bendix, Poul Martin; Boxer, Steven G

    2011-10-19

    Synaptic transmission is achieved by exocytosis of small, synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitters across the plasma membrane. Here, we use a DNA-tethered freestanding bilayer as a target architecture that allows observation of content transfer of individual vesicles across the tethered planar bilayer. Tethering and fusion are mediated by hybridization of complementary DNA-lipid conjugates inserted into the two membranes, and content transfer is monitored by the dequenching of an aqueous content dye. By analyzing the diffusion profile of the aqueous dye after vesicle fusion, we are able to distinguish content transfer across the tethered bilayer patch from vesicle leakage above the patch. Copyright © 2011 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Phase diagram of single vesicle dynamical states in shear flow.

    PubMed

    Deschamps, J; Kantsler, V; Steinberg, V

    2009-03-20

    We report the first experimental phase diagram of vesicle dynamical states in a shear flow presented in a space of two dimensionless parameters suggested recently by V. Lebedev et al. To reduce errors in the control parameters, 3D geometrical reconstruction and determination of the viscosity contrast of a vesicle in situ in a plane Couette flow device prior to the experiment are developed. Our results are in accord with the theory predicting three distinctly separating regions of vesicle dynamical states in the plane of just two self-similar parameters.

  15. Structure formation in binary mixtures of lipids and detergents: self-assembly and vesicle division.

    PubMed

    Noguchi, Hiroshi

    2013-01-14

    Self-assembly dynamics in binary surfactant mixtures and structure changes of lipid vesicles induced by detergent solution are studied using coarse-grained molecular simulations. Disk-shaped micelles, the bicelles, are stabilized by detergents surrounding the rim of a bilayer disk of lipids. The self-assembled bicelles are considerably smaller than bicelles formed from vesicle rupture, and their size is determined by the concentrations of lipids and detergents and the interactions between the two species. The detergent-adsorption induces spontaneous curvature of the vesicle bilayer and results in vesicle division into two vesicles or vesicle rupture into worm-like micelles. The division occurs mainly via the inverse pathway of the modified stalk model. For large spontaneous curvature of the monolayers of the detergents, a pore is often opened, thereby leading to vesicle division or worm-like micelle formation.

  16. The Rab4 effector Rabip4 plays a role in the endocytotic trafficking of Glut 4 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

    PubMed

    Mari, Muriel; Monzo, Pascale; Kaddai, Vincent; Keslair, Frédérique; Gonzalez, Teresa; Le Marchand-Brustel, Yannick; Cormont, Mireille

    2006-04-01

    Insulin regulates glucose uptake in the adipocytes by modulating Glut 4 localization, a traffic pathway involving the endocytic small GTPases Rab4, Rab5, and RabThe expression of the Rab4 effector Rabip4 leads to a 30% increase in glucose uptake and Glut 4 translocation in the presence of insulin, without modifications in the basal condition. This effect was not due to modifications of Glut 4 expression or insulin signaling, suggesting that Rabip4 controls Glut 4 trafficking. We present evidence that Rabip4 defines a subdomain of early endosomes and that Rabip4 is redistributed to the plasma membrane by insulin. Rabip4 is mostly absent from structures positive for early endosome antigen 1, Rab11 or transferrin receptors and from Glut 4 sequestration compartments. However, Rabip4 vesicles can be reached by internalized transferrin and Glut 4. Thus, Rabip4 probably defines an endocytic sorting platform for Glut 4 towards its sequestration pool. The expression of a form of Rabip4 unable to bind Rab4 does not modify basal and insulin-induced glucose transport. However, it induces an increase in the amount of Glut 4 at the plasma membrane and perturbs Glut 4 traffic from endosomes towards its sequestration compartments. These observations suggest that the uncoupling between Rabip4 and Rab4 induces the insertion of Glut 4 molecules that are unable to transport glucose into the plasma membrane.

  17. PI(4,5)P2-binding effector proteins for vesicle exocytosis

    PubMed Central

    Martin, Thomas F. J.

    2014-01-01

    PI(4,5)P2 participates directly in priming and possibly fusion steps of Ca2+-triggered vesicle exocytosis. High concentration nanodomains of PI(4,5)P2 reside on the plasma membrane of neuroendocrine cells. A subset of vesicles that co-localize with PI(4,5)P2 domains appear to undergo preferential exocytosis in stimulated cells. PI(4,5)P2 directly regulates vesicle exocytosis by recruiting and activating PI(4,5)P2-binding proteins that regulate SNARE protein function including CAPS, Munc13-1/2, synaptotagmin-1, and other C2 domain-containing proteins. These PI(4,5)P2 effector proteins are coincidence detectors that engage in multiple interactions at vesicle exocytic sites. The SNARE protein syntaxin-1 also binds to PI(4,5)P2, which promotes clustering, but an activating role for PI(4,5)P2 in syntaxin-1 function remains to be fully characterized. Similar principles underlie polarized constitutive vesicle fusion mediated in part by the PI(4,5)P2-binding subunits of the exocyst complex (Sec3, Exo70). Overall, focal vesicle exocytosis occurs at sites landmarked by PI(4,5)P2, which serves to recruit and/or activate multifunctional PI(4,5)P2-binding proteins. PMID:25280637

  18. Myosin light chain kinase facilitates endocytosis of synaptic vesicles at hippocampal boutons.

    PubMed

    Li, Lin; Wu, Xiaomei; Yue, Hai-Yuan; Zhu, Yong-Chuan; Xu, Jianhua

    2016-07-01

    At nerve terminals, endocytosis efficiently recycles vesicle membrane to maintain synaptic transmission under different levels of neuronal activity. Ca(2+) and its downstream signal pathways are critical for the activity-dependent regulation of endocytosis. An activity- and Ca(2+) -dependent kinase, myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) has been reported to regulate vesicle mobilization, vesicle cycling, and motility in different synapses, but whether it has a general contribution to regulation of endocytosis at nerve terminals remains unknown. We investigated this issue at rat hippocampal boutons by imaging vesicle endocytosis as the real-time retrieval of vesicular synaptophysin tagged with a pH-sensitive green fluorescence protein. We found that endocytosis induced by 200 action potentials (5-40 Hz) was slowed by acute inhibition of MLCK and down-regulation of MLCK with RNA interference, while the total amount of vesicle exocytosis and somatic Ca(2+) channel current did not change with MLCK down-regulation. Acute inhibition of myosin II similarly impaired endocytosis. Furthermore, down-regulation of MLCK prevented depolarization-induced phosphorylation of myosin light chain, an effect shared by blockers of Ca(2+) channels and calmodulin. These results suggest that MLCK facilitates vesicle endocytosis through activity-dependent phosphorylation of myosin downstream of Ca(2+) /calmodulin, probably as a widely existing mechanism among synapses. Our study suggests that MLCK is an important activity-dependent regulator of vesicle recycling in hippocampal neurons, which are critical for learning and memory. The kinetics of vesicle membrane endocytosis at nerve terminals has long been known to depend on activity and Ca(2+) . This study provides evidence suggesting that myosin light chain kinase increases endocytosis efficiency at hippocampal neurons by mediating Ca(2+) /calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of myosin. The authors propose that this signal cascade may serve as

  19. Three-dimensional visualization of coated vesicle formation in fibroblasts

    PubMed Central

    1980-01-01

    Fibroblasts apparently ingest low density lipoproteins (LDL) by a selective mechanism of receptor-mediated endocytosis involving the formation of coated vesicles from the plasma membrane. However, it is not known exactly how coated vesicles collect LDL receptors and pinch off from the plasma membrane. In this report, the quick-freeze, deep- etch, rotary-replication method has been applied to fibroblasts; it displays with unusual clarity the coats that appear under the plasma membrane at the start of receptor-mediated endocytosis. These coats appear to be polygonal networks of 7-nm strands or struts arranged into 30-nm polygons, most of which are hexagons but some of which are 5- and 7-sided rings. The proportion of pentagons in each network increases as the coated area of the plasma membrane puckers up from its planar configuration (where the network is mostly hexagons) to its most sharply curved condition as a pinched-off coated vesicle. Coats around the smallest vesicles (which are icosahedrons of hexagons and pentagons) appear only slightly different from "empty coats" purified from homogenized brain, which are less symmetrical baskets containing more pentagons than hexagons. A search for structural intermediates in this coat transformation allows a test of T. Kanaseki and K. Kadota's (1969. J. Cell Biol. 42:202--220.) original idea that an internal rearrangement in this basketwork from hexagons to pentagons could "power" coated vesicle formation. The most noteworthy variations in the typical hexagonal honeycomb are focal juxtapositions of 5- and 7-sided polygons at points of partial contraction and curvature in the basketwork. These appear to precede complete contraction into individual pentagons completely surrounded by hexagons, which is the pattern that characterizes the final spherical baskets around coated vesicles. PMID:6987244

  20. Annexin A1 Complex Mediates Oxytocin Vesicle Transport

    PubMed Central

    Makani, Vishruti; Sultana, Rukhsana; Sie, Khin Sander; Orjiako, Doris; Tatangelo, Marco; Dowling, Abigail; Cai, Jian; Pierce, William; Butterfield, D. Allan; Hill, Jennifer; Park, Joshua

    2013-01-01

    Oxytocin is a major neuropeptide that modulates the brain functions involved in social behavior and interaction. Despite of the importance of oxytocin for neural control of social behavior, little is known about the molecular mechanism(s) by which oxytocin secretion in the brain is regulated. Pro-oxytocin is synthesized in the cell bodies of hypothalamic neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and processed to a 9-amino-acid mature form during post-Golgi transport to the secretion sites at the axon terminals and somatodendritic regions. Oxytocin secreted from the somatodendritic regions diffuses throughout the hypothalamus and its neighboring brain regions. Some oxytocin-positive axons innervate and secrete oxytocin to the brain regions distal to the hypothalamus. Brain oxytocin binds to its receptors in the brain regions involved in social behavior. Oxytocin is also secreted from the axon terminal at the posterior pituitary gland into the blood circulation. We have discovered a new molecular complex consisting of annexin A1 (ANXA1), A-kinase anchor protein 150 (AKAP150), and microtubule motor, that controls the distribution of oxytocin vesicles between the axon and the cell body in a protein kinase A (PKA)- and protein kinase C (PKC)-sensitive manner. ANXA1 showed significant co-localization with oxytocin vesicles. Activation of PKA enhanced the association of kinesin-2 with ANXA1, thus increasing the axon-localization of oxytocin vesicles. Conversely, activation of PKC decreased the binding of kinesin-2 to ANXA1, thus attenuating the axon-localization of oxytocin vesicles. Our study suggests that ANXA1 complex coordinates the actions of PKA and PKC to control the distribution of oxytocin vesicles between the axon and the cell body. PMID:24118254

  1. Transcutol containing vesicles for topical delivery of minoxidil.

    PubMed

    Mura, Simona; Manconi, Maria; Valenti, Donatella; Sinico, Chiara; Vila, Amparo Ofelia; Fadda, Anna Maria

    2011-04-01

    The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of Transcutol (Trc) to produce elastic vesicles with soy lecithin (SL) and study the influence of the obtained vesicles on in vitro (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil. To this purpose, so-called penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) were prepared using Trc aqueous solutions (5-10-20-30% v/v) as hydrophilic phase. SL liposomes, without Trc, were used as control. Prepared formulations were characterized in terms of size distribution, morphology, zeta potential, deformability, and rheological behavior. The influence of the obtained PEVs on (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil was studied by in vitro diffusion experiments through pig skin. Results showed that all prepared PEVs were able to give good entrapment efficiency (E%≈67) similar to that of conventional liposomes. Trc-containing PEVs showed to be more deformable than liposomes only when minoxidil was loaded in 5 and 10% Trc-containing vesicles. Rheological studies showed that PEVs have higher fluidity than conventional liposomes. All PEVs showed a higher stability than liposomes as shown by studying zeta potential and size distribution during three months. Results of in vitro diffusion experiments showed that Trc-containing PEVs are able to deliver minoxidil to deep skin layers without any transdermal permeation.

  2. Blending of diblock and triblock copolypeptide amphiphiles yields cell penetrating vesicles with low toxicity.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, April R; Choe, Uh-Joo; Kamei, Daniel T; Deming, Timothy J

    2015-01-01

    We prepared dual hydrophilic triblock copolypeptide vesicles that form both micron and nanometer scale vesicles in aqueous media. The incorporation of terminal homoarginine segments into methionine sulfoxide-based vesicles was found to significantly enhance their cellular uptake compared to a non-ionic control. We also demonstrated that diblock and triblock copolypeptides with similar hydrophobic domains were found to mix well and form vesicle populations with uniform compositions. Blending of amphiphiles in vesicle nanocarriers was found to impart these materials with many advantageous properties, including good cellular uptake while maintaining minimal toxicity, as well as biological responsiveness to promote vesicle disruption and release of encapsulated cargos. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Shear-stress sensitive lenticular vesicles for targeted drug delivery.

    PubMed

    Holme, Margaret N; Fedotenko, Illya A; Abegg, Daniel; Althaus, Jasmin; Babel, Lucille; Favarger, France; Reiter, Renate; Tanasescu, Radu; Zaffalon, Pierre-Léonard; Ziegler, André; Müller, Bert; Saxer, Till; Zumbuehl, Andreas

    2012-08-01

    Atherosclerosis results in the narrowing of arterial blood vessels and this causes significant changes in the endogenous shear stress between healthy and constricted arteries. Nanocontainers that can release drugs locally with such rheological changes can be very useful. Here, we show that vesicles made from an artificial 1,3-diaminophospholipid are stable under static conditions but release their contents at elevated shear stress. These vesicles have a lenticular morphology, which potentially leads to instabilities along their equator. Using a model cardiovascular system based on polymer tubes and an external pump to represent shear stress in healthy and constricted vessels of the heart, we show that drugs preferentially release from the vesicles in constricted vessels that have high shear stress.

  4. Shear-stress sensitive lenticular vesicles for targeted drug delivery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holme, Margaret N.; Fedotenko, Illya A.; Abegg, Daniel; Althaus, Jasmin; Babel, Lucille; Favarger, France; Reiter, Renate; Tanasescu, Radu; Zaffalon, Pierre-Léonard; Ziegler, André; Müller, Bert; Saxer, Till; Zumbuehl, Andreas

    2012-08-01

    Atherosclerosis results in the narrowing of arterial blood vessels and this causes significant changes in the endogenous shear stress between healthy and constricted arteries. Nanocontainers that can release drugs locally with such rheological changes can be very useful. Here, we show that vesicles made from an artificial 1,3-diaminophospholipid are stable under static conditions but release their contents at elevated shear stress. These vesicles have a lenticular morphology, which potentially leads to instabilities along their equator. Using a model cardiovascular system based on polymer tubes and an external pump to represent shear stress in healthy and constricted vessels of the heart, we show that drugs preferentially release from the vesicles in constricted vessels that have high shear stress.

