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Homology study of two polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthases from Pseudomonas aureofaciens.

Recently, we have cloned and analyzed two polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase genes (phaC1 and phaC2 in the pha cluster) from Pseudomonas aureofaciens. In this report, the deduced amino acid (AA) sequences of PHA synthase 1 and PHA synthase 2 from P. aureofaciens are compared with those from three other bacterial strains (Pseudomonas sp. 61-3, P. oleovorans and P. aeruginosa) containing the homologous pha cluster. The level of homology of either PHA synthase 1 or PHA synthase 2 was high with each enzyme from these three bacterial strains. Furthermore, multialignment of PHA synthase AA sequences implied that both enzymes of PHA synthase 1 and PHA synthase 2 were highly conserved in the four strains including P. aureofaciens.

Acyltransferases↗

Mechanisms of human T cell response to mitogens: IL 2 induces IL 2 receptor expression and proliferation but not IL 2 synthesis in PHA-stimulated T cells.

Human peripheral blood T cells were purified by a four-step procedure which included depletion of plastic-adherent cells, rosetting with sheep red blood cells, nylon wool passage, and treatment with mouse monoclonal antibodies to human Ia antigens plus complement. The purified T cells completely failed to proliferate to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Bacterially derived recombinant human interleukin 2 (IL 2) reconstituted the proliferative response of resting T cells to PHA. The optimal concentration of IL 2 required was 100 to 200 U/ml. IL 2 alone caused no T cell proliferation. Both PHA and IL 2 needed to be present together for the proliferation of T cells to occur. Incubation of T cells with either PHA or IL 2 alone for up to 18 hr, followed by washing, then by the addition of the reciprocal reagent, resulted in no T cell proliferation. Expression of IL 2 receptors and of Ia antigens, as assessed by indirect immunofluorescent staining, revealed that both PHA and IL 2 needed to be present for Tac and Ia antigen expression by T cells. T cells incubated with PHA and IL 2 for 18 to 42 hr acquired responsiveness to IL 2. These T cells remained absolutely dependent on IL 2 for proliferation to occur. In contrast to T cells stimulated with PHA in the presence of monocytes, T cells stimulated with PHA and IL 2 released no detectable IL 2. The failure of IL 2 secretion was not caused by down-regulation of IL 2 production by IL 2 itself, because the addition of IL 2 to cultures of T cells stimulated with PHA in the presence of monocytes did not interfere with IL 2 production. These results indicate that IL 2 is a sufficient signal to induce the expression of its receptor in PHA-stimulated T cells and subsequent proliferation but is not sufficient to cause endogenous IL 2 release.

Cells, Cultured↗

Non-genomic immunosuppressive actions of progesterone inhibits PHA-induced alkalinization and activation in T cells.

Progesterone is an endogenous immunomodulator, and can suppress T-cell activation during pregnancy. When analyzed under a genome time scale, the classic steroid receptor pathway does not have any effect on ion fluxes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the non-genomic effects on ion fluxes by progesterone could immunosuppress phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced human peripheral T-cell activation. The new findings indicated that, first, only progesterone stimulated both [Ca2+]i elevation and pHi decrease; in contrast, estradiol or testosterone stimulated [Ca2+]i elevation and hydrocortisone or dexamethasone stimulated pHi decrease. Secondly, the [Ca2+]i increase by progesterone was dependent on Ca2+ influx, and the acidification was blocked by Na+/H+ exchange (NHE) inhibitor, 3-methylsulphonyl-4-piperidinobenzoyl, guanidine hydrochloride (HOE-694) but not by 5-(N,N-dimethyl)-amiloride (DMA). Thirdly, progesterone blocked phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or PHA-induced alkalinization, but PHA did not prevent progesterone-induced acidification. Fourthly, progesterone did not induce T-cell proliferation; however, co-stimulation progesterone with PHA was able to suppress PHA-induced IL-2 or IL-4 secretion and proliferation. When progesterone was applied 72 h after PHA stimulation, progesterone could suppress PHA-induced T-cell proliferation. Finally, immobilization of progesterone by conjugation to a large carrier molecule (BSA) also stimulated a rapid [Ca2+]i elevation, pHi decrease, and suppressed PHA-induced proliferation. These results suggested that the non-genomic effects of progesterone, especially acidification, are exerted via plasma membrane sites and suppress the genomic responses to PHA. Progesterone might act directly through membrane specific nonclassical steroid receptors to cause immunomodulation and suppression of T-cell activation during pregnancy.

Adult↗

CEA is the major PHA-L-reactive glycoprotein in colon carcinoma cell lines and tumors: relationship between K-ras activation and beta1-6 branching of N-linked carbohydrate on CEA.

