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Coexpression of gamma and beta globin mRNA in cells containing a single human beta globin locus: results from studies using single-cell reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

We developed a method detecting globin gene expression in single cells using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. epsilon and gamma globin cDNAs are coamplified by an epsilon gamma primer set whereas gamma and beta globin cDNAs are coamplified by a gamma beta primer set and the individual globin cDNAs are distinguished by restriction enzyme digestion. Analysis of RNA preparations from human fetal liver, neonatal red blood cells (RBCs), or adult RBCs showed the expected mRNA species for each stage of human development. Analysis of single cells from a human erythroleukemia line coexpressing gamma and beta globin chains showed heterogeneity in gamma and beta mRNA contents. The method was subsequently used to test whether only one or more than one globin genes are expressed in cells that contain a single human beta globin locus. We found that about 50% of single cells from MEL x fetal erythroid cell hybrids containing a single human beta globin locus coexpressed gamma and beta globin mRNA. This finding is best explained by assuming that both gamma and beta genes are simultaneously transcribed from the same beta globin locus implying that the LCR can simultaneously interact with more than one globin gene promoter.

Base Sequence↗

Cell expansion and single-cell separation induced by colchicine in suspension-cultured soybean cells.

Single plant cells have been obtained without the preparation of protoplasts by culturing pieces of soybean callus tissue with colchicine. Cell expansion and separation were evoked by colchicine (1 mM) within a week of culture. Microscopic observation showed that cells took on a spherical shape in the presence of colchicine and then separated into single cells. Addition of colchicine to the culture medium did not affect the composition of cell wall polysaccharides, but a uronic acid-rich extracellular polysaccharide appeared during cell expansion and separation. Addition of microtubule stabilizers, glycerol (300 mM) or dimethyl sulfoxide [3% (vol/vol)], inhibited the secretion of the polysaccharide as well as cell expansion and separation. The extracellular polysaccharide elicited by colchicine was isolated by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose and gel filtration on Sepharose CL-6B from the conditioned medium of colchicine-treated soybean cells. The purified 18-kDa polysaccharide immediately enhanced cell expansion and separation when added to soybean callus tissue cultured in medium containing colchicine, even at low concentrations (0.1 mM). The polysaccharide was composed of galacturonic acid and, after digestion with a pectinase preparation, had no effect on the cells. Methylation analysis suggests that the polysaccharide consists of approximately 100 sequential alpha-1,4-galacturonic acids. The galacturonan increased the viability of separated cells cultured in medium containing colchicine, and the single cells obtained did not produce a wound-response callose. (Aminoethoxyvinyl)glycine, a specific inhibitor of ethylene production, extensively decreased the cell expansion and separation but did not inhibit the formation of the extracellular polysaccharide, suggesting that the polysaccharide may exert its effect by stimulating ethylene production.

Journal Article↗

Electrophysiology of nitrous oxide on cerebellar granule cells: a single-cell study.

We recorded 18 single cells in the granule cell layer of the cat. Each single cell was screened and identified as a granule cell based on a set of criteria derived from known electrophysiological properties of granule cells. We then monitored the effects of nitrous oxide on the spontaneous activities and the auditory responses of these cells. Nitrous oxide consistently caused a severe inhibition of spontaneous activities as well as responses to sound in these cells. Furthermore, the amplitudes of their action potentials decreased during the inhibition. Three of the 18 cells were subsequently injected intracellularly with HRP. All three were verified to be granule cells. In those granule cells we recorded intracellularly, nitrous oxide did not change the resting membrane potentials. The gradual decrease in the amplitudes of action potentials suggested that some of the mechanisms leading to the genesis of action potentials were being altered by nitrous oxide. It is also possible that nitrous oxide may act on synaptic transmission at a site located postsynaptically on the granule cells.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Neural differentiation and incorporation of bone marrow-derived multipotent adult progenitor cells after single cell transplantation into blastocyst stage mouse embryos.