  5. Interaction of phospholipid vesicles with cultured mammalial cells. I. Characteristics of uptake

    PubMed Central

    1975-01-01

    The interaction of monolayer cultures of Chinese hamster V79 cells with artificially generated, unilamellar lipid vesicles (approximately 500 A diameter) was examined. Vesicles prepared from a variety of natural and synthetic radiolabeled phosphatidyl cholines (lecithins) were incubated with V79 cells bathed in a simple balanced salt solution. After incubation, the cells were analyzed for exogenous lipid incorporation. Large quantities (approximately 10(8) molecules/cell/h) of lecithin became cell associated without affecting cell viability. The effects of pH, charged lipids, and the influence of the vesicle lipid phase transition on the uptake process were examined. Glutaraldehyde fixation of cells before vesicle treatment, or incubation in the presence of metabolic inhibitors, failed to reduce the lecithin uptake by more than 25-50%, suggesting that the lipid uptake is largely energy independent. Cells in sparse culture took up about ten times more lipid than dense cultures. Prolonged incubation (greater than 15 h) of sparse cell cultures with lecithin vesicles resulted in significant cell death while no deleterious effect was found in dense cultures, or with 1:1 lecithin/cholesterol vesicles. When vesicle-treated cells were homogenized and fractionated, about 20-30% of the exogenous lipid was found in the plasma membrane fraction, with the remainder being distributed into intracellular fractions. Electron microscope radioautography further demonstrated that most of the internalized lipid was present in the cytoplasm, with little in the nucleus. These results are discussed in terms of possible modification of cell behavior by lipid vesicle treatment. PMID:240860

  6. Experimental observation of the asymmetric instability of intermediate-reduced-volume vesicles in extensional flow.

    PubMed

    Dahl, Joanna B; Narsimhan, Vivek; Gouveia, Bernardo; Kumar, Sanjay; Shaqfeh, Eric S G; Muller, Susan J

    2016-04-20

    Vesicles provide an attractive model system to understand the deformation of living cells in response to mechanical forces. These simple, enclosed lipid bilayer membranes are suitable for complementary theoretical, numerical, and experimental analysis. A recent study [Narsimhan, Spann, Shaqfeh, J. Fluid Mech., 2014, 750, 144] predicted that intermediate-aspect-ratio vesicles extend asymmetrically in extensional flow. Upon infinitesimal perturbation to the vesicle shape, the vesicle stretches into an asymmetric dumbbell with a cylindrical thread separating the two ends. While the symmetric stretching of high-aspect-ratio vesicles in extensional flow has been observed and characterized [Kantsler, Segre, Steinberg, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2008, 101, 048101] as well as recapitulated in numerical simulations by Narsimhan et al., experimental observation of the asymmetric stretching has not been reported. In this work, we present results from microfluidic cross-slot experiments observing this instability, along with careful characterization of the flow field, vesicle shape, and vesicle bending modulus. The onset of this shape transition depends on two non-dimensional parameters: reduced volume (a measure of vesicle asphericity) and capillary number (ratio of viscous to bending forces). We observed that every intermediate-reduced-volume vesicle that extends forms a dumbbell shape that is indeed asymmetric. For the subset of the intermediate-reduced-volume regime we could capture experimentally, we present an experimental phase diagram for asymmetric vesicle stretching that is consistent with the predictions of Narsimhan et al.

  7. Rapid changes in synaptic vesicle cytochemistry after depolarization of cultured cholinergic sympathetic neurons

    PubMed Central

    1985-01-01

    Sympathetic neurons taken from rat superior cervical ganglia and grown in culture acquire cholinergic function under certain conditions. These cholinergic sympathetic neurons, however, retain a number of adrenergic properties, including the enzymes involved in the synthesis of norepinephrine (NE) and the storage of measurable amounts of NE. These neurons also retain a high affinity uptake system for NE; despite this, the majority of the synaptic vesicles remain clear even after incubation in catecholamines. The present study shows, however, that if these neurons are depolarized before incubation in catecholamine, the synaptic vesicles acquire dense cores indicative of amine storage. These manipulations are successful when cholinergic function is induced with either a medium that contains human placental serum and embryo extract or with heart-conditioned medium, and when the catecholamine is either NE or 5-hydroxydopamine. In some experiments, neurons are grown at low densities and shown to have cholinergic function by electrophysiological criteria. After incubation in NE, only 6% of the synaptic vesicles have dense cores. In contrast, similar neurons depolarized (80 mM K+) before incubation in catecholamine contain 82% dense-cored vesicles. These results are confirmed in network cultures where the percentage of dense-cored vesicles is increased 2.5 to 6.5 times by depolarizing the neurons before incubation with catecholamine. In both single neurons and in network cultures, the vesicle reloading is inhibited by reducing vesicle release during depolarization with an increased Mg++/Ca++ ratio or by blocking NE uptake either at the plasma membrane (desipramine) or at the vesicle membrane (reserpine). In addition, choline appears to play a competitive role because its presence during incubation in NE or after reloading results in decreased numbers of dense-cored vesicles. We conclude that the depolarization step preceding catecholamine incubation acts to empty the

  8. The Hsp90 chaperone complex regulates GDI-dependent Rab recycling.

    PubMed

    Chen, Christine Y; Balch, William E

    2006-08-01

    Rab GTPase regulated hubs provide a framework for an integrated coding system, the membrome network, that controls the dynamics of the specialized exocytic and endocytic membrane architectures found in eukaryotic cells. Herein, we report that Rab recycling in the early exocytic pathways involves the heat-shock protein (Hsp)90 chaperone system. We find that Hsp90 forms a complex with guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) to direct recycling of the client substrate Rab1 required for endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport. ER-to-Golgi traffic is inhibited by the Hsp90-specific inhibitors geldanamycin (GA), 17-(dimethylaminoethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-DMAG), and radicicol. Hsp90 activity is required to form a functional GDI complex to retrieve Rab1 from the membrane. Moreover, we find that Hsp90 is essential for Rab1-dependent Golgi assembly. The observation that the highly divergent Rab GTPases Rab1 involved in ER-to-Golgi transport and Rab3A involved in synaptic vesicle fusion require Hsp90 for retrieval from membranes lead us to now propose that the Hsp90 chaperone system may function as a general regulator for Rab GTPase recycling in exocytic and endocytic trafficking pathways involved in cell signaling and proliferation.

  9. Vesicle solubilization by bile salts: comparison of macroscopic theory and simulation.

    PubMed

    Haustein, M; Wahab, M; Mögel, H-J; Schiller, P

    2015-04-14

    Lipid metabolism is accompanied by the solubilization of lipid bilayer membranes by bile salts. We use Brownian dynamics simulations to study the solubilization of model membranes and vesicles by sodium cholate. The solubilization pathways of small and large vesicles are found to be different. Both results for small and large vesicles can be compared with predictions of a macroscopic theoretical description. The line tension of bilayer edges is an important parameter in the solubilization process. We propose a simple method to determine the line tension by analyzing the shape fluctuations of planar membrane patches. Macroscopic mechanical models provide a reasonable explanation for processes observed when a spherical vesicle consisting of lipids and adsorbed bile salt molecules is transformed into mixed lipid-bile salt micelles.

  10. Models for randomly distributed nanoscopic domains on spherical vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anghel, Vinicius N. P.; Bolmatov, Dima; Katsaras, John

    2018-06-01

    The existence of lipid domains in the plasma membrane of biological systems has proven controversial, primarily due to their nanoscopic size—a length scale difficult to interrogate with most commonly used experimental techniques. Scattering techniques have recently proven capable of studying nanoscopic lipid domains populating spherical vesicles. However, the development of analytical methods able of predicting and analyzing domain pair correlations from such experiments has not kept pace. Here, we developed models for the random distribution of monodisperse, circular nanoscopic domains averaged on the surface of a spherical vesicle. Specifically, the models take into account (i) intradomain correlations corresponding to form factors and interdomain correlations corresponding to pair distribution functions, and (ii) the analytical computation of interdomain correlations for cases of two and three domains on a spherical vesicle. In the case of more than three domains, these correlations are treated either by Monte Carlo simulations or by spherical analogs of the Ornstein-Zernike and Percus-Yevick (PY) equations. Importantly, the spherical analog of the PY equation works best in the case of nanoscopic size domains, a length scale that is mostly inaccessible by experimental approaches such as, for example, fluorescent techniques and optical microscopies. The analytical form factors and structure factors of nanoscopic domains populating a spherical vesicle provide a new and important framework for the quantitative analysis of experimental data from commonly studied phase-separated vesicles used in a wide range of biophysical studies.

  11. Visualizing the effect of dynamin inhibition on annular gap vesicle formation and fission.

    PubMed

    Nickel, Beth; Boller, Marie; Schneider, Kimberly; Shakespeare, Teresa; Gay, Vernon; Murray, Sandra A

    2013-06-15

    Although gap junction plaque assembly has been extensively studied, mechanisms involved in plaque disassembly are not well understood. Disassembly involves an internalization process in which annular gap junction vesicles are formed. These vesicles undergo fission, but the molecular machinery needed for these fissions has not been described. The mechanoenzyme dynamin has been previously demonstrated to play a role in gap junction plaque internalization. To investigate the role of dynamin in annular gap junction vesicle fission, immunocytochemical, time-lapse and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze SW-13 adrenocortical cells in culture. Dynamin was demonstrated to colocalize with gap junction plaques and vesicles. Dynamin inhibition, by siRNA knockdown or treatment with the dynamin GTPase inhibitor dynasore, increased the number and size of gap junction 'buds' suspended from the gap junction plaques. Buds, in control populations, were frequently released to form annular gap junction vesicles. In dynamin-inhibited populations, the buds were larger and infrequently released and thus fewer annular gap junction vesicles were formed. In addition, the number of annular gap junction vesicle fissions per hour was reduced in the dynamin-inhibited populations. We believe this to be the first report addressing the details of annular gap junction vesicle fissions and demonstrating a role of dynamin in this process. This information is crucial for elucidating the relationship between gap junctions, membrane regulation and cell behavior.

  12. Visualizing the effect of dynamin inhibition on annular gap vesicle formation and fission

    PubMed Central

    Nickel, Beth; Boller, Marie; Schneider, Kimberly; Shakespeare, Teresa; Gay, Vernon; Murray, Sandra A.

    2013-01-01

    Summary Although gap junction plaque assembly has been extensively studied, mechanisms involved in plaque disassembly are not well understood. Disassembly involves an internalization process in which annular gap junction vesicles are formed. These vesicles undergo fission, but the molecular machinery needed for these fissions has not been described. The mechanoenzyme dynamin has been previously demonstrated to play a role in gap junction plaque internalization. To investigate the role of dynamin in annular gap junction vesicle fission, immunocytochemical, time-lapse and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze SW-13 adrenocortical cells in culture. Dynamin was demonstrated to colocalize with gap junction plaques and vesicles. Dynamin inhibition, by siRNA knockdown or treatment with the dynamin GTPase inhibitor dynasore, increased the number and size of gap junction ‘buds’ suspended from the gap junction plaques. Buds, in control populations, were frequently released to form annular gap junction vesicles. In dynamin-inhibited populations, the buds were larger and infrequently released and thus fewer annular gap junction vesicles were formed. In addition, the number of annular gap junction vesicle fissions per hour was reduced in the dynamin-inhibited populations. We believe this to be the first report addressing the details of annular gap junction vesicle fissions and demonstrating a role of dynamin in this process. This information is crucial for elucidating the relationship between gap junctions, membrane regulation and cell behavior. PMID:23591819

  13. Pro-metastatic NEDD9 regulates individual cell migration via caveolin-1-dependent trafficking of integrins

    PubMed Central

    Kozyulina, Polina Y.; Loskutov, Yuriy V.; Kozyreva, Varvara K.; Rajulapati, Anuradha; Ice, Ryan J.; Jones, Brandon. C.; Pugacheva, Elena N.

    2014-01-01

    The dissemination of tumor cells relies on efficient cell adhesion and migration, which in turn depends upon endocytic trafficking of integrins. In the current work, it was found that depletion of pro-metastatic protein, NEDD9, in breast cancer (BC) cells results in a significant decrease in individual cell migration due to impaired trafficking of ligand-bound integrins. NEDD9 deficiency does not affect the expression or internalization of integrins but heightens caveolae-dependent trafficking of ligand-bound integrins to early endosomes. Increase in mobility of ligand-bound integrins is concomitant with an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1 (CAV1) and volume of CAV1-vesicles. NEDD9 directly binds to CAV1 and co-localizes within CAV1 vesicles. In the absence of NEDD9, the trafficking of ligand-bound integrins from early to late endosomes is impaired, resulting in a significant decrease in degradation of ligand/integrin complexes and an increase in recycling of ligand-bound integrins from early endosomes back to the plasma membrane without ligand disengagement, thus leading to low adhesion and migration. Re-expression of NEDD9 or decrease in the amount of active, tyrosine 14 phosphorylated (Tyr14) CAV1 in NEDD9 depleted cells rescues the integrin trafficking deficiency and restores cellular adhesion and migration capacity. Collectively, these findings indicate that NEDD9 orchestrates trafficking of ligand-bound integrins through the attenuation of CAV1 activity. PMID:25319010

  14. A Novel Pulse-Chase Paradigm to Visualize the Trafficking of Transport Vesicles in Neurons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Bassam, Sarmad

    In neurons transmembrane proteins are targeted to dendrites in vesicles that traffic solely within the somatodendritic compartment. How these vesicles are retained within the somatodendritic domain is unknown. Here we adapt a novel pulse chase system that allows synchronous release of exogenous transmembrane proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum using FKBP12 and Rapamycin. We demonstrate proof-of-concept and establish protein trafficking controls in incremental steps. We demonstrate the utility of this approach in studying protein trafficking and establish parameters for analysis of time-lapse images. We implement this novel pulse-chase strategy to track the movements of post-Golgi transport vesicles. Surprisingly, we found that post-Golgi vesicles carrying dendritic proteins were equally likely to enter axons and dendrites. However, once such vesicles entered the axon they very rarely moved beyond the axon initial segment, but instead either halted or reversed direction in an actin and Myosin Va-dependent manner. In contrast, vesicles carrying either an axonal or a nonspecifically localized protein only rarely halted or reversed and instead generally proceeded to the distal axon. Thus, our results are consistent with the axon initial segment behaving as a vesicle filter that mediates the differential trafficking of transport vesicles.