Previously we have shown that a positive correlation existed between the presence of beta1-6 branching of N-linked carbohydrate (detected as PHA-L reactivity) and the level of Ras activation in colon carcinoma cell lines. In these cell lines the major PHA-L-reactive species was found to be 180 kDa. Here we identified this species to be carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) by demonstrating that: (a) CEA immunoreactivity and PHA-L reactivity colocalized on blots of crude cellular membranes from these cell lines, and that (b) immunoprecipitation of CEA resulted in quantitative coprecipitation of PHA-L reactivity at 180 kDa. Metabolic labeling of cell line HTB39 with [(3)H]mannose revealed that CEA was the predominantly labeled glycoprotein. This indicated that CEA was the major PHA-L-reactive species due its high level of expression. The amount of PHA-L reactivity present on CEA, expressed as the PHA-L/CEA ratio, was found to vary between cell lines. This ratio was found to correlate closely with the level of Ras activation in these cells. In cellular membrane isolated from primary colon carcinoma, the major PHA-L-reactive species was also 180 kDa. This reactivity colocalized with CEA immunoreactivity, indicating that the major beta1-6-branching glycoprotein in membranes from primary colon carcinoma was CEA. Similar to that seen in cell lines, the amount of PHA-L reactivity on CEA in human tumor samples varied, suggesting that a similar paradigm of Ras-induced expression of beta1-6 branching may occur in human colon carcinoma.

Blotting, Western↗

Effect of increased PHA synthase activity on polyhydroxyalkanoates biosynthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase activity in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was increased two-fold by introducing the PHA biosynthetic genes of Ralstonia eutropha. The resulting recombinant Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 strain was subjected to conditions that favor PHA accumulation and the effects of various carbon sources were studied. In addition, the fine structure of both wild-type and recombinant Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was examined using freeze-fracture electron microscopy technique. The PHA granules in the recombinant Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 were localised near the thylakoid membranes. Maximum amount of PHA accumulation was obtained in the presence of acetate, where the number of granules in the recombinant cells ranged from 4 to 6 and their sizes were in the range of 70-240 nm. In comparison to wild-type Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, recombinant cells with increased PHA synthase activity showed only a marginal increase in PHA content suggesting that PHA synthase is not the rate limiting enzyme of PHA biosynthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.

Acyltransferases↗

Production of PHA from starchy wastewater via organic acids.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) was produced from a starchy wastewater in a two-step process of microbial acidogenesis and acid polymerization. The starchy organic waste was first digested in a thermophilic upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor to form acetic (60-80%), propionic (10-30%) and butyric (5-40%) acids. The total volatile fatty acids reached 4000 mg l(-1) at a chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate of 25-35 g l(-1) day(-1). A carbon balance indicates that up to 43% of the organic carbon in the starchy waste went to the organic acids and the rest to biogas, volatile suspended solids and residual sludge accumulated in the reactor. The acid composition profile was affected by COD loading rate: a medium rate around 9 g l(-1) day(-1) gave a high propionic acid content (29% wt) and a high rate around 26 g l(-1) day(-1) led to a high butyric acid content (34% wt). The acids in the effluent solution after microfiltration were utilized and polymerized into PHA by bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus in a second reactor. Fifty grams of PHA was produced from 100 g total organic carbon (TOC) utilized, a yield of 28% based on TOC, which is comparable with 55 g PHA per 100 g TOC of pure butyric and propionic acids used. PHA formation from individual acids was further investigated in a semi-batch reactor with three acid feeding rates. With a limited nitrogen source (80-100 mg NH(3) per liter), the active biomass of A. eutrophus, not including the accumulated PHA in cells, was maintained at a constant level (8-9 g l(-1)) while PHA content in the cell mass increased continuously in 45 h; 48% PHA with butyric acid and 53% PHA with propionic acid, respectively. Polyhydroxybutyrate was formed from butyric acid and poly(hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate) formed from propionic acid with 38% hydroxyvalerate.

Alcaligenes↗

Isolation and characterization of Bacillus sp. INT005 accumulating polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from gas field soil.