Previously we reported the characterization of multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs) isolated from the bone marrow of rodents. In that study, single murine MAPCs derived from ROSA-26, beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal)-positive transgenic mice were injected into E3.5 C57/B16 mouse blastocysts. The resultant chimeric blastocysts were then implanted into pseudopregnant females and were allowed to develop naturally through birth and into adulthood. Chimeric mice were sacrificed 6 to 20 weeks after birth, and were processed for histological analysis. Beta-galactosidase activity was identified in all organs and tissues examined, and tissue-specific differentiation and engraftment was confirmed by colabeling with antibodies that recognize beta-Gal and tissue-specific markers. In the present study we have examined neural engraftment derived from the clonal expansion of a single MAPC during rodent development, and characterized the neural phenotype of MAPCs in the resultant chimeric animals. Donor cell-derived beta-Gal activity was evident throughout the brain. Double and triple immunofluorescent labeling studies revealed MAPC-derived neurons (NeuN/beta-Gal) and astrocytes (GFAP/beta-Gal) in the cortex, striatum, medial septal nucleus, hippocampus, cerebellum, substantia nigra, and thalamus. More specifically, donor-derived neurons contributed to each of the cellular layers of the cortex; the pyramidal and granule cell layers, as well as the hilus, of the hippocampus; Purkinje and granule cell layers in the cerebellum; and GABAergic cells in the caudate and putamen. This study characterizes the potential for MAPCs to differentiate into specific neuronal and glial phenotypes, and to integrate normally during development, after implantation into blastocysts, and provides additional evidence that MAPCs exhibit properties similar to embryonic stem cells.

Animals↗

Rapid establishment of clonal isolates of freshwater autotrophic picoplankton by single-cell and single-colony sorting.

We describe single-cell and single-colony sorting protocols which allowed for rapid establishment of a diverse culture collection of clonal autotrophic picoplankton (APP) isolates originating from oligotrophic and oligo-mesotrophic subalpine lakes. Overall sort recoveries, expressed as the percentage of sorted microwells exhibiting APP growth, ranged from 5% to 17% depending on the type of APP, but the growth success varied greatly (from 0% to 68%) depending on the origin of the sorted sample. We applied two direct sequencing and two denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) protocols to identify and characterize the genetic purity of 21 of our picocyanobacteria cultures, namely, direct sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and cpcBA-IGS region, and DGGE analyses involving a 194-bp fragment of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and a ca. 500-bp fragment of the phycocyanin (PC) operon (cpcBA-IGS, novel protocol described herein). Of those 21 picocyanobacteria cultures obtained by single-cell/single-colony sorting and subsequently characterized genetically/screened for genetic purity, only one culture was composed of multiple picocyanobacterial strains.

Animals↗

Apoptosis of mouse embryonic stem cells induced by single cell suspension.

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are pluripotential, and are therefore used to construct gene knock-out mice. We found that the apoptosis of mouse ES cells was induced when the cells were dispersed as single cells, whereas this process was suppressed when they proliferated in aggregates. The apoptosis of ES cells was repressed when the cells were cultured on feeders prepared from STO cells, a cell line established from embryonic fibroblasts. Culture supernatants from STO cells did not block the apoptosis of ES cells, which suggests that a direct interaction between ES cells and STO cells is required for the suppression of apoptosis. The viability of ES cells examined by the trypan blue exclusion test or by the MTT ((3-4,5-dimethyithiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) reduction assay decreased dramatically when the cells were dispersed in phosphate-buffered saline PBS. Cellular activity was restored by the addition of culture medium for ES cells. Glucose in the medium was found to be a major factor responsible for the restoration. Amino acids also restored the decrease in reduction of MTT. Suspension of the ES cells in PBS(-) caused leakage of the nucleosome into cytoplasm. Results indicate that the single cell suspension of ES cells leads to leakage of substrates for oxidative phosphorylation from the mitochondria, and that these cells finally become committed to apoptosis.

Amino Acids↗

Imaging analysis of STAT1 and NF-kappaB translocation in dendritic cells at the single cell level.