  15. Clarinet (CLA-1), a novel active zone protein required for synaptic vesicle clustering and release

    PubMed Central

    Nelson, Jessica; Richmond, Janet E; Colón-Ramos, Daniel A; Shen, Kang

    2017-01-01

    Active zone proteins cluster synaptic vesicles at presynaptic terminals and coordinate their release. In forward genetic screens, we isolated a novel Caenorhabditis elegans active zone gene, clarinet (cla-1). cla-1 mutants exhibit defects in synaptic vesicle clustering, active zone structure and synapse number. As a result, they have reduced spontaneous vesicle release and increased synaptic depression. cla-1 mutants show defects in vesicle distribution near the presynaptic dense projection, with fewer undocked vesicles contacting the dense projection and more docked vesicles at the plasma membrane. cla-1 encodes three isoforms containing common C-terminal PDZ and C2 domains with homology to vertebrate active zone proteins Piccolo and RIM. The C-termini of all isoforms localize to the active zone. Specific loss of the ~9000 amino acid long isoform results in vesicle clustering defects and increased synaptic depression. Our data indicate that specific isoforms of clarinet serve distinct functions, regulating synapse development, vesicle clustering and release. PMID:29160205

  16. Penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) as carriers for cutaneous delivery of minoxidil.

    PubMed

    Mura, Simona; Manconi, Maria; Sinico, Chiara; Valenti, Donatella; Fadda, Anna Maria

    2009-10-01

    The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of a few different penetration enhancers to produce elastic vesicles with soy lecithin and the influence of the obtained vesicles on in vitro (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil. To this purpose, so-called Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles (PEVs) were prepared as dehydrated-rehydrated vesicles by using soy lecithin and different amounts of three penetration enhancers, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethanol (Transcutol), capryl-caproyl macrogol 8-glyceride (Labrasol), and cineole. Soy lecithin liposomes, without penetration enhancers, were used as control. Prepared formulations were characterized in terms of size distribution, morphology, zeta potential, and vesicle deformability. The influence of PEVs on (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil was studied by in vitro diffusion experiments through newborn pig skin in comparison with traditional liposomes and ethanolic solutions of the drug also containing each penetration enhancer. A skin pre-treatment study using empty PEVs and conventional liposomes was also carried out. Results showed that all the used penetration enhancers were able to give more deformable vesicles than conventional liposomes with a good drug entrapment efficiency and stability. In vitro skin penetration data showed that PEVs were able to give a statistically significant improvement of minoxidil deposition in the skin in comparison with classic liposomes and penetration enhancer-containing drug ethanolic solutions without any transdermal delivery. Moreover, the most deformable PEVs, prepared with Labrasol and cineole, were also able to deliver to the skin a higher total amount of minoxidil than the PE alcoholic solutions thus suggesting that minoxidil delivery to the skin was strictly correlated to vesicle deformability, and therefore to vesicle composition.

  17. Export of Virulence Genes and Shiga Toxin by Membrane Vesicles of Escherichia coli O157:H7

    PubMed Central

    Kolling, Glynis L.; Matthews, Karl R.

    1999-01-01

    Membrane vesicles released by Escherichia coli O157:H7 into culture medium were purified and analyzed for protein and DNA content. Electron micrographs revealed vesicles that are spherical, range in size from 20 to 100 nm, and have a complete bilayer. Analysis of vesicle protein by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrates vesicles that contain many proteins with molecular sizes similar to outer membrane proteins and a number of cellular proteins. Immunoblot (Western) analysis of vesicles suggests the presence of cell antigens. Treatment of vesicles with exogenous DNase hydrolyzed surface-associated DNA; PCR demonstrated that vesicles contain DNA encoding the virulence genes eae, stx1 and stx2, and uidA, which encodes for β-galactosidase. Immunoblot analysis of intact and lysed, proteinase K-treated vesicles demonstrate that Shiga toxins 1 and 2 are contained within vesicles. These results suggest that vesicles contain toxic material and transfer experiments demonstrate that vesicles can deliver genetic material to other gram-negative organisms. PMID:10223967

  18. Focus on Extracellular Vesicles: Physiological Role and Signalling Properties of Extracellular Membrane Vesicles

    PubMed Central

    Iraci, Nunzio; Leonardi, Tommaso; Gessler, Florian; Vega, Beatriz; Pluchino, Stefano

    2016-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous population of secreted membrane vesicles, with distinct biogenesis routes, biophysical properties and different functions both in physiological conditions and in disease. The release of EVs is a widespread biological process, which is conserved across species. In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated that several bioactive molecules are trafficked with(in) EVs, such as microRNAs, mRNAs, proteins and lipids. The understanding of their final impact on the biology of specific target cells remains matter of intense debate in the field. Also, EVs have attracted great interest as potential novel cell-free therapeutics. Here we describe the proposed physiological and pathological functions of EVs, with a particular focus on their molecular content. Also, we discuss the advances in the knowledge of the mechanisms regulating the secretion of EV-associated molecules and the specific pathways activated upon interaction with the target cell, highlighting the role of EVs in the context of the immune system and as mediators of the intercellular signalling in the brain. PMID:26861302

  19. Differential Regulation of Synaptic Vesicle Tethering and Docking by UNC-18 and TOM-1.

    PubMed

    Gracheva, Elena O; Maryon, Ed B; Berthelot-Grosjean, Martine; Richmond, Janet E

    2010-01-01

    The assembly of SNARE complexes between syntaxin, SNAP-25 and synaptobrevin is required to prime synaptic vesicles for fusion. Since Munc18 and tomosyn compete for syntaxin interactions, the interplay between these proteins is predicted to be important in regulating synaptic transmission. We explored this possibility, by examining genetic interactions between C. elegans unc-18(Munc18), unc-64(syntaxin) and tom-1(tomosyn). We have previously demonstrated that unc-18 mutants have reduced synaptic transmission, whereas tom-1 mutants exhibit enhanced release. Here we show that the unc-18 mutant release defect is associated with loss of two morphologically distinct vesicle pools; those tethered within 25 nm of the plasma membrane and those docked with the plasma membrane. In contrast, priming defective unc-13 mutants accumulate tethered vesicles, while docked vesicles are greatly reduced, indicating tethering is UNC-18-dependent and occurs in the absence of priming. C. elegans unc-64 mutants phenocopy unc-18 mutants, losing both tethered and docked vesicles, whereas overexpression of open syntaxin preferentially increases vesicle docking, suggesting UNC-18/closed syntaxin interactions are responsible for vesicle tethering. Given the competition between vertebrate tomosyn and Munc18, for syntaxin binding, we hypothesized that C. elegans TOM-1 may inhibit both UNC-18-dependent vesicle targeting steps. Consistent with this hypothesis, tom-1 mutants exhibit enhanced UNC-18 plasma membrane localization and a concomitant increase in both tethered and docked synaptic vesicles. Furthermore, in tom-1;unc-18 double mutants the docked, primed vesicle pool is preferentially rescued relative to unc-18 single mutants. Together these data provide evidence for the differential regulation of two vesicle targeting steps by UNC-18 and TOM-1 through competitive interactions with syntaxin.

  20. Vesicle microtexture analysis and eruption dynamics of selected high fountaining episodes at Pu`u `Ō`ō, Kīlauea volcano, Hawai`i between 1985-1986.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holt, S. J.; Carey, R.; Houghton, B. F.; Orr, T. R.; McPhie, J.

    2015-12-01

    The early phases of the ongoing eruption of Pu`u `Ō`ō in the East Rift Zone (ERZ) of Kīlauea on Hawai`i provide a unique opportunity to study the vesicle microtexture of tephra from five high (≥200m) Hawaiian fountaining events, from a single vent, over a prolonged period of time. The high Hawaiian fountains erupted at Pu`u `Ō`ō varied in height from 200 m up to a maximum of 467 m, during which the shallow conduit at Pu`u `Ō`ō remained stable. We conducted microtextural analysis of pyroclasts from five high (264 to 391 m) Hawaiian fountaining episodes at Kīlauea, Episodes 32, 37, 40, 44 and 45, erupted from the Pu`u `Ō`ō vent between 1985 and 1986 in order to constrain the parameters that lead to large variations in fountain height of Hawaiian fountains at Pu`u `Ō`ō. Our results show that pyroclasts from a single episode can vary greatly in texture (from bubbly to foamy) and have vesicle volume densities (Nmv) that vary by an order of magnitude. This range in vesicle texture and population is due to extensive growth and coalescence of vesicles within the eruption jet post-fragmentation, resulting in the observed vesicle texture not being wholly indicative of the syn-fragmentation vesicle population. Only four pyroclasts were found to have textures that are interpreted to be indicative of the vesicle population at the moment of fragmentation, all of which have bubbly texture, high density, high Nmv, and low vesicle-to-melt ratio (VG/VL). Due to the paucity of pyroclasts representative of syn-eruption vesiculation processes, comparison of shallow conduit dynamics across episodes can only be qualitative observations, which suggest the ascending melt is thermally and mechanically heterogeneous on a small scale during Hawaiian-style fountaining. This highlights the importance for detailed micro-scale qualitative textural observations on pyroclasts with end-member densities, as well as modal densities, when carrying out vesicle microtexture analysis. This

  1. Enzyme-triggered cargo release from methionine sulfoxide containing copolypeptide vesicles.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, April R; Kramer, Jessica R; Deming, Timothy J

    2013-10-14

    We have developed a facile, scalable method for preparation of enzyme-responsive copolypeptide vesicles that requires no protecting groups or expensive components. We designed amphiphilic copolypeptides containing segments of water-soluble methionine sulfoxide, M(O), residues that were prepared by synthesis of a fully hydrophobic precursor diblock copolypeptide, poly(l-methionine)65-b-poly(L-leucine0.5-stat-L-phenylalanine0.5)20, M65(L0.5/F0.5)20, followed by its direct oxidation in water to give the amphiphilic M(O) derivative, M(O)65(L0.5/F0.5)20. Assembly of M(O)65(L0.5/F0.5)20 in water gave vesicles with average diameters of a few micrometers that could then be extruded to nanoscale diameters. The M(O) segments in the vesicles were found to be substrates for reductase enzymes, which regenerated hydrophobic M segments and resulted in a change in supramolecular morphology that caused vesicle disruption and release of cargos.

  2. Germline Proliferation Is Regulated by Somatic Endocytic Genes via JNK and BMP Signaling in Drosophila.

    PubMed

    Tang, Yaning; Geng, Qing; Chen, Di; Zhao, Shaowei; Liu, Xian; Wang, Zhaohui

    2017-05-01

    Signals derived from the microenvironment contribute greatly to tumorigenesis . The underlying mechanism requires thorough investigation. Here, we use Drosophila testis as a model system to address this question, taking the advantage of the ease to distinguish germline and somatic cells and to track the cell numbers. In an EMS mutagenesis screen, we identified Rab5 , a key factor in endocytosis, for its nonautonomous role in germline proliferation. The disruption of Rab5 in somatic cyst cells, which escort the development of germline lineage, induced the overproliferation of underdifferentiated but genetically wild-type germ cells. We demonstrated that this nonautonomous effect was mediated by the transcriptional activation of Dpp [the fly homolog of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)] by examining the Dpp-reporter expression and knocking down Dpp to block germline overgrowth. Consistently, the protein levels of Bam, the germline prodifferentiation factor normally accumulated in the absence of BMP/Dpp signaling, decreased in the overproliferating germ cells. Further, we discovered that the JNK signaling pathway operated between Rab5 and Dpp, because simultaneously inhibiting the JNK pathway and Rab5 in cyst cells prevented both dpp transcription and germline tumor growth. Additionally, we found that multiple endocytic genes, such as avl , TSG101 , Vps25 , or Cdc42 , were required in the somatic cyst cells to restrict germline amplification. These findings indicate that when the endocytic state of the surrounding cells is impaired, genetically wild-type germ cells overgrow. This nonautonomous model of tumorigenesis provides a simple system to dissect the relation between tumor and its niche. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

  3. Vesicle Motion during Sustained Exocytosis in Chromaffin Cells: Numerical Model Based on Amperometric Measurements.

    PubMed

    Jarukanont, Daungruthai; Bonifas Arredondo, Imelda; Femat, Ricardo; Garcia, Martin E

    2015-01-01

    Chromaffin cells release catecholamines by exocytosis, a process that includes vesicle docking, priming and fusion. Although all these steps have been intensively studied, some aspects of their mechanisms, particularly those regarding vesicle transport to the active sites situated at the membrane, are still unclear. In this work, we show that it is possible to extract information on vesicle motion in Chromaffin cells from the combination of Langevin simulations and amperometric measurements. We developed a numerical model based on Langevin simulations of vesicle motion towards the cell membrane and on the statistical analysis of vesicle arrival times. We also performed amperometric experiments in bovine-adrenal Chromaffin cells under Ba2+ stimulation to capture neurotransmitter releases during sustained exocytosis. In the sustained phase, each amperometric peak can be related to a single release from a new vesicle arriving at the active site. The amperometric signal can then be mapped into a spike-series of release events. We normalized the spike-series resulting from the current peaks using a time-rescaling transformation, thus making signals coming from different cells comparable. We discuss why the obtained spike-series may contain information about the motion of all vesicles leading to release of catecholamines. We show that the release statistics in our experiments considerably deviate from Poisson processes. Moreover, the interspike-time probability is reasonably well described by two-parameter gamma distributions. In order to interpret this result we computed the vesicles' arrival statistics from our Langevin simulations. As expected, assuming purely diffusive vesicle motion we obtain Poisson statistics. However, if we assume that all vesicles are guided toward the membrane by an attractive harmonic potential, simulations also lead to gamma distributions of the interspike-time probability, in remarkably good agreement with experiment. We also show that

  4. Placental Nano-vesicles Target to Specific Organs and Modulate Vascular Tone In Vivo.

    PubMed

    Tong, Mancy; Stanley, Joanna L; Chen, Q; James, Joanna L; Stone, Peter R; Chamley, Larry W

    2017-11-01

    How do nano-vesicles extruded from normal first trimester human placentae affect maternal vascular function? Placental nano-vesicles affect the ability of systemic mesenteric arteries to undergo endothelium- and nitric oxide- (NO-) dependent vasodilation in vivo in pregnant mice. Dramatic cardiovascular adaptations occur during human pregnancy, including a substantial decrease in total peripheral resistance in the first trimester. The human placenta constantly extrudes extracellular vesicles that can enter the maternal circulation and these vesicles may play an important role in feto-maternal communication. Human placental nano-vesicles were administered into CD1 mice via a tail vein and their localization and vascular effects at 30 min and 24 h post-injection were investigated. Nano-vesicles from normal first trimester human placentae were collected and administered into pregnant (D12.5) or non-pregnant female mice. After either 30 min or 24 h of exposure, all major organs were dissected for imaging (n = 7 at each time point) while uterine and mesenteric arteries were dissected for wire myography (n = 6 at each time point). Additional in vitro studies using HMEC-1 endothelial cells were also conducted to investigate the kinetics of interaction between placental nano-vesicles and endothelial cells. Nano-vesicles from first trimester human placentae localized to the lungs, liver and kidneys 24 h after injection into pregnant mice (n = 7). Exposure of pregnant mice to placental nano-vesicles for 30 min in vivo increased the vasodilatory response of mesenteric arteries to acetylcholine, while exposure for 24 h had the opposite effect (P < 0.05, n = 6). These responses were prevented by L-NAME, an NO synthase inhibitor. Placental nano-vesicles did not affect the function of uterine arteries or mesenteric arteries from non-pregnant mice. Placental nano-vesicles rapidly interacted with endothelial cells via a combination of phagocytosis, endocytosis and cell surface

  5. Hydrodynamic interaction between two vesicles in a linear shear flow: asymptotic study.

    PubMed

    Gires, P Y; Danker, G; Misbah, C

    2012-07-01

    Interactions between two vesicles in an imposed linear shear flow are studied theoretically, in the limit of almost spherical vesicles, with a large intervesicle distance, in a strong flow, with a large inner to outer viscosity ratio. This allows to derive a system of ordinary equations describing the dynamics of the two vesicles. We provide an analytic expression for the interaction law. We find that when the vesicles are in the same shear plane, the hydrodynamic interaction leads to a repulsion. When they are not, the interaction may turn into attraction instead. The interaction law is discussed and analyzed as a function of relevant parameters.