A gram-positive bacterium (designated strain INT005) that accumulated polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) was isolated from gas field soil. From its morphological and physiological properties and the partial nucleotide sequence (about 500 bp) of its 16S rDNA, it was suggested that strain INT005 was similar to several species of the genus Bacillus. We confirmed that strain INT005 is a Bacillus sp. The PHA productivities of strain INT005 were higher than those of Bacillus megaterium and Ralstonia eutropha at 37-45 degrees C reported to date, and it was suggested that the PHA synthase of INT005 may exhibit moderate thermostability. The bacterium had the ability to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-6-hydroxyhexanoate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) from the appropriate carbon sources. The PHA synthase from INT005 showed similar substrate specificity to those of class I and III PHA synthases and strain INT005 produced PHAs with various monomer compositions. From the analysis of monomer composition and PHA accumulation in the presence of acrylic acid, it was suggested that de novo fatty acid synthesis and beta-oxidation are involved in the PHA synthesis of Bacillus sp. INT005. Since Bacillus sp. INT005 could synthesize PHA even at 45 degrees C and PHAs with various monomer compositions, and only one report on the cloning of the synthesis-related genes from a Bacillus species (B. megaterium) has been published;Bacillus sp. INT005 is thought to be very valuable source of PHA synthesis-related genes.

Journal Article↗

Effects of phosphorus limitation and temperature on PHA production in activated sludge.

The study was designed to investigate the effects of temperature and phosphorus limitation on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production and storage by activated sludge biomass. The two-stage operation approach, i.e. a growth phase followed by a nutrient limitation phase, was applied to induce PHA accumulation. The pre-selected temperatures of 10, 20 and 30 degrees C were investigated under phosphorus limitation conditions using three four-litre fully aerobic SBR systems operated at an SRT of 10 days with cycle time and HRT of 6 and 10 hours. PHA production was greater in the 10 degrees C system than in the 20 degrees C and 30 degrees C systems but there was little difference between the two higher temperatures. The maximum PHA fractions of the sludge were 52, 45 and 47%TSS for the three temperatures from low to high, and the maximum PHA concentrations in the mixed liquors were 1,491, 1,294 and 1,260 mg/l, respectively. However, it was observed that very low values of PHA yield per unit COD consumed were obtained, i.e., 0.05, 0.03 and 0.04 mgPHA/mgCODu, for the 10, 20 and 30 degrees C reactors, respectively. This was because all three systems required several days to reach maximum PHA accumulation in their mixed liquor biomasses. It is probable the bacteria still had some stored poly-P in their cells upon initiation of the phosphorus limited influent, and PHA accumulation was delayed until the stored phosphorus was depleted. Also, PHA productivity was reduced by the large amounts of biomass lost from the systems because of sludge bulking.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Phenotypic and functional characteristics of active suppressor cells against IFN-gamma production in PHA-stimulated cord blood lymphocytes.

Cord blood mononuclear cells (MNC) were defective in their ability to produce interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or recombinant interleukin 2, whereas cord MNC could induce comparable amounts of IFN-gamma with adult controls on stimulation with a streptococcal preparation, OK-432. Moreover, irradiation of cord MNC with 1,500 rad before PHA stimulation could restore the IFN-gamma production. Kinetic studies indicated that such augmentation of IFN-gamma production by irradiation was evident when cord MNC were irradiated before or by 12 hr of PHA-stimulated culture. But irradiation after 18 hr or more of PHA stimulation did not exert any significant augmentation on IFN-gamma production by cord MNC. It seemed most likely that the ability of IFN-gamma production is already mature at birth, but radiosensitive suppressor effectors on IFN-gamma production are activated within cord MNC at an early stage of PHA stimulation, resulting in poor IFN-gamma production by cord MNC. PHA-induced IFN-gamma production by OKT3+, OKT4+, and OKT8- cord cells were markedly enhanced by irradiation with 1,500 rad before the culture. Coculture experiments disclosed that cord OKT4+ cells, but not OKT4- cells, when prestimulated with PHA for 24 hr, exerted active suppression on PHA-induced IFN-gamma production by adult MNC in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that radiosensitive suppressor effectors on IFN-gamma production were induced within the OKT4+ T cell subset of cord MNC on PHA stimulation.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗

[Immunological examination in patients with brain tumor and the usefulness of PHA skin test (author's transl)].

The usefulness of in vivo skin test reaction to phytohemagglutinin to assess cell-mediated immunity was investigated in 109 subjects, including 37 normal controls, 35 patients without brain tumor and 37 patients with brain tumor. Intradermal injection at forearm of 10 microgram of Bacto-phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) produced an erythema within 24 hours. Upon PHA skin reaction the mean diameter of erythema was 25.3 mm with the normal in the control and 18.6 mm with other diseases than brain tumor, while it was 13.0 mm with brain tumor. Furthermore when mean diameter of those with longer than 15.0 mm are classified as positive in the PHA skin test, the normal in the control revealed 89.2% positive and the patients with brain tumor indicated only 37.8% positive. A positive reaction was observed in 10 (77.0%) of 13 benign brain tumor and 5 (26.3%) of 19 malignant brain tumor. A correlation was found between in vivo and in vitro responses to PHA, and between PHA and PPD skin reaction. In repeated PHA skin test at intervals of about one month, the skin reaction to PHA of patients with brain tumor varied depending on the clinical states. Other advantages of this test are no presensitization and it can be used repeatedly. The PHA skin test is a useful and simple screening test for cellular immune function of patients with brain tumor and as a simple method applicable clinically indicating accurate immuno-reactivity the PHA skin tests have been carried out during the course of treatment with an interval of about one month repeatedly.