Rapid assessment of immune or stem cells, which are now widely applied in the clinical setting of cancer treatment, is necessary to speed their development and to determine their quality. We have evaluated immature dendritic cells (iDC) by semiautomated imaging cytometry which provides detailed assessment at a single cell level. Nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB was studied by imaging analysis as well as electrophoretic mobility shift assay with an excellent correlation (r=0.981) over a broad range of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations. Imaging analysis was time saving (5 h vs. 3 days), and required 30- to 100-fold less cells per analysis. Single cell information revealed remarkable heterogeneity between individual iDC and permitted detection of responses to 40 pg/ml of LPS. In IL-1beta/IFNgamma activated iDC, STAT1 responses preceded NF-kappaB responses, and the expression of both was strongly correlated in individual cells (p<0.001). IFNgamma amplified IL-1-induced NF-kappaB responses. NF-kappaB responses to IL-1beta, CD40L, and LPS were donor-dependent (n=7), correlated with the quality of iDC preparations (p=0.002), and IL-12 p70 production (p=0.010). NF-kappaB measurements in iDC within mixed cell cultures (iDC, NK, K562) demonstrated that these strategies are applicable for analyses of complex cell-cell interactions. Imaging analysis is a method that could be valuable for quality control of cell therapy preparations.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

High frequency, heat treatment-induced inactivation of the phosphinothricin resistance gene in transgenic single cell suspension cultures of Medicago sativa.

One descendant of the Medicago sativa Ra-3 transformant T304 was analysed with respect to the somatic stability of the synthetic phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase (pat) gene which was used as a selective marker and was under the control of the 5'/3' expression signals of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) gene VI. In order to quantify gene instability, we developed a system for culturing and regenerating individual cells. Single cell suspension cultures derived from T304 and the ancestral non-transgenic M. sativa cultivar Ra-3, were established. The cells were regenerated into monoclonal calli. In transgenic calli, the phosphinothricin (Pt)-resistance phenotype was retained after more than 2 months of non-selective growth. In contrast, up to 12% of the suspension culture cells grown under nonselective conditions and at constant temperature (25 degrees C) lost the herbicide-resistance phenotype within 150 days. Surprisingly, a heat treatment (37 degrees C), lasting for 10 days, during the culture period resulted in an almost complete (95%) loss of the Pt resistance of the suspension culture cells. However, the frequency of cell division was identical in cultures grown under normal and heat treatment conditions. A biochemical test revealed that no phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase activity was present in heat treated, Pt-sensitive cells. The resistance level of the Pt-sensitive transgenic cells was equivalent to that of the wild-type cells. A PCR analysis confirmed the presence of the pat gene in heat treated, Pt-sensitive cells. From these results it is concluded that the Pt resistance gene was heat-inactivated at a high frequency in the M. sativa suspension cultures.

Acetyltransferases↗

Removal of rat dendritic cells from single cell suspensions by passage through columns of Sephadex G-10.

Rat T lymphocytes require dendritic cells as accessory cells in order to respond to the mitogen sodium periodate. Passage of a lymph node cell suspension through a column of Sephadex G-10 reduced the mitogenic response by greater than 90%, despite a cell recovery of 75%. An even greater reduction in the response occurred after a second passage over Sephadex G-10; addition of purified dendritic cells restored the response. Lymph node cell suspensions and preparations enriched in dendritic cells were nearly depleted of these cells by passage over Sephadex G-10. After passage of lymph node cells over Sephadex G-10, a limited number of retained cells could be recovered; these included both dendritic cells and macrophages. Enumeration of macrophages in the various passed and retained fractions by non-specific esterase staining of smears confirmed that macrophages were effectively removed from lymph node cell suspensions by repeated passage over Sephadex G-10. Cell preparations that pass through Sephadex G-10 are therefore depleted of both dendritic cells and macrophages.

Animals↗

Alternative splicing in single cells dissected from complex tissues: separate expression of prepro-tachykinin A mRNA splice variants in sensory neurones.

Tachykinins play an important role in peripheral inflammatory diseases and disorders of the CNS. Most members of the tachykinin family are generated by alternative post-transcriptional splicing of the prepro-tachykinin (PPT) A gene. Here, we examined the simultaneous expression of PPT-A splice variants in individual neurones of the nodose ganglion. In extracts of ganglia, the expression of the four PPT-A mRNA splice variants and their four encoded peptides was shown by RT-PCR and combined HPLC and radioimmunoassay respectively. In order to examine prepro-tachykinin A expression in individual cells, single neurones were isolated from the ganglia using laser-assisted microdissection and processed for RT-PCR. Some 31.9% of the neurones investigated expressed a specific PPT-A transcript. Each individual neurone was found to express only a single splice variant. This is the first study to analyse the differential expression of PPT-A splice variants at the single-cell level. In view of the large number of alternatively spliced genes in the human genome and the resulting profound physiological effects, including several diseases, the technique described here is useful for isolating cells without possible confounding effects of dissociated neuronal cultures. For PPT-A, the results indicate that alternative post-transcriptional splicing determines the tachykinergic phenotype and may therefore have important functional implications.