  6. A TOCA/CDC-42/PAR/WAVE functional module required for retrograde endocytic recycling

    PubMed Central

    Bai, Zhiyong; Grant, Barth D.

    2015-01-01

    Endosome-to-Golgi transport is required for the function of many key membrane proteins and lipids, including signaling receptors, small-molecule transporters, and adhesion proteins. The retromer complex is well-known for its role in cargo sorting and vesicle budding from early endosomes, in most cases leading to cargo fusion with the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Transport from recycling endosomes to the TGN has also been reported, but much less is understood about the molecules that mediate this transport step. Here we provide evidence that the F-BAR domain proteins TOCA-1 and TOCA-2 (Transducer of Cdc42 dependent actin assembly), the small GTPase CDC-42 (Cell division control protein 42), associated polarity proteins PAR-6 (Partitioning defective 6) and PKC-3/atypical protein kinase C, and the WAVE actin nucleation complex mediate the transport of MIG-14/Wls and TGN-38/TGN38 cargo proteins from the recycling endosome to the TGN in Caenorhabditis elegans. Our results indicate that CDC-42, the TOCA proteins, and the WAVE component WVE-1 are enriched on RME-1–positive recycling endosomes in the intestine, unlike retromer components that act on early endosomes. Furthermore, we find that retrograde cargo TGN-38 is trapped in early endosomes after depletion of SNX-3 (a retromer component) but is mainly trapped in recycling endosomes after depletion of CDC-42, indicating that the CDC-42–associated complex functions after retromer in a distinct organelle. Thus, we identify a group of interacting proteins that mediate retrograde recycling, and link these proteins to a poorly understood trafficking step, recycling endosome-to-Golgi transport. We also provide evidence for the physiological importance of this pathway in WNT signaling. PMID:25775511

  7. Synaptic vesicle pool‐specific modification of neurotransmitter release by intravesicular free radical generation

    PubMed Central

    Afuwape, Olusoji A. T.; Wasser, Catherine R.; Schikorski, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    Key points Synaptic transmission is mediated by the release of neurotransmitters from synaptic vesicles in response to stimulation or through the spontaneous fusion of a synaptic vesicle with the presynaptic plasma membrane.There is growing evidence that synaptic vesicles undergoing spontaneous fusion versus those fusing in response to stimuli are functionally distinct.In this study, we acutely probe the effects of intravesicular free radical generation on synaptic vesicles that fuse spontaneously or in response to stimuli.By targeting vesicles that preferentially release spontaneously, we can dissociate the effects of intravesicular free radical generation on spontaneous neurotransmission from evoked neurotransmission and vice versa.Taken together, these results further advance our knowledge of the synapse and the nature of the different synaptic vesicle pools mediating neurotransmission. Abstract Earlier studies suggest that spontaneous and evoked neurotransmitter release processes are maintained by synaptic vesicles which are segregated into functionally distinct pools. However, direct interrogation of the link between this putative synaptic vesicle pool heterogeneity and neurotransmission has been difficult. To examine this link, we tagged vesicles with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) – a haem‐containing plant enzyme – or antibodies against synaptotagmin‐1 (syt1). Filling recycling vesicles in hippocampal neurons with HRP and subsequent treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) modified the properties of neurotransmitter release depending on the route of HRP uptake. While strong depolarization‐induced uptake of HRP suppressed evoked release and augmented spontaneous release, HRP uptake during mild activity selectively impaired evoked release, whereas HRP uptake at rest solely potentiated spontaneous release. Expression of a luminal HRP‐tagged syt1 construct and subsequent H2O2 application resulted in a similar increase in spontaneous release and

  8. Thin film drainage between pre-inflated capsules or vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keh, Martin; Walter, Johann; Leal, Gary

    2013-11-01

    Capsules and vesicles are often used as vehicles to carry active ingredients or fragrance in drug delivery and consumer products and oftentimes in these applications the particles may be pre-inflated due to the existence of a small osmotic pressure difference between the interior and exterior fluid. We study the dynamics of thin film drainage between capsules and vesicles in flow as it is crucial to fusion and deposition of the particles and, therefore, the stability and effectiveness of the products. Simulations are conducted using a numerical model coupling the boundary integral method for the motion of the fluids and a finite element method for the membrane mechanics. For low capillary numbers, the drainage behavior of vesicles and capsules are approximately the same, and also similar to that of drops as the flow-independent and uniform tension due to pre-inflation dominates. The tension due to deformation caused by flow will become more important as the strength of the external flow (i.e. the capillary number) increases. In this case, the shapes of the thin film region are fundamentally different for capsules and vesicles, and the drainage behavior in both cases differs from a drop. Funded by P&G.

  9. Thermally assisted acoustofluidic separation of extracellular vesicles from cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirtaheri, Elnaz; Dolatmoradi, Ata; Pimentel, Krystine; Bhansali, Shekhar; El-Zahab, Bilal

    2018-02-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been gaining increasing attention given their role in communicating information between cells. Composition-based isolation of EVs is particularly of high significance as the proteomic and lipidomic characterization of their cargo could provide valuable clues to the role of EVs in mediating the biology of various conditions. This has, however, proved to be challenging as EVs, despite their abundance, are very small and difficult to be differentiated from the other constituents of host media. In addition, currently available methods like ultracentrifugation and filtration are cumbersome and capable of achieving mostly size-based separations. In this work, we demonstrate the possibility of separating submicron EV-like vesicles from cancer cells using a thermally-assisted acoustophoretic device. In a system composed of MCF-7 breast cancer cells spiked with two different types of same-size vesicles, composition-based isolation of vesicles was shown to be realizable through opposite focusing of the system's components at the node and antinodes of the overlaid ultrasonic standing wave. By proper choice of temperature in the microchannel, we were able to achieve separations with purities exceeding 93%. Furthermore, cells recovered from the channel were shown to be viable after the separation.

  10. The Rab7 effector PLEKHM1 binds Arl8b to promote cargo traffic to lysosomes.

    PubMed

    Marwaha, Rituraj; Arya, Subhash B; Jagga, Divya; Kaur, Harmeet; Tuli, Amit; Sharma, Mahak

    2017-04-03

    Endocytic, autophagic, and phagocytic vesicles move on microtubule tracks to fuse with lysosomes. Small GTPases, such as Rab7 and Arl8b, recruit their downstream effectors to mediate this transport and fusion. However, the potential cross talk between these two GTPases is unclear. Here, we show that the Rab7 effector PLEKHM1 simultaneously binds Rab7 and Arl8b, bringing about clustering and fusion of late endosomes and lysosomes. We show that the N-terminal RUN domain of PLEKHM1 is necessary and sufficient for interaction with Arl8b and its subsequent localization to lysosomes. Notably, we also demonstrate that Arl8b mediates recruitment of HOPS complex to PLEKHM1-positive vesicle contact sites. Consequently, Arl8b binding to PLEKHM1 is required for its function in delivery and, therefore, degradation of endocytic and autophagic cargo in lysosomes. Finally, we also show that PLEKHM1 competes with SKIP for Arl8b binding, which dictates lysosome positioning. These findings suggest that Arl8b, along with its effectors, orchestrates lysosomal transport and fusion. © 2017 Marwaha et al.

  11. Distinct roles for Arp2/3 regulators in actin assembly and endocytosis.

    PubMed

    Galletta, Brian J; Chuang, Dennis Y; Cooper, John A

    2008-01-01

    The Arp2/3 complex is essential for actin assembly and motility in many cell processes, and a large number of proteins have been found to bind and regulate it in vitro. A critical challenge is to understand the actions of these proteins in cells, especially in settings where multiple regulators are present. In a systematic study of the sequential multicomponent actin assembly processes that accompany endocytosis in yeast, we examined and compared the roles of WASp, two type-I myosins, and two other Arp2/3 activators, along with that of coronin, which is a proposed inhibitor of Arp2/3. Quantitative analysis of high-speed fluorescence imaging revealed individual functions for the regulators, manifested in part by novel phenotypes. We conclude that Arp2/3 regulators have distinct and overlapping roles in the processes of actin assembly that drive endocytosis in yeast. The formation of the endocytic actin patch, the creation of the endocytic vesicle, and the movement of the vesicle into the cytoplasm display distinct dependencies on different Arp2/3 regulators. Knowledge of these roles provides insight into the in vivo relevance of the dendritic nucleation model for actin assembly.

  12. Intravital Imaging Reveals Angiotensin II–Induced Transcytosis of Albumin by Podocytes

    PubMed Central

    Schießl, Ina Maria; Hammer, Anna; Kattler, Veronika; Gess, Bernhard; Theilig, Franziska; Witzgall, Ralph

    2016-01-01

    Albuminuria is a hallmark of kidney disease of various etiologies and usually caused by deterioration of glomerular filtration barrier integrity. We recently showed that angiotensin II (Ang II) acutely increases albumin filtration in the healthy kidney. Here, we used intravital microscopy to assess the effects of Ang II on podocyte function in rats. Acute infusion of 30, 60, or 80 ng/kg per minute Ang II enhanced the endocytosis of albumin by activation of the type 1 Ang II receptor and resulted in an average (±SEM) of 3.7±2.2, 72.3±18.6 (P<0.001), and 239.4±34.6 µm3 (P<0.001) albumin-containing vesicles per glomerulus, respectively, compared with none at baseline or 10 ng/kg per minute Ang II. Immunostaining of Ang II–infused kidneys confirmed the presence of albumin-containing vesicles, which colocalized with megalin, in podocin-positive cells. Furthermore, podocyte endocytosis of albumin was markedly reduced in the presence of gentamicin, a competitive inhibitor of megalin-dependent endocytosis. Ang II infusion increased the concentration of albumin in the subpodocyte space, a potential source for endocytic protein uptake, and gentamicin further increased this concentration. Some endocytic vesicles were acidified and colocalized with LysoTracker. Most vesicles migrated from the capillary to the apical aspect of the podocyte and were eventually released into the urinary space. This transcytosis accounted for approximately 10% of total albumin filtration. In summary, the transcellular transport of proteins across the podocyte constitutes a new pathway of glomerular protein filtration. Ang II enhances the endocytosis and transcytosis of plasma albumin by podocytes, which may eventually impair podocyte function. PMID:26116357

  13. Revealing Transient Interactions between Phosphatidylinositol-specific Phospholipase C and Phosphatidylcholine--Rich Lipid Vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Boqian; He, Tao; Grauffel, Cédric; Reuter, Nathalie; Roberts, Mary; Gershenson, Anne

    2013-03-01

    Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) enzymes transiently interact with target membranes. Previous fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) experiments showed that Bacillus thuringiensis PI-PLC specifically binds to phosphatidylcholine (PC)-rich membranes and preferentially interacts with unilamellar vesicles that show larger curvature. Mutagenesis studies combined with FCS measurements of binding affinity highlighted the importance of interfacial PI-PLC tyrosines in the PC specificity. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of PI-PLC performed in the presence of a PC membrane indicate these tyrosines are involved in specific cation-pi interactions with choline headgroups. To further understand those transient interactions between PI-PLC and PC-rich vesicles, we monitor single fluorescently labeled PI-PLC proteins as they cycle on and off surface-tethered small unilamellar vesicles using total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy. The residence times on vesicles along with vesicle size information, based on vesicle fluorescence intensity, reveal the time scales of PI-PLC membrane interactions as well as the curvature dependence. The PC specificity and the vesicle curvature dependence of this PI-PLC/membrane interaction provide insight into how the interface modulates protein-membrane interactions. This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Science of the National Institutes of Health (R01GM060418).

  14. Trapping of vesicles on patterned surfaces by physisorption for potential biosensing applications.

    PubMed

    Bera, L K; Ong, Kian Soo; Wong, Zheng Zheng; Fu, Zhikang; Nallani, Madhavan; Shea, Sean O'

    2012-01-01

    The pre-defined selective positioning of a controlled number of vesicles on a rigid substrate is crucial in many potential applications such as diagnostics, biosensors, lab-on-a chip, microanalyses and reaction chambers. In this paper, the vesicles made up of block copolymer using Poly [-(2-methyloxazoline) -poly- (dimethylsiloxane)-poly- (2-methyloxazoline)] (ABA) with dimensions of 100-200 nm are trapped by physisorption on hydrophilic surfaces. We discuss the protocols established for vesicle trapping. The optimum conditions obtained for physisorption is 15 minutes incubation followed by one cycle of DI water rinse. Trapping of 1-10 vesicles in lobe shape micro-wells fabricated by photo lithography using photoresist on UltraStick(™) slides was demonstrated. To overcome the issue of amalgamation of emitted light from optically sensitive photoresist and fluorescently tagged vesicles, an alternative approach of Si/SiO(2) microwell array coupled with APTES (3-AminoPropylTriEthoxySilane) treated bottom surfaces was developed.

  15. Binding and Fusion of Extracellular Vesicles to the Plasma Membrane of Their Cell Targets.

    PubMed

    Prada, Ilaria; Meldolesi, Jacopo

    2016-08-09

    Exosomes and ectosomes, extracellular vesicles of two types generated by all cells at multivesicular bodies and the plasma membrane, respectively, play critical roles in physiology and pathology. A key mechanism of their function, analogous for both types of vesicles, is the fusion of their membrane to the plasma membrane of specific target cells, followed by discharge to the cytoplasm of their luminal cargo containing proteins, RNAs, and DNA. Here we summarize the present knowledge about the interactions, binding and fusions of vesicles with the cell plasma membrane. The sequence initiates with dynamic interactions, during which vesicles roll over the plasma membrane, followed by the binding of specific membrane proteins to their cell receptors. Membrane binding is then converted rapidly into fusion by mechanisms analogous to those of retroviruses. Specifically, proteins of the extracellular vesicle membranes are structurally rearranged, and their hydrophobic sequences insert into the target cell plasma membrane which undergoes lipid reorganization, protein restructuring and membrane dimpling. Single fusions are not the only process of vesicle/cell interactions. Upon intracellular reassembly of their luminal cargoes, vesicles can be regenerated, released and fused horizontally to other target cells. Fusions of extracellular vesicles are relevant also for specific therapy processes, now intensely investigated.

