Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B H Long

Publications and source records attributed to B H Long.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Nuclear matrix, hnRNA, and snRNA in friend erythroleukemia nuclei depleted of chromatin by low ionic strength EDTA.

A novel and rapid procedure is described for the preparation of chromatin-depleted nuclei (CDN) from Friend erythroleukemia cells under conditions that avoid the use of high salt concentrations. By this procedure isolated nuclei that had previously been incubated with DNase I to partially digest DNA were washed twice in 2 mM EDTA to extract the chromatin. The resulting structures contained 1% of DNA, 65% of total RNA, 60-80% of hnRNA, 74% of snRNA, 29% of protein, and 2% of histones contained in isolated nuclei. Electron microscopy revealed intact, spherical structures similar in diameter to isolated nuclei and consisting of dense networks of fibrils 50-100 A thick surrounded by distinct nuclear laminae. Although no morphological evidence was found for residual nucleoli, C23, a nucleolus-specific phospho-protein, remained centrally localized in CDN, while Sm antigen specific for snRNPs was diffusely localized but absent from central regions. Addition of 2 mM MgCl2 to CDN resulted in the reformation of morphologically distinguishable residual nucleoli. These studies suggest that nucleolar morphology is, in part, dependent upon divalent cations and components unique to the nucleolar matrix and demonstrate that little randomization of nuclear and nucleolar matrix fibrils occurs during CDN isolation in the absence of divalent cations.

Animals↗

Isolation from Friend erythroleukemia cells of an RNase-sensitive nuclear matrix fibril fraction containing hnRNA and snRNA.

Chromatin-depleted nuclei (CDN) were prepared from Friend erythroleukemia cell nuclei by partial digestion with DNase I and extraction of the chromatin by 2 mM EDTA as described in the preceding paper (Long and Ochs, 1983. Biol. Cell 48, 99-108). These structures contained dense networks of matrix fibrils surrounded by distinct laminae but no morphologically distinct residual nucleoli. CDN disrupted by gentle shearing or 1 microgram/ml RNase were fractionated into laminae and matrix fibrils by differential centrifugation. Protein composition of the lamina fraction was dominated by two prominent lamina proteins that were not detectable in the matrix fraction. Mild RNase treatment led to a conversion of the fibrous network to a particulate morphology while mild shearing resulted in an apparently unaltered fibril fraction. The matrix fibril fractions contained hnRNP proteins and the snRNAs. These results suggest that EDTA-prepared CDN may provide a system for studying snRNP-hnRNP interactions and hnRNP processing that is less complex than intact nuclei.

Animals↗

Effect of anthracycline analogues on the appearance of newly synthesized total RNA and messenger RNA in the cytoplasm of erythroleukemia cells.

Effects of the structural analogues, adriamycin (ADM), daunomycin (DNM), carminomycin (CMM), 4-demethoxydaunomycin (4D-DNM), pyrromycin (PYM), marcellomycin (MCM), and aclacinomycin (ACM) upon total cell RNA synthesis and the appearance of total RNA and poly(A)+-RNA in the cytoplasm of uninduced Friend erythroleukemia cells were investigated. The anthracyclines inhibited cellular RNA synthesis with IC50 values of 1-3 microM (ADM, DNM), 0.3-0.5 microM (CMM, 4D-DNM, PYM), and 0.06 microM (MCM, ACM). IC50 values for the appearance of total RNA in the cytoplasm were consistently 2-3 times lower than those for total cell RNA synthesis for each anthracycline. IC50 values for the inhibition of poly(A)+-RNA in the cytoplasm by ADM, DNM, and CMM were equivalent to those for total RNA synthesis. The values for MCM and ACM were 2-3 times higher than those for total RNA synthesis. The kinetic actions of drug-induced inhibition of poly(A)+-RNA appearance in the cytoplasm and inhibition of total RNA synthesis were equivalent for ADM, DNM and CMM, whereas the other anthracyclines showed different kinetics. These studies confirm the greater sensitivity of nucleolar RNA synthesis to Class II anthracyclines in erythroleukemia cells and suggest that inhibition of post-transcriptional events may occur in cells exposed to PYM, MCM, and ACM but at higher concentrations than are required for inhibition of RNA synthesis.

Animals↗

Isolation and characterization of the nuclear matrix in Friend erythroleukemia cells: chromatin and hnRNA interactions with the nuclear matrix.

Nuclear matrices from undifferentiated and differentiated Friend erythroleukemia cells have been obtained by a method which removes DNA in a physiological buffer. These matrices preserved the characteristic topographical distribution of condensed and diffuse "chromatin" regions, as do nuclei in situ or isolated nuclei. Histone H1 was released from the nuclear matrix of undifferentiated cells by 0.3 M KCl; inner core histones were released by 1 M KCl. Nuclear matrix from differentiated cells did not maintain H1, and histone cores were fully released in 0.7 M KCl. KCl removed the core histones as an octameric structure with no evidence of preferential release of any single histone. Electron microscopy of KCl-treated matrix revealed no condensed regions but rather a network of fibrils in the whole DNA-depleted nuclei. When nuclear matrices from both types of cell were exposed to conditions of very low ionic strength, inner core histones and condensed regions remained. These observations support the contention that inner core histones are bound to matrix through natural ionic bonds or saline-labile elements, and that these interactions are implicated in chromatin condensation. hnRNA remained undegraded and tenaciously associated to the matrix fibrils, and was released only by chemical means which, by breaking hydrophobic and hydrogen bonds, produced matrix lysis. Very few nonhistone proteins were released upon complete digestion of DNA from either type of nuclei. The remaining nonhistone proteins represent a large number of species of which the majority may be matrix components. The molecular architecture in both condensed and diffuse regions of interphase nuclei appears to be constructed of two distinct kinds of fibers; the thicker chromatin fibers are interwoven with the thinner matrix fibers. The latter are formed by a heteropolymer of many different proteins.

Animals↗

Fatty acid compositions of lipid fractions from vegetative cells and mature sorocarps of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum.

A wild-type strain of Dictyostelium discoideum was grown upon Aerobacter aerogenes. Fatty acid compositions of lipid fractions and of total lipids obtained from vegetative amoebae and mature sorocarps were compared. Fatty acids isolated from vegetative cells were found to include large quantities of 17- and 19-carbon cyclopropane fatty acids while straight-chain, saturated fatty acids represented only 10% (w/w) of total fatty acids. These cyclopropane fatty acids appear to be derived from ingested bacteria and are preferentially incorporated into neutral lipids of the slime mold. Development of amoebae to mature sorocarps is accompanied by a substantial decrease in cyclopropane fatty acid content and a concomitant increase in unsaturated fatty acids, mostly as octadeca-5,11-dienoic acid. The delta-22 stigmastenyl ester fraction is the richest source of this acid. Fully 65% of the fatty acids in this fraction are the octadecadienoate.

Cell Division↗