Alternative Splicing↗

Single cell analysis of H/RS cells.

The nature of the Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg (H/RS) cells in Hodgkin's disease (HD) is still unclear. We have studied isolated H/RS cells from four cases of lymphocytic predominance (LP) HD and six cases of nodular sclerosis (NS) HD and assayed the cells for immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The H/RS cells in all four cases of LPHD had rearranged their IgH gene in a polyclonal pattern. The H/RS cells of three cases of NSHD where at least a fraction of the cells expressed the B-cell marker CD20 had also rearranged their IgH gene. In two of the cases, the rearrangements were totally unrelated while in one case, two out of six rearrangements were identical in sequence indicating the presence of a clonal subpopulation amid a polyclonal background. Clonality was assessed independently in one NSHD case by determining the pattern of X-chromosome inactivation. This technique also failed to show that the H/RS cells were monoclonal. Our studies suggest that in both LPHD and NSHD, the H/RS cells may be a polyclonal proliferation at presentation and clonal populations may emerge from this polyclonal background. There is also some evidence of a correlation between the immunophenotype and the genotype of the H/RS cells. Single cell assays show great potential in elucidating the cell lineage and clonality of H/RS cells, as well as their in vivo evolution during the disease process.

Gene Rearrangement↗

A study of Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cells using single cell polymerase chain reaction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of Hodgkin/Reed-Stemberg (H/R-S) cells found in patients with various types of Hodgkin's disease (HD). METHODS: H/R-S cells were micropicked from frozen sections of tissues affected by HD. The DNA from these cells was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using immunoglobulin heavy chain gene FR III a/JH primers and light chain gene family-specific primers. RESULTS: A total of 52/135 (35.8%) isolated cells showed the specific products in the reactions. IgH and V kappa 4 rearrangements were repeatedly found in many cells from a lymphocyte predominance type sample; repeated V kappa 4 and individual IgH/V kappa 2,4 rearrangements and individual IgH, V lambda 3/ V kappa 4 rearrangements were found in two different cases of the nodular sclerosis type; repeated IgH/ V lambda 3 and individual V lambda 2,4 rearrangements, repeated V kappa 2,4 rearrangements, repeated V kappa 4 and individual IgH/ V kappa 3 rearrangements, repeated IgH and individual V kappa 3/ V lambda 4 rearrangements were detected in 3 cases of the mixed cellularity type. Repeated and individual IgH rearrangements were found in other 2 cases. CONCLUSION: The H/R-S cells isolated from the lymphocyte predominance subtypes of HD have IgH and V lambda 4 gene rearrangements. This suggests that the lymphocyte predominance type is a proliferation of neoplastic B cells. The cells isolated from the mixed cellularity and nodular sclerosis types derive from B lineage cells at various stages of differentiation because of the presence of their IgH, kappa and/or lambda gene rearrangements. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the lambda gene rearrangement was detected in H/R-S cells.

Gene Rearrangement↗

Identification of GM-CSF in Paneth cells using single-cell RT-PCR.

Paneth cells, granule-containing cells located at the bottom of the intestinal crypts, have a role in innate mucosal immunity. We identified the exclusive expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in Paneth cells using single-cell reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and cDNA array. Cytosolic total RNA was aspirated from single Paneth cells and other villous epithelial cells (non-Paneth cells) of rats using capillary micropipettes. In addition to lysozyme, secretory phospholipase A2, defensin, TNF-alpha, and xanthine dehydrogenase genes, cDNA array analysis revealed that the GM-CSF gene is specifically present in Paneth cells, whereas GM-CSF receptor beta-chain mRNA is expressed in Paneth cells and other epithelial cells. There was intense immunohistochemical staining of GM-CSF in Paneth cells but not in other epithelial cells. Treatment of IEC6 cells with GM-CSF enhanced expression of CD80 and CD86. Thus, GM-CSF in Paneth cells might have an important role in mucosal immunity through increasing the expression of costimulatory molecules in epithelial cells.

Animals↗