  16. Plasma biomarker discovery in preeclampsia using a novel differential isolation technology for circulating extracellular vesicles.

    PubMed

    Tan, Kok Hian; Tan, Soon Sim; Sze, Siu Kwan; Lee, Wai Kheong Ryan; Ng, Mor Jack; Lim, Sai Kiang

    2014-10-01

    To circumvent the complex protein milieu of plasma and discover robust predictive biomarkers for preeclampsia (PE), we investigate if phospholipid-binding ligands can reduce the milieu complexity by extracting plasma extracellular vesicles for biomarker discovery. Cholera toxin B chain (CTB) and annexin V (AV) which respectively binds GM1 ganglioside and phosphatidylserine were used to isolate extracellular vesicles from plasma of PE patients and healthy pregnant women. The proteins in the vesicles were identified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, antibody array, and mass spectrometry. CTB and AV were found to bind 2 distinct groups of extracellular vesicles. Antibody array and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that PE patients had elevated levels of CD105, interleukin-6, placental growth factor, tissue inhibitor of metallopeptidase 1, and atrial natriuretic peptide in cholera toxin B- but not AV-vesicles, and elevated levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, pro-calcitonin, S100b, tumor growth factor β, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1, brain natriuretic peptide, and placental growth factor in both cholera toxin B- and AV-vesicles. CD9 level was elevated in cholera toxin B-vesicles but reduced in AV vesicles of PE patients. Proteome analysis revealed that in cholera toxin B-vesicles, 87 and 222 proteins were present only in PE patients and healthy pregnant women respectively while in AV-vesicles, 104 and 157 proteins were present only in PE and healthy pregnant women, respectively. This study demonstrated for the first time that CTB and AV bind unique extracellular vesicles, and their protein cargo reflects the disease state of the patient. The successful use of these 2 ligands to isolate circulating plasma extracellular vesicles for biomarker discovery in PE represents a novel technology for biomarker discovery that can be applied to other specialties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Vesicle formation as a result of interaction between polymorphonuclear neutrophils and Staphylococcus aureus biofilm.

    PubMed

    Chebotar, Igor' V; Konchakova, Evgenia D; Maianskii, Andrey N

    2013-08-01

    Staphylococcus aureus, a major opportunistic pathogen, is a leading cause of biofilm-related infections in clinical practice. Staphylococcal biofilms are highly resistant to antibacterial medicines and immune effector cells. The main result of our work is the discovery of nano-vesicles in the supernatant of the human neutrophil-S. aureus biofilm system. We also found that phospholipase C treatment causes complete destruction of these vesicles. While the addition of proteinase K led to a partial structural disorganization of the vesicles, DNase treatment did not influence the vesicle structure. These observations allowed us to conclude that phospholipids and proteins play a structure-forming role in the formation of these nano-vesicles. The vesicles demonstrated anti-biofilm activities when tested against Staphylococcus epidermidis (strains 178M and 328/5) biofilms, but were ineffective for S. aureus (strains 5983/2, 5663 and 18A) biofilms.

  18. Functional advantages conferred by extracellular prokaryotic membrane vesicles.

    PubMed

    Manning, Andrew J; Kuehn, Meta J

    2013-01-01

    The absence of subcellular organelles is a characteristic typically used to distinguish prokaryotic from eukaryotic cells. But recent discoveries do not support this dogma. Over the past 50 years, researchers have begun to appreciate and characterize Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane-derived vesicles and Gram-positive and archaeal membrane vesicles. These extracellular, membrane-bound organelles can perform a variety of functions, including binding and delivery of DNA, transport of virulence factors, protection of the cell from outer membrane targeting antimicrobials and ridding the cell of toxic envelope proteins. Here, we review the contributions of these extracellular organelles to prokaryotic physiology and compare these with the contributions of the bacterial interior membrane-bound organelles responsible for harvesting light energy and for generating magnetic crystals of heavy metals. Understanding the roles of these multifunctional extracellular vesicle organelles as microbial tools will help us to better realize the diverse interactions that occur in our polymicrobial world. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  19. Preparation of giant myelin vesicles and proteoliposomes to register ionic channels.

    PubMed

    Regueiro, P; Monreal, J; Díaz, R S; Sierra, F

    1996-11-01

    Myelin vesicles, reconstituted liposomes with proteolipid protein (PLP), the main protein component of myelin, and electrophysiological patch-clamp are potentially powerful tools to study the role of myelin in functional ionic channels. However, technical difficulties in the vesiculation of myelin and the small size of the vesicles obtained do not permit the application of micropipettes for current recordings. From a suspension of purified myelin we have prepared oligolamellar vesicles (mean diameter of 144 nm) using the so-called French pressure system. From this preparation we obtained giant myelin vesicles approximately 10 microns in mean diameter, using a dehydration-rehydration procedure. Qualitative analysis of proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed no significant loss of any component in these vesicles due to pressure, in comparison with non-vesiculated myelin. A way of preparing giant liposomes of approximately 80-100 microns and proteoliposomes of approximately 30 microns in mean diameter, using the same dehydration-rehydration procedure, is also reported. Reconstitution of purified PLP in giant liposomes was confirmed by fluorescent labeling of PLP and by fluorescence microscopy. The current recordings from these vesicles prove the validity of these methods and provide significant evidence of the existence of ionic channels in myelin membranes and the possibility that PLP functions as a channel. The physiological significance and characterization of these channels remain yet unresolved. These results have a special significance for elucidating the molecular role of myelin in the regulation of neural activity and in the brain ion microenvironment.

  20. An immersed boundary method for simulating vesicle dynamics in three dimensions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seol, Yunchang; Hu, Wei-Fan; Kim, Yongsam; Lai, Ming-Chih

    2016-10-01

    We extend our previous immersed boundary (IB) method for 3D axisymmetric inextensible vesicle in Navier-Stokes flows (Hu et al., 2014 [17]) to general three dimensions. Despite a similar spirit in numerical algorithms to the axisymmetric case, the fully 3D numerical implementation is much more complicated and is far from straightforward. A vesicle membrane surface is known to be incompressible and exhibits bending resistance. As in 3D axisymmetric case, instead of keeping the vesicle locally incompressible, we adopt a modified elastic tension energy to make the vesicle surface patch nearly incompressible so that solving the unknown tension (Lagrange multiplier for the incompressible constraint) can be avoided. Nevertheless, the new elastic force derived from the modified tension energy has exactly the same mathematical form as the original one except the different definitions of tension. The vesicle surface is discretized on a triangular mesh where the elastic tension and bending force are calculated on each vertex (Lagrangian marker in the IB method) of the triangulation. A series of numerical tests on the present scheme are conducted to illustrate the robustness and applicability of the method. We perform the convergence study for the immersed boundary forces and the fluid velocity field. We then study the vesicle dynamics in various flows such as quiescent, simple shear, and gravitational flows. Our numerical results show good agreements with those obtained in previous theoretical, experimental and numerical studies.

  1. Topical delivery of roxithromycin solid-state forms entrapped in vesicles.

    PubMed

    Csongradi, Candice; du Plessis, Jeanetta; Aucamp, Marique Elizabeth; Gerber, Minja

    2017-05-01

    Recently, considerable interest developed in using newer/improved antibiotics for the treatment of Acne vulgaris. During this study, different roxithromycin solid-state forms (i.e. crystalline and amorphous) were encapsulated into vesicle systems (niosomes, proniosomes, ufosomes and pro-ufosomes) for dermis targeted delivery. Characterization of the vesicles was done with transmission electron microscopy, light microscopy, droplet size, droplet size distribution, pH, zeta-potential and entrapment efficiency percentage. Finally, comparative release and topical diffusion studies were performed, to evaluate if targeted topical delivery was obtained and if the roxithromycin solid-state amorphous forms resulted in improved topical delivery. Vesicle systems containing different roxithromycin (2%) solid-state forms were successfully prepared and characterized. The vesicles showed optimal properties for topical delivery. All carrier systems had topical delivery to the epidermis-dermis, whilst no roxithromycin was found in the receptor compartment or stratum corneum-epidermis. The niosomes were the leading formulation and the two amorphous forms had better topical delivery than the crystalline form. Successful targeted delivery of roxithromycin was obtained in the dermis, where the activity against Propionibacterium acnes is needed. The amorphous forms seemed to have held their solid-state form during formulation and in the vesicles, showing improved topical delivery in comparison to the crystalline form. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Tumour-derived exosomes as a signature of pancreatic cancer - liquid biopsies as indicators of tumour progression

    PubMed Central

    Nuzhat, Zarin; Kinhal, Vyjayanthi; Sharma, Shayna; Rice, Gregory E.; Joshi, Virendra; Salomon, Carlos

    2017-01-01

    Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of death due to cancer in the world. It is known to have a poor prognosis, mostly because early stages of the disease are generally asymptomatic. Progress in pancreatic cancer research has been slow, leaving several fundamental questions pertaining to diagnosis and treatment unanswered. Recent studies highlight the putative utility of tissue-specific vesicles (i.e. extracellular vesicles) in the diagnosis of disease onset and treatment monitoring in pancreatic cancer. Extracellular vesicles are membrane-limited structures derived from the cell membrane. They contain specific molecules including proteins, mRNA, microRNAs and non-coding RNAs that are secreted in the extracellular space. Extracellular vesicles can be classified according to their size and/or origin into microvesicles (∼150-1000 nm) and exosomes (∼40-120 nm). Microvesicles are released by budding from the plasmatic membrane, whereas exosomes are released via the endocytic pathway by fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasmatic membrane. This endosomal origin means that exosomes contain an abundance of cell-specific biomolecules which may act as a fingerprint of the cell of origin. In this review, we discuss our current knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer, particularly the potential role of EVs in these facets of disease management. In particular, we suggest that as exosomes contain cellular protein and RNA molecules in a cell type-specific manner, they may provide extensive information about the signature of the tumour and pancreatic cancer progression. PMID:27999198

  3. Interactions between antimicrobial polynorbornenes and phospholipid vesicles monitored by light scattering and microcalorimetry.

    PubMed

    Gabriel, Gregory J; Pool, Joanna G; Som, Abhigyan; Dabkowski, Jeffrey M; Coughlin, E Bryan; Muthukumar, M; Tew, Gregory N

    2008-11-04

    Antimicrobial polynorbornenes composed of facially amphiphilic monomers have been previously reported to accurately emulate the antimicrobial activity of natural host-defense peptides (HDPs). The lethal mechanism of most HDPs involves binding to the membrane surface of bacteria leading to compromised phospholipid bilayers. In this paper, the interactions between biomimetic vesicle membranes and these cationic antimicrobial polynorbornenes are reported. Vesicle dye-leakage experiments were consistent with previous biological assays and corroborated a mode of action involving membrane disruption. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that these antimicrobial polymers cause extensive aggregation of vesicles without complete bilayer disintegration as observed with surfactants that efficiently solubilize the membrane. Fluorescence microscopy on vesicles and bacterial cells also showed polymer-induced aggregation of both synthetic vesicles and bacterial cells. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) afforded free energy of binding values (Delta G) and polymer to lipid binding ratios, plus revealed that the interaction is entropically favorable (Delta S>0, Delta H>0). It was observed that the strength of vesicle binding was similar between the active polymers while the binding stoichiometries were dramatically different.

  4. Proteomic characterization of macro-, micro- and nano-extracellular vesicles derived from the same first trimester placenta: relevance for feto-maternal communication.

    PubMed

    Tong, Mancy; Kleffmann, Torsten; Pradhan, Shantanu; Johansson, Caroline L; DeSousa, Joana; Stone, Peter R; James, Joanna L; Chen, Qi; Chamley, Larry W

    2016-04-01

    ] and minor histocompatibility antigens [ATP-dependent RNA helicase (DDX3), ribosomal protein S4 (RPS4)] were different between different-sized EVs. This study is largely hypothesis-generating in nature. It is important to validate these findings using EVs isolated from maternal plasma and the function of the different EV fractions would need further investigation. Our results support the concept that various EV factions can interact with different maternal cells and have unique effects to mediate feto-maternal communication during early pregnancy. This study also provides a list of candidate proteins, which may inform the identification of robust markers that can be used to isolate placental vesicles from the maternal blood in the future. M.T. is a recipient of the University of Auckland Health Research Doctoral Scholarship and the Freemasons Postgraduate Scholarship. This project was supported by a School of Medicine Performance-based research fund (PBRF) grant awarded to L.W.C. No authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Light-induced DELTApH and DELTApsi in halobacterial vesicles related to sodium transport

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kamo, N.; Racanclli, T.; Packer, L.

    1986-01-01

    Membranes of Halobacterium halobium contain two retinoproteins, baceteriorhodopsin (BR/sub 568nm/) and halorhodopsin (HR/sub 588nm/). We have investigated the light- and sodium-dependent activities in vesicles from the HR containing R/sub 1/mR strain, and the BR + HR containing S/sub 9/ strain to study energy conversion and ion flow mechanisms. Simultaneous ..delta..pH and ..delta..psi measurements have been made with electrodes. In R/sub 1/mR vesicles, -..delta..psi and H/sup +/ uptake occurs in NaCl but not in KCl medium. In S/sub 9/ vesicles, net H/sup +/ extrusion is reduced at high light intensity in NaCl but not KCl medium. Such results indicate Na/sup +//H/supmore » +/ exchange in vesicles from both strains. As S/sub 9/ contains BR + HR, it is unclear whether the Na/sup +/ extrusion is due to a Na/sup +//H/sup +/ antiporter and/or HR which has been proposed to be a light driven Na/sup +/ pump. To evaluate these concepts for Na/sup +/ transport, the light intensity dependence and action of several membrane transport active agents have been compared. Digitoxin, electro-neutral exchangers (triphenyltin and monensin), and phloretin yielded similar results for HR (R/sub 1/mR) and HR + BR (S/sub 9/) vesicles. Moreover treatment of vesicles with carboxyl reacting reagents inhibited Na/sup +/ dependent activity in both types of vesicles. Thus, common mechanisms of Na/sup +/ transport are indicated in S/sub 9/ and R/sub 1/mR vesicles. 22 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.« less

  6. Loading capacity and interaction of DNA binding on catanionic vesicles with different cationic surfactants.

    PubMed

    Xu, Lu; Chen, Jingfei; Feng, Lei; Dong, Shuli; Hao, Jingcheng

    2014-12-07

    Cationic and anionic (catanionic) vesicles were constructed from the mixtures of sodium laurate (SL) and alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (CnTAB, n = 12, 14, and 16) and were used to control the loading capacity of DNA. The binding saturation point (BSP) of DNA to catanionic vesicles increases with the chain length of cationic surfactants, which is at 1.0, 1.3 and 1.5 for CnTAB with n = 12, 14, and 16, respectively. Our measurements showed that the loading capacity and affinity of DNA can be controlled by catanionic vesicles. It increases with the chain length of cationic surfactants. Because of a large reduction in surface charge density, catanionic vesicles are prone to undergo re-aggregation or fusion with the addition of DNA. DNA molecules can still maintain original coil state during the interaction with catanionic CnTAL vesicles. (1)H NMR data reveals that the obvious dissociation of anionic ions, L(-), from catanionic C14TAL vesicles is due to the interaction with DNA; however, this phenomenon cannot be observed in C12TAB-SL vesicles. Agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) results demonstrate that the electrostatic interaction between the two oppositely charged cationic and anionic surfactants is stronger than that between DNA and cationic surfactant, CnTAB (n = 12, 14, and 16). Not only is the dissociation of L(-) simply determined by the charge competition, but it also depends largely on the variations in the surface charge density as well as the cationic and anionic surfactant competing ability in geometry configuration of catanionic vesicles. The complicated interaction between DNA and catanionic vesicles induces the deformation of cationic vesicles. Our results should provide clear guidance for choosing more proper vectors for DNA delivery and gene therapy in cell experiments.

  7. Mechanics and stability of vesicles and droplets in confined spaces

    PubMed Central

    Benet, Eduard; Vernerey, Franck J.

    2017-01-01

    The permeation and trapping of soft colloidal particles in the confined space of porous media are of critical importance in cell migration studies, design of drug delivery vehicles, and colloid separation devices. Our current understanding of these processes is however limited by the lack of quantitative models that can relate how the elasticity, size, and adhesion properties of the vesicle-pore complex affect colloid transport. We address this shortcoming by introducing a semianalytical model that predicts the equilibrium shapes of a soft vesicle driven by pressure in a narrow pore. Using this approach, the problem is recast in terms of pressure and energy diagrams that characterize the vesicle stability and permeation pressures in different conditions. We particularly show that the critical permeation pressure for a vesicle arises from a compromise between the critical entry pressure and exit pressure, both of which are sensitive to geometrical features, mechanics, and adhesion. We further find that these results can be leveraged to rationally design microfluidic devices and diodes that can help characterize, select, and separate colloids based on physical properties. PMID:28085314

  8. Cholesterol-dependent balance between evoked and spontaneous synaptic vesicle recycling

    PubMed Central

    Wasser, Catherine R; Ertunc, Mert; Liu, Xinran; Kavalali, Ege T

    2007-01-01

    Cholesterol is a prominent component of nerve terminals. To examine cholesterol's role in central neurotransmission, we treated hippocampal cultures with methyl-β-cyclodextrin, which reversibly binds cholesterol, or mevastatin, an inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis, to deplete cholesterol. We also used hippocampal cultures from Niemann-Pick type C1-deficient mice defective in intracellular cholesterol trafficking. These conditions revealed an augmentation in spontaneous neurotransmission detected electrically and an increase in spontaneous vesicle endocytosis judged by horseradish peroxidase uptake after cholesterol depletion by methyl-β-cyclodextrin. In contrast, responses evoked by action potentials and hypertonicity were severely impaired after the same treatments. The increase in spontaneous vesicle recycling and the decrease in evoked neurotransmission were reversible upon cholesterol addition. Cholesterol removal did not impact on the low level of evoked neurotransmission seen in the absence of synaptic vesicle SNARE protein synaptobrevin-2 whereas the increase in spontaneous fusion remained. These results suggest that synaptic cholesterol balances evoked and spontaneous neurotransmission by hindering spontaneous synaptic vesicle turnover and sustaining evoked exo-endocytosis. PMID:17170046

  9. α1B-Adrenergic Receptors Differentially Associate with Rab Proteins during Homologous and Heterologous Desensitization

    PubMed Central

    Castillo-Badillo, Jean A.; Sánchez-Reyes, Omar B.; Alfonzo-Méndez, Marco A.; Romero-Ávila, M. Teresa; Reyes-Cruz, Guadalupe; García-Sáinz, J. Adolfo

    2015-01-01

    Internalization of G protein-coupled receptors can be triggered by agonists or by other stimuli. The process begins within seconds of cell activation and contributes to receptor desensitization. The Rab GTPase family controls endocytosis, vesicular trafficking, and endosomal fusion. Among their remarkable properties is the differential distribution of its members on the surface of various organelles. In the endocytic pathway, Rab 5 controls traffic from the plasma membrane to early endosomes, whereas Rab 4 and Rab 11 regulate rapid and slow recycling from early endosomes to the plasma membrane, respectively. Moreover, Rab 7 and Rab 9 regulate the traffic from late endosomes to lysosomes and recycling to the trans-Golgi. We explore the possibility that α1B-adrenergic receptor internalization induced by agonists (homologous) and by unrelated stimuli (heterologous) could involve different Rab proteins. This possibility was explored by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) using cells coexpressing α1B-adrenergic receptors tagged with the red fluorescent protein, DsRed, and different Rab proteins tagged with the green fluorescent protein. It was observed that when α1B-adrenergic receptors were stimulated with noradrenaline, the receptors interacted with proteins present in early endosomes, such as the early endosomes antigen 1, Rab 5, Rab 4, and Rab 11 but not with late endosome markers, such as Rab 9 and Rab 7. In contrast, sphingosine 1-phosphate stimulation induced rapid and transient α1B-adrenergic receptor interaction of relatively small magnitude with Rab 5 and a more pronounced and sustained one with Rab 9; interaction was also observed with Rab 7. Moreover, the GTPase activity of the Rab proteins appears to be required because no FRET was observed when dominant-negative Rab mutants were employed. These data indicate that α1B-adrenergic receptors are directed to different endocytic vesicles depending on the desensitization type (homologous vs

  10. Acute dynamin inhibition dissects synaptic vesicle recycling pathways that drive spontaneous and evoked neurotransmission

    PubMed Central

    Chung, ChiHye; Barlyko, Barbara; Leitz, Jeremy; Liu, Xinran; Kavalali, Ege T.

    2010-01-01

    Synapses maintain synchronous, asynchronous and spontaneous forms of neurotransmission that are distinguished by their Ca2+-dependence and time course. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie these three forms of release, it remains unclear whether they originate from the same vesicle population or arise from distinct vesicle pools with diverse propensities for release. Here, we used a reversible inhibitor of dynamin, dynasore, to dissect the vesicle pool dynamics underlying the three forms of neurotransmitter release in hippocampal GABAergic inhibitory synapses. In dynasore, evoked synchronous release and asynchronous neurotransmission detected after activity showed marked and unrecoverable depression within seconds. In contrast, spontaneous release remained intact after intense stimulation in dynasore or during prolonged (~1 hour) application of dynasore at rest, suggesting that separate recycling pathways maintain evoked and spontaneous synaptic vesicle trafficking. In addition, simultaneous imaging of spectrally separable styryl dyes revealed that in a given synapse vesicles that recycle spontaneously and in response to activity do not mix. These findings suggest that evoked synchronous and asynchronous release originate from the same vesicle pool that recycles rapidly in a dynamin-dependent manner, while a distinct vesicle pool sustains spontaneous release independent of dynamin activation. This result lends further support to the notion that synapses harbor distinct vesicle populations with divergent release properties that maintain independent forms of neurotransmission. PMID:20107062

  11. Selective Metal-Ion-Mediated Vesicle Adhesion Based on Dynamic Self-Organization of a Pyrene-Appended Glutamic Acid.

    PubMed

    Xing, Pengyao; Wang, Yajie; Yang, Minmin; Zhang, Yimeng; Wang, Bo; Hao, Aiyou

    2016-07-13

    Vesicles with dynamic membranes provide an ideal model system for investigating biological membrane activities, whereby vesicle aggregation behaviors including adhesion, fusion, fission, and membrane contraction/extension have attracted much attention. In this work we utilize an aromatic amino acid (pyrene-appended glutamic acid, PGlu) to prepare nanovesicles that aggregate to form vesicle clusters selectively induced by Fe(3+) or Cu(2+), and the vesicles transform into irregular nano-objects when interacting with Al(3+). Vesicle clusters have better stability than pristine vesicles, which hinders the spontaneous morphological transformation from vesicles into lamellar nanosheets with long incubation period. The difference between complexation of Fe(3+) and Al(3+) with vesicles was studied by various techniques. On the basis of metal ion-vesicle interactions, this self-assembled nanovesicle system also behaves as an effective fluorescent sensor for Fe(3+) and Al(3+), which cause fluorescence quenching and enhanced excimer emission, respectively.

  12. Irregular bilayer structure in vesicles prepared from Halobacterium cutirubrum lipids

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lanyi, J. K.

    1974-01-01

    Fluorescent probes were used to study the structure of the cell envelope of Halobacterium cutirubrum, and, in particular, to explore the effect of the heterogeneity of the lipids in this organism on the structure of the bilayers. The fluorescence polarization of perylene was followed in vesicles of unfractionated lipids and polar lipids as a function of temperature in 3.4 M solutions of NaCl, NaNO3, and KSCN, and it was found that vesicles of unfractionated lipids were more perturbed by chaotropic agents than polar lipids. The dependence of the relaxation times of perylene on temperature was studied in cell envelopes and in vesicles prepared from polar lipids, unfractionated lipids, and mixtures of polar and neutral lipids.

  13. Different dynamin blockers interfere with distinct phases of synaptic endocytosis during stimulation in motoneurones

    PubMed Central

    Linares-Clemente, Pedro; Rozas, José L; Mircheski, Josif; García-Junco-Clemente, Pablo; Martínez-López, José A; Nieto-González, José L; Vázquez, M Eugenio; Pintado, C Oscar; Fernández-Chacón, Rafael

    2015-01-01

    Key points Neurotransmitter release requires a tight coupling between synaptic vesicle exocytosis and endocytosis with dynamin being a key protein in that process. We used imaging techniques to examine the time course of endocytosis at mouse motor nerve terminals expressing synaptopHluorin, a genetically encoded reporter of the synaptic vesicle cycle. We separated two sequential phases of endocytosis taking place during the stimulation train: early and late endocytosis. Freshly released synaptic vesicle proteins are preferentially retrieved during the early phase, which is very sensitive to dynasore, an inhibitor of dynamin GTPase activity. Synaptic vesicle proteins pre-existing at the plasma membrane before the stimulation are preferentially retrieved during the late phase, which is very sensitive to myristyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (MitMAB), an inhibitor of the dynamin–phospholipid interaction. Abstract Synaptic endocytosis is essential at nerve terminals to maintain neurotransmitter release by exocytosis. Here, at the neuromuscular junction of synaptopHluorin (spH) transgenic mice, we have used imaging to study exo- and endocytosis occurring simultaneously during nerve stimulation. We observed two endocytosis components, which occur sequentially during stimulation. The early component of endocytosis apparently internalizes spH molecules freshly exocytosed. This component was sensitive to dynasore, a blocker of dynamin 1 GTPase activity. In contrast, this early component was resistant to myristyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (MiTMAB), a competitive agent that blocks dynamin binding to phospholipid membranes. The late component of endocytosis is likely to internalize spH molecules that pre-exist at the plasma membrane before stimulation starts. This component was blocked by MiTMAB, perhaps by impairing the binding of dynamin or other key endocytic proteins to phospholipid membranes. Our study suggests the co-existence of two sequential synaptic endocytosis

  14. Different dynamin blockers interfere with distinct phases of synaptic endocytosis during stimulation in motoneurones.

    PubMed

    Linares-Clemente, Pedro; Rozas, José L; Mircheski, Josif; García-Junco-Clemente, Pablo; Martínez-López, José A; Nieto-González, José L; Vázquez, M Eugenio; Pintado, C Oscar; Fernández-Chacón, Rafael

    2015-07-01

    Neurotransmitter release requires a tight coupling between synaptic vesicle exocytosis and endocytosis with dynamin being a key protein in that process. We used imaging techniques to examine the time course of endocytosis at mouse motor nerve terminals expressing synaptopHluorin, a genetically encoded reporter of the synaptic vesicle cycle. We separated two sequential phases of endocytosis taking place during the stimulation train: early and late endocytosis. Freshly released synaptic vesicle proteins are preferentially retrieved during the early phase, which is very sensitive to dynasore, an inhibitor of dynamin GTPase activity. Synaptic vesicle proteins pre-existing at the plasma membrane before the stimulation are preferentially retrieved during the late phase, which is very sensitive to myristyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (MitMAB), an inhibitor of the dynamin-phospholipid interaction. Synaptic endocytosis is essential at nerve terminals to maintain neurotransmitter release by exocytosis. Here, at the neuromuscular junction of synaptopHluorin (spH) transgenic mice, we have used imaging to study exo- and endocytosis occurring simultaneously during nerve stimulation. We observed two endocytosis components, which occur sequentially during stimulation. The early component of endocytosis apparently internalizes spH molecules freshly exocytosed. This component was sensitive to dynasore, a blocker of dynamin 1 GTPase activity. In contrast, this early component was resistant to myristyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (MiTMAB), a competitive agent that blocks dynamin binding to phospholipid membranes. The late component of endocytosis is likely to internalize spH molecules that pre-exist at the plasma membrane before stimulation starts. This component was blocked by MiTMAB, perhaps by impairing the binding of dynamin or other key endocytic proteins to phospholipid membranes. Our study suggests the co-existence of two sequential synaptic endocytosis steps taking place during

  15. Nanoparticle orientation to control RNA loading and ligand display on extracellular vesicles for cancer regression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pi, Fengmei; Binzel, Daniel W.; Lee, Tae Jin; Li, Zhefeng; Sun, Meiyan; Rychahou, Piotr; Li, Hui; Haque, Farzin; Wang, Shaoying; Croce, Carlo M.; Guo, Bin; Evers, B. Mark; Guo, Peixuan

    2018-01-01

    Nanotechnology offers many benefits, and here we report an advantage of applying RNA nanotechnology for directional control. The orientation of arrow-shaped RNA was altered to control ligand display on extracellular vesicle membranes for specific cell targeting, or to regulate intracellular trafficking of small interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA). Placing membrane-anchoring cholesterol at the tail of the arrow results in display of RNA aptamer or folate on the outer surface of the extracellular vesicle. In contrast, placing the cholesterol at the arrowhead results in partial loading of RNA nanoparticles into the extracellular vesicles. Taking advantage of the RNA ligand for specific targeting and extracellular vesicles for efficient membrane fusion, the resulting ligand-displaying extracellular vesicles were capable of specific delivery of siRNA to cells, and efficiently blocked tumour growth in three cancer models. Extracellular vesicles displaying an aptamer that binds to prostate-specific membrane antigen, and loaded with survivin siRNA, inhibited prostate cancer xenograft. The same extracellular vesicle instead displaying epidermal growth-factor receptor aptamer inhibited orthotopic breast cancer models. Likewise, survivin siRNA-loaded and folate-displaying extracellular vesicles inhibited patient-derived colorectal cancer xenograft.

  16. Interbilayer-crosslinked multilamellar vesicles as synthetic vaccines for potent humoral and cellular immune responses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moon, James J.; Suh, Heikyung; Bershteyn, Anna; Stephan, Matthias T.; Liu, Haipeng; Huang, Bonnie; Sohail, Mashaal; Luo, Samantha; Ho Um, Soong; Khant, Htet; Goodwin, Jessica T.; Ramos, Jenelyn; Chiu, Wah; Irvine, Darrell J.

    2011-03-01

    Vaccines based on recombinant proteins avoid the toxicity and antivector immunity associated with live vaccine (for example, viral) vectors, but their immunogenicity is poor, particularly for CD8+ T-cell responses. Synthetic particles carrying antigens and adjuvant molecules have been developed to enhance subunit vaccines, but in general these materials have failed to elicit CD8+ T-cell responses comparable to those for live vectors in preclinical animal models. Here, we describe interbilayer-crosslinked multilamellar vesicles formed by crosslinking headgroups of adjacent lipid bilayers within multilamellar vesicles. Interbilayer-crosslinked vesicles stably entrapped protein antigens in the vesicle core and lipid-based immunostimulatory molecules in the vesicle walls under extracellular conditions, but exhibited rapid release in the presence of endolysosomal lipases. We found that these antigen/adjuvant-carrying vesicles form an extremely potent whole-protein vaccine, eliciting endogenous T-cell and antibody responses comparable to those for the strongest vaccine vectors. These materials should enable a range of subunit vaccines and provide new possibilities for therapeutic protein delivery.

  17. Lipopolysaccharide structure impacts the entry kinetics of bacterial outer membrane vesicles into host cells

    PubMed Central

    Hadis, Mohammed; Alderwick, Luke

    2017-01-01

    Outer membrane vesicles are nano-sized microvesicles shed from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and play important roles in immune priming and disease pathogenesis. However, our current mechanistic understanding of vesicle-host cell interactions is limited by a lack of methods to study the rapid kinetics of vesicle entry and cargo delivery to host cells. Here, we describe a highly sensitive method to study the kinetics of vesicle entry into host cells in real-time using a genetically encoded, vesicle-targeted probe. We found that the route of vesicular uptake, and thus entry kinetics and efficiency, are shaped by bacterial cell wall composition. The presence of lipopolysaccharide O antigen enables vesicles to bypass clathrin-mediated endocytosis, which enhances both their entry rate and efficiency into host cells. Collectively, our findings highlight the composition of the bacterial cell wall as a major determinant of secretion-independent delivery of virulence factors during Gram-negative infections. PMID:29186191

  18. Exosome-like vesicles in uterine aspirates: a comparison of ultracentrifugation-based isolation protocols.

    PubMed

    Campoy, Irene; Lanau, Lucia; Altadill, Tatiana; Sequeiros, Tamara; Cabrera, Silvia; Cubo-Abert, Montserrat; Pérez-Benavente, Assumpción; Garcia, Angel; Borrós, Salvador; Santamaria, Anna; Ponce, Jordi; Matias-Guiu, Xavier; Reventós, Jaume; Gil-Moreno, Antonio; Rigau, Marina; Colas, Eva

    2016-06-18

    Uterine aspirates are used in the diagnostic process of endometrial disorders, yet further applications could emerge if its complex milieu was simplified. Exosome-like vesicles isolated from uterine aspirates could become an attractive source of biomarkers, but there is a need to standardize isolation protocols. The objective of the study was to determine whether exosome-like vesicles exist in the fluid fraction of uterine aspirates and to compare protocols for their isolation, characterization, and analysis. We collected uterine aspirates from 39 pre-menopausal women suffering from benign gynecological diseases. The fluid fraction of 27 of those aspirates were pooled and split into equal volumes to evaluate three differential centrifugation-based procedures: (1) a standard protocol, (2) a filtration protocol, and (3) a sucrose cushion protocol. Characterization of isolated vesicles was assessed by electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and immunoblot. Specifically for RNA material, we evaluate the effect of sonication and RNase A treatment at different steps of the protocol. We finally confirmed the efficiency of the selected methods in non-pooled samples. All protocols were useful to isolate exosome-like vesicles. However, the Standard procedure was the best performing protocol to isolate exosome-like vesicles from uterine aspirates: nanoparticle tracking analysis revealed a higher concentration of vesicles with a mode of 135 ± 5 nm, and immunoblot showed a higher expression of exosome-related markers (CD9, CD63, and CD81) thus verifying an enrichment in this type of vesicles. RNA contained in exosome-like vesicles was successfully extracted with no sonication treatment and exogenous nucleic acids digestion with RNaseA, allowing the analysis of the specific inner cargo by Real-Time qPCR. We confirmed the existence of exosome-like vesicles in the fluid fraction of uterine aspirates. They were successfully isolated by differential centrifugation

  19. Monitoring changes of paramagnetically-shifted 31P signals in phospholipid vesicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joyce, Rebecca E.; Williams, Thomas L.; Serpell, Louise C.; Day, Iain J.

    2016-03-01

    Phospholipid vesicles are commonly used as biomimetics in the investigation of the interaction of various species with cell membranes. In this letter we present a 31P NMR investigation of a simple vesicle system using a paramagnetic shift reagent to probe the inner and outer layers of the lipid bilayer. Time-dependent changes in the 31P NMR signal are observed, which differ whether the paramagnetic species is inside or outside the vesicle, and on the choice of buffer solution used. An interpretation of these results is given in terms of the interaction of the paramagnetic shift reagent with the lipids.

  20. Unconditionally energy stable numerical schemes for phase-field vesicle membrane model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guillén-González, F.; Tierra, G.

    2018-02-01

    Numerical schemes to simulate the deformation of vesicles membranes via minimizing the bending energy have been widely studied in recent times due to its connection with many biological motivated problems. In this work we propose a new unconditionally energy stable numerical scheme for a vesicle membrane model that satisfies exactly the conservation of volume constraint and penalizes the surface area constraint. Moreover, we extend these ideas to present an unconditionally energy stable splitting scheme decoupling the interaction of the vesicle with a surrounding fluid. Finally, the well behavior of the proposed schemes are illustrated through several computational experiments.

  1. Sorting by COP I-coated vesicles under interphase and mitotic conditions

    PubMed Central

    1996-01-01

    COP I-coated vesicles were analyzed for their content of resident Golgi enzymes (N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase; N- acetylglucosaminyltransferase I; mannosidase II; galactosyltransferase), cargo (rat serum albumin; polyimmunoglobulin receptor), and recycling proteins (-KDEL receptor; ERGIC-53/p58) using biochemical and morphological techniques. The levels of these proteins were similar when the vesicles were prepared under interphase or mitotic conditions showing that sorting was unaffected. The average density relative to starting membranes for resident enzymes (14-30%), cargo (16-23%), and recycling proteins (81-125%) provides clues to the function of COP I vesicles in transport through the Golgi apparatus. PMID:8830771

  2. Investigating Degassing in Felsic and Mafic Magmas by 3-D Imaging of Vesicle Pathways

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polacci, M.; Baker, D. R.; Piochi, M.; Mancini, L.

    2009-12-01

    Volatiles are the motor of volcanic eruptions. Studies of vesiculation in erupted products can provide information on how volatiles exsolve, grow and are lost from magmas as lava and tephra fragments bear the fingerprints of such processes in vesicle and crystal textures. We summarize here the results of a series of X-ray computed microtomographic experiments that were performed on about 70 volcanic specimens of mainly basaltic and trachytic compositions. A first sample suite comprises samples collected from explosive activity at persistently degassing basaltic volcanoes, namely Stromboli (Aeolian Islands), Etna (Eastern Sicily) and Ambrym (Vanuatu Islands); a second suite consists of pumice and scoria clasts from Plinian to Subplinian to Vulcanian eruptions that occurred in the Campi Flegrei caldera (Southern Italy). The tomographic images provide us with a complete 3-D view of our sampled material through which it is possible to reconstruct the geometry of the vesicle network and explore how gas was transported in the investigated magmas. We find that basaltic scoriae exhibit two types of vesicles: large (~ mm^3), coalescing vesicles with complex, convoluted shapes and small-to-intermediate sized (<~1x10^-3 mm^3), spherical to sub-spherical, poorly connected or isolated vesicles. The former vesicles were interpreted as percolation pathways for gas to flow non-explosively to the volcano crater and thought to sustain the persistent passive gas release that characterizes these volcanoes. The fact that such vesicles were found in products erupted from active basaltic volcanoes located in different tectonic settings and characterized by different explosivity strongly suggests that basaltic systems appear to follow a common degassing pathway. However, not all explosive basaltic rocks contain large, coalescing vesicles. Pumice clasts from the much more violent, dangerous and less frequent paroxysmal explosions at Stromboli do not have this type of vesicles

  3. Self-assembly of star micelle into vesicle in solvents of variable quality: the star micelle retains its core-shell nanostructure in the vesicle.

    PubMed

    Liu, Nijuan; He, Qun; Bu, Weifeng

    2015-03-03

    Intra- and intermolecular interactions of star polymers in dilute solutions are of fundamental importance for both theoretical interest and hierarchical self-assembly into functional nanostructures. Here, star micelles with a polystyrene corona and a small ionic core bearing platinum(II) complexes have been regarded as a model of star polymers to mimic their intra- and interstar interactions and self-assembled behaviors in solvents of weakening quality. In the chloroform/methanol mixture solvents, the star micelles can self-assemble to form vesicles, in which the star micelles shrink significantly and are homogeneously distributed on the vesicle surface. Unlike the morphological evolution of conventional amphiphiles from micellar to vesicular, during which the amphiphilic molecules are commonly reorganized, the star micelles still retain their core-shell nanostructures in the vesicles and the coronal chains of the star micelle between the ionic cores are fully interpenetrated.

  4. Anticardiolipin antibodies from syphilis and systemic lupus erythematosus induce leakage in cardiolipin vesicles.

    PubMed

    Gremião, M P; Celli, C M; Chaimovich, H

    1996-04-01

    Anticardiolipin antibodies from sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or syphilis induced leakage of entrapped carboxyfluorescein (CF) from cardiolipin (CL)/phosphatidylcholine(PC) vesicles prepared by sonication of equimolar mixtures of CL:PC. The sera dilution used here was 1:7500. IgG (5-20 micrograms/ml) from the same sera, not containing beta 2GPI, also produced a concentration-dependent leak. Vesicle leakage was inhibited by salt and was not detected with vesicles prepared exclusively with phosphatidylcholine. The demonstration of antibody-induced vesicle leakage offers a convenient system to investigate the mechanism of antibody-lipid binding as well as a potential diagnostic tool.

  5. Partially overlapping distribution of epsin1 and HIP1 at the synapse: analysis by immunoelectron microscopy.

    PubMed

    Yao, Pamela J; Bushlin, Ittai; Petralia, Ronald S

    2006-01-10

    Synapses of neurons use clathrin-mediated endocytic pathways for recycling of synaptic vesicles and trafficking of neurotransmitter receptors. Epsin 1 and huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1) are endocytic accessory proteins. Both proteins interact with clathrin and the AP2 adaptor complex and also bind to the phosphoinositide-containing plasma membrane via an epsin/AP180 N-terminal homology (ENTH/ANTH) domain. Epsin1 and HIP1 are found in neurons; however, their precise roles in synapses remain largely unknown. Using immunogold electron microscopy, we examine and compare the synaptic distribution of epsin1 and HIP1 in rat CA1 hippocampal synapse. We find that epsin1 is located across both sides of the synapse, whereas HIP1 displays a preference for the postsynaptic compartment. Within the synaptic compartments, espin1 is distributed similarly throughout, whereas postsynaptic HIP1 is concentrated near the plasma membrane. Our results suggest a dual role for epsin1 and HIP1 in the synapse: as broadly required factors for promoting clathrin assembly and as adaptors for specific endocytic pathways.

  6. Small Angle Neutron-Scattering Studies of the Core Structure of Intact Neurosecretory Vesicles.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krueger, Susan Takacs

    Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to study the state of the dense cores within intact neurosecretory vesicles. These vesicles transport the neurophysin proteins, along with their associated hormones, oxytocin or vasopressin, from the posterior pituitary gland to the bloodstream, where the entire vesicle contents are released. Knowledge of the vesicle core structure is important in developing an understanding of this release mechanism. Since the core constituents exist in a dense state at concentrations which cannot be reproduced (in solution) in the laboratory, a new method was developed to determine the core structure from SANS experiments performed on intact neurosecretory vesicles. These studies were complemented by biochemical assays performed to determine the role, if any, played by phospholipids in the interactions between the core constituents. H_2O/D_2 O ratio in the solvent can be adjusted, using the method of contrast variation, such that the scattering due to the vesicle membranes is minimized, thus emphasizing the scattering originating from the cores. The applicability of this method for examining the interior of biological vesicles was tested by performing an initial study on human red blood cells, which are similar in structure to other biological vesicles. Changes in intermolecular hemoglobin interactions, occurring when the ionic strength of the solvent was varied or when the cells were deoxygenated, were examined. The results agreed with those expected for dense protein solutions, indicating that the method developed was suitable for the study of hemoglobin within the cells. Similar SANS studies were then performed on intact neurosecretory vesicles. The experimental results were inconsistent with model calculations which assumed that the cores consisted of small, densely-packed particles or large, globular aggregates. Although a unique model could not be determined, the data suggest that the core constituents form long aggregates of

  7. EVpedia: A community web resource for prokaryotic and eukaryotic extracellular vesicles research.

    PubMed

    Kim, Dae-Kyum; Lee, Jaewook; Simpson, Richard J; Lötvall, Jan; Gho, Yong Song

    2015-04-01

    For cell-to-cell communication, all living cells including archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes secrete nano-sized membrane vesicles into the extracellular space. These extracellular vesicles harbor specific subsets of proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs, lipids, and metabolites that represent their cellular status. These vesicle-specific cargos are considered as novel diagnostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets. With the advancement in high-throughput technologies on multiomics studies and improvements in bioinformatics approaches, a huge number of vesicular proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs, lipids, and metabolites have been identified, and our understanding of these complex extracellular organelles has considerably increased during these past years. In this review, we highlight EVpedia (http://evpedia.info), a community web portal for systematic analyses of prokaryotic and eukaryotic extracellular vesicles research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Salt-induced aggregation and fusion of dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride and sodium dihexadecylphosphate vesicles.

    PubMed Central

    Carmona-Ribeiro, A M; Chaimovich, H

    1986-01-01

    Small dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride (DODAC) vesicles prepared by sonication fuse upon addition of NaCl as detected by several methods (electron microscopy, trapped volume determinations, temperature-dependent phase transition curves, and osmometer behavior. In contrast, small sodium dihexadecyl phosphate (DHP) vesicles mainly aggregate upon NaCl addition as shown by electron microscopy and the lack of osmometer behavior. Scatter-derived absorbance changes of small and large DODAC or DHP vesicles as a function of time after salt addition were obtained for a range of NaCl or amphiphile concentration. These changes were interpreted in accordance with a phenomenological model based upon fundamental light-scattering laws and simple geometrical considerations. Short-range hydration repulsion between DODAC (or DHP) vesicles is possibly the main energy barrier for the fusion process. Images FIGURE 2 FIGURE 9 PMID:3779002

  9. Dynamic modes of quasispherical vesicles: exact analytical solutions.

    PubMed

    Guedda, M; Abaidi, M; Benlahsen, M; Misbah, C

    2012-11-01

    In this paper we introduce a simple mathematical analysis to reexamine vesicle dynamics in the quasispherical limit (small deformation) under a shear flow. In this context, a recent paper [Misbah, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 028104 (2006)] revealed a dynamic referred to as the vacillating-breathing (VB) mode where the vesicle main axis oscillates about the flow direction and the shape undergoes a breathinglike motion, as well as the tank-treading and tumbling (TB) regimes. Our goal here is to identify these three modes by obtaining explicit analytical expressions of the vesicle inclination angle and the shape deformation. In particular, the VB regime is put in evidence and the transition dynamics is discussed. Not surprisingly, our finding confirms the Keller-Skalak solutions (for rigid particles) and shows that the VB and TB modes coexist, and whether one prevails over the other depends on the initial conditions. An interesting additional element in the discussion is the prediction of the TB and VB modes as functions of a control parameter Γ, which can be identified as a TB-VB parameter.

  10. Therapeutic application of extracellular vesicles in acute and chronic renal injury.

    PubMed

    Rovira, Jordi; Diekmann, Fritz; Campistol, Josep M; Ramírez-Bajo, María José

    A new cell-to-cell communication system was discovered in the 1990s, which involves the release of vesicles into the extracellular space. These vesicles shuttle bioactive particles, including proteins, mRNA, miRNA, metabolites, etc. This particular communication has been conserved throughout evolution, which explains why most cell types are capable of producing vesicles. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in the regulation of different physiological processes, as well as in the development and progression of several diseases. EVs have been widely studied over recent years, especially those produced by embryonic and adult stem cells, blood cells, immune system and nervous system cells, as well as tumour cells. EV analysis from bodily fluids has been used as a diagnostic tool for cancer and recently for different renal diseases. However, this review analyses the importance of EVs generated by stem cells, their function and possible clinical application in renal diseases and kidney transplantation. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

  11. Vesicle Motion during Sustained Exocytosis in Chromaffin Cells: Numerical Model Based on Amperometric Measurements

    PubMed Central

    Jarukanont, Daungruthai; Bonifas Arredondo, Imelda; Femat, Ricardo; Garcia, Martin E.

    2015-01-01

    Chromaffin cells release catecholamines by exocytosis, a process that includes vesicle docking, priming and fusion. Although all these steps have been intensively studied, some aspects of their mechanisms, particularly those regarding vesicle transport to the active sites situated at the membrane, are still unclear. In this work, we show that it is possible to extract information on vesicle motion in Chromaffin cells from the combination of Langevin simulations and amperometric measurements. We developed a numerical model based on Langevin simulations of vesicle motion towards the cell membrane and on the statistical analysis of vesicle arrival times. We also performed amperometric experiments in bovine-adrenal Chromaffin cells under Ba2+ stimulation to capture neurotransmitter releases during sustained exocytosis. In the sustained phase, each amperometric peak can be related to a single release from a new vesicle arriving at the active site. The amperometric signal can then be mapped into a spike-series of release events. We normalized the spike-series resulting from the current peaks using a time-rescaling transformation, thus making signals coming from different cells comparable. We discuss why the obtained spike-series may contain information about the motion of all vesicles leading to release of catecholamines. We show that the release statistics in our experiments considerably deviate from Poisson processes. Moreover, the interspike-time probability is reasonably well described by two-parameter gamma distributions. In order to interpret this result we computed the vesicles’ arrival statistics from our Langevin simulations. As expected, assuming purely diffusive vesicle motion we obtain Poisson statistics. However, if we assume that all vesicles are guided toward the membrane by an attractive harmonic potential, simulations also lead to gamma distributions of the interspike-time probability, in remarkably good agreement with experiment. We also show that

  12. Adrenomedullin increases the short-circuit current in the mouse seminal vesicle: actions on chloride secretion.

    PubMed

    Liao, S B; Cheung, K H; O, W S; Tang, Fai

    2014-08-01

    Adrenomedullin (ADM) may regulate seminal vesicle fluid secretion, and this may affect sperm quality. In this study, we investigated the effect of ADM on chloride secretion in the mouse seminal vesicle. The presence of ADM in mouse seminal vesicle was confirmed using immunostaining, and the molecular species was determined using gel filtration chromatography coupled with enzyme-linked assay for ADM. The effects of ADM on chloride secretion were studied by short-circuit current technique in a whole-mount preparation of mouse seminal vesicle in an Ussing chamber. The effects of specific ADM and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists were investigated. Whether the ADM effect depended on the cAMP- and/or calcium-activated chloride channel was also studied using specific chloride channel blockers. The results showed that ADM was present in seminal vesicle epithelial cells. The major molecular species was precursor in the mouse seminal vesicle. ADM increased short-circuit current through the calcium-activated chloride channel in mouse seminal vesicle, and CGRP receptor was involved. We conclude that ADM may regulate chloride and fluid secretion from the seminal vesicle, which may affect the composition of the seminal plasma bathing the sperm and, hence, fertility. © 2014 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

  13. Selective Sorting of Cargo Proteins into Bacterial Membrane Vesicles*

    PubMed Central

    Haurat, M. Florencia; Aduse-Opoku, Joseph; Rangarajan, Minnie; Dorobantu, Loredana; Gray, Murray R.; Curtis, Michael A.; Feldman, Mario F.

    2011-01-01

    In contrast to the well established multiple cellular roles of membrane vesicles in eukaryotic cell biology, outer membrane vesicles (OMV) produced via blebbing of prokaryotic membranes have frequently been regarded as cell debris or microscopy artifacts. Increasingly, however, bacterial membrane vesicles are thought to play a role in microbial virulence, although it remains to be determined whether OMV result from a directed process or from passive disintegration of the outer membrane. Here we establish that the human oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis has a mechanism to selectively sort proteins into OMV, resulting in the preferential packaging of virulence factors into OMV and the exclusion of abundant outer membrane proteins from the protein cargo. Furthermore, we show a critical role for lipopolysaccharide in directing this sorting mechanism. The existence of a process to package specific virulence factors into OMV may significantly alter our current understanding of host-pathogen interactions. PMID:21056982

  14. Extracellular vesicle-mediated export of fungal RNA

    PubMed Central

    Peres da Silva, Roberta; Puccia, Rosana; Rodrigues, Marcio L.; Oliveira, Débora L.; Joffe, Luna S.; César, Gabriele V.; Nimrichter, Leonardo; Goldenberg, Samuel; Alves, Lysangela R.

    2015-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an important role in the biology of various organisms, including fungi, in which they are required for the trafficking of molecules across the cell wall. Fungal EVs contain a complex combination of macromolecules, including proteins, lipids and glycans. In this work, we aimed to describe and characterize RNA in EV preparations from the human pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans, Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis and Candida albicans, and from the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The EV RNA content consisted mostly of molecules less than 250 nt long and the reads obtained aligned with intergenic and intronic regions or specific positions within the mRNA. We identified 114 ncRNAs, among them, six small nucleolar (snoRNA), two small nuclear (snRNA), two ribosomal (rRNA) and one transfer (tRNA) common to all the species considered, together with 20 sequences with features consistent with miRNAs. We also observed some copurified mRNAs, as suggested by reads covering entire transcripts, including those involved in vesicle-mediated transport and metabolic pathways. We characterized for the first time RNA molecules present in EVs produced by fungi. Our results suggest that RNA-containing vesicles may be determinant for various biological processes, including cell communication and pathogenesis. PMID:25586039

  15. Self-reproduction of supramolecular giant vesicles combined with the amplification of encapsulated DNA.

    PubMed

    Kurihara, Kensuke; Tamura, Mieko; Shohda, Koh-Ichiroh; Toyota, Taro; Suzuki, Kentaro; Sugawara, Tadashi

    2011-09-04

    The construction of a protocell from a materials point of view is important in understanding the origin of life. Both self-reproduction of a compartment and self-replication of an informational substance have been studied extensively, but these processes have typically been carried out independently, rather than linked to one another. Here, we demonstrate the amplification of DNA (encapsulated guest) within a self-reproducible cationic giant vesicle (host). With the addition of a vesicular membrane precursor, we observe the growth and spontaneous division of the giant vesicles, accompanied by distribution of the DNA to the daughter giant vesicles. In particular, amplification of the DNA accelerated the division of the giant vesicles. This means that self-replication of an informational substance has been linked to self-reproduction of a compartment through the interplay between polyanionic DNA and the cationic vesicular membrane. Our self-reproducing giant vesicle system therefore represents a step forward in the construction of an advanced model protocell.

  16. Sharing is Caring: The Role of Actin/Myosin-V in Synaptic Vesicle Transport between Synapses in vivo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gramlich, Michael

    Inter-synaptic vesicle sharing is an important but not well understood process of pre-synaptic function. Further, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this inter-synaptic exchange are not well known, and whether this inter-synaptic vesicle sharing is regulated by neural activity remains largely unexplored. I address these questions by studying CA1/CA3 Hippocampal neurons at the single synaptic vesicle level. Using high-resolution tracking of individual vesicles that have recently undergone endocytosis, I observe long-distance axonal transport of synaptic vesicles is partly mediated by the actin network. Further, the actin-dependent transport is predominantly carried out by Myosin-V. I develop a correlated-motion analysis to characterize the mechanics of how actin and Myosin-V affect vesicle transport. Lastly, I also observe that vesicle exit rates from the synapse to the axon and long-distance vesicle transport are both regulated by activity, but Myosin-V does not appear to mediate the activity dependence. These observations highlight the roles of the axonal actin network, and Myosin-V in particular, in regulating inter-synaptic vesicle exchange.

  17. Permeation of superoxide anion through the bilayer of vesicles of a synthetic amphiphile.

    PubMed

    Gomes, L F; Cuccovia, I M; Chaimovich, H; Barbieri, D H; Politi, M J

    1993-10-10

    Large unilamellar vesicles, prepared with dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride, entrap nitroblue tetrazolium. Addition of solid KO2, or production of superoxide anion by riboflavin photolysis, to nitroblue tetrazolium-containing dioctadecyldimethylammonium vesicles results in the formation of monoformazan above the phase-transition temperature of the bilayer. Below the phase-transition temperature the yield of monoformazan is negligible. These results demonstrate that superoxide anion permeates vesicles above the phase-transition temperature of the bilayer.

  18. Encapsulation of Nucleic Acids into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles by Freeze-Thaw: a Way Protocells May Form

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiao, Hai; Hu, Na; Bai, Jin; Ren, Lili; Liu, Qing; Fang, Liaoqiong; Wang, Zhibiao

    2017-12-01

    Protocells are believed to consist of a lipid membrane and encapsulated nucleic acid. As the lipid membrane is impermeable to macromolecules like nucleic acids, the processes by which nucleic acids become encapsulated inside lipid membrane compartments are still unknown. In this paper, a freeze-thaw method was modified and applied to giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in mixed solution resulting in the efficient encapsulation of 6.4 kb plasmid DNA and similar length linear DNA into GUVs. The mechanism of encapsulation was followed by observing the effect of freeze-thaw temperatures on GUV morphological change, DNA encapsulation and ice crystal formation, and analyzing their correlation. Following ice crystal formation, the shape of spherical GUVs was altered and membrane integrity was damaged and this was found to be a necessary condition for encapsulation. Heating alone had no effects on DNA encapsulation, but was helpful for restoring the spherical shape and membrane integrity of GUVs damaged during freezing. These results suggested that freeze-thaw could promote the encapsulation of DNA into GUVs by a mechanism: the vesicle membrane was breached by ice crystal formation during freezing, DNA entered into damaged GUVs through these membrane gaps and was encapsulated after the membrane was resealed during the thawing process. The process described herein therefore describes a simple way for the encapsulation of nucleic acids and potentially other macromolecules into lipid vesicles, a process by which early protocells might have formed.

  19. Vesicle Size Distribution as a Novel Nuclear Forensics Tool

    DOE PAGES

    Donohue, Patrick H.; Simonetti, Antonio

    2016-09-22

    The first nuclear bomb detonation on Earth involved a plutonium implosion-type device exploded at the Trinity test site (33°40'38.28"N, 106°28'31.44"W), White Sands Proving Grounds, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. Melting and subsequent quenching of the local arkosic sand produced glassy material, designated “Trinitite”. In cross section, Trinitite comprises a thin (1–2 mm), primarily glassy surface above a lower zone (1–2 cm) of mixed melt and mineral fragments from the precursor sand. Multiple hypotheses have been put forward to explain these well-documented but heterogeneous textures. In this study, we report the first quantitative textural analysis of vesicles in Trinitite to constrain theirmore » physical and thermal history. Vesicle morphology and size distributions confirm the upper, glassy surface records a distinct processing history from the lower region, that is useful in determining the original sample surface orientation. Specifically, the glassy layer has lower vesicle density, with larger sizes and more rounded population in cross-section. This vertical stratigraphy is attributed to a two-stage evolution of Trinitite glass from quench cooling of the upper layer followed by prolonged heating of the subsurface. Finally, defining the physical regime of post-melting processes constrains the potential for surface mixing and vesicle formation in a post-detonation environment.« less

  20. Intrinsic Curvature-Mediated Transbilayer Coupling in Asymmetric Lipid Vesicles

    DOE PAGES

    Eicher, Barbara; Marquardt, Drew; Heberle, Frederick A.; ...

    2018-01-09

    We measured the effect of intrinsic lipid curvature, J 0, on structural properties of asymmetric vesicles made of palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (POPE; J 0 < 0) and palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC; J 0 ~ 0). Electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering were used to determine vesicle size and morphology, and x-ray and neutron scattering, combined with calorimetric experiments and solution NMR, yielded insights into leaflet-specific lipid packing and melting processes. Below the lipid melting temperature we observed strong interleaflet coupling in asymmetric vesicles with POPE inner bilayer leaflets and outer leaflets enriched in POPC. This lipid arrangement manifested itself by lipids melting cooperatively inmore » both leaflets, and a rearrangement of lipid packing in both monolayers. On the other hand, no coupling was observed in vesicles with POPC inner bilayer leaflets and outer leaflets enriched in POPE. In this case, the leaflets melted independently and did not affect each other’s acyl chain packing. Furthermore, we found no evidence for transbilayer structural coupling above the melting temperature of either sample preparation. Our results are consistent with the energetically preferred location of POPE residing in the inner leaflet, where it also resides in natural membranes, most likely causing the coupling of both leaflets. The loss of this coupling in the fluid bilayers is most likely the result of entropic contributions.« less