Adenoma↗

Structure and biologic functions of human IgD. X. Enhancement of PHA responsiveness by anti-delta-activated lymphocytes.

Human peripheral lymphocytes with the capacity to be stimulated by anti-delta exhibited in PHA responsiveness when cultured with anti-delta 1 or 12 hr before PHA exposure over cells exposed to PHA alone. When these lymphocytes were preincubated with PHA 1 or 12 hr before anti-delta activation, no augmentation of the PHA response was seen. In addition, lymphocytes from donors with a high PHA response (low anti-delta activation) failed to show an enhancing effect on PHA responsiveness when pretreated with anti-delta. Moreover, anti-mu showed no synergistic effect on PHA responsiveness. This study is the first to indicate that anti-delta-activated cells enhance PHA responsiveness.

Animals↗

Contribution of the amino and carboxyl termini for PHA-4/FoxA function in Caenorhabditis elegans.

FoxA transcription factors are central regulators of gut development in all animals that have been studied. Here we examine the sole Caenorhabditis elegans FoxA protein, which is called pha-4. We describe the molecular characterization of five pha-4 mutations and characterize their associated phenotypes. Two nonsense mutations are predicted to truncate PHA-4 after the DNA binding domain and remove the conserved carboxyl terminus. Surprisingly, animals harboring these mutations are viable, provided the mutant mRNAs are stabilized by inactivating the nonsense-mediated decay pathway. Two additional nonsense mutations reveal that the DNA binding domain is critical for activity. A missense mutation predicted to alter the PHA-4 amino terminus leads to a dramatic reduction in pha-4 activity even though the protein is expressed appropriately. We suggest that the PHA-4 amino terminus is essential for PHA-4 function in vivo, possibly as a transactivation domain, and can compensate for loss of the carboxyl terminus. We also provide evidence for autoregulation by PHA-4.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amino acid transport in human lymphocytes: distinctions in the enhanced uptake with PHA treatment or amino acid deprivation.

Human blood lymphocytes increase their concentrative uptake of amino acids when treated with plant lectins such as phytohemagglutinin or when exposed to an amino acid deficient environment (adaptation). Previous studies of the PHA effect have been conducted principally with alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). We have studied the transport characteristics of naturally occurring amino acids by PHA-treated lymphocytes. These studies have been conducted in the absence and presence of added carrier amino acid to determine whether an increase in transport after PHA treatment is mediated by the same mechanism that occurs during adaptation to a low amino acid environment. PHA stimulated the uptake of AIB, alanine, and proline 1.5- to 2-fold after 4 hours' exposure. AIB and proline, but not alanine transport, also increased when lymphocytes were in an amino acid-deficit medium. When lymphocytes were in an amino acid-deficient medium with PHA, the increase in uptake induced by PHA was superimposed on the increase that occurred in response to an amino acid-deficient medium. Also, PHA stimulated a delayed increase (16--20 hours) in the transport of leucine, whose uptake does not adapt to an amino acid-deficient medium. These data suggest that PHA and amino acid deprivation stimulated rate increases in amino acid transport by separate mechanisms.

Amino Acids↗

Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) by activated sludge treating municipal wastewater: effect of pH, sludge retention time (SRT), and acetate concentration in influent.

In this paper, the production of biodegradable plastics polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) by activated sludge treating municipal wastewater was investigated. The effect of three operational factors, i.e. the acetate concentration in influent, pH, and sludge retention time (SRT) were studied. Sludge acclimatized with municipal wastewater supplemented with acetate could accumulate PHA up to 30% of sludge dry weight, while sludge acclimatized with only municipal wastewater achieved 20% of sludge dry weight. It was found that activated sludge with an SRT of 3 days possessed better PHA production capability than sludge with an SRT of 10 days. Sludge acclimatized under pH 7 and 8 conditions in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) exhibited similar PHA production capability. However, in PHA production batch experiments, pH value influenced significantly the PHA accumulation behavior of activated sludge. When pH of batch experiments was controlled at 6 or 7, a very low PHA production was observed. The production of PHA was stimulated when pH was kept at 8 or 9.

Acetates↗

Response of human T lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) after sequential depletion of monocytes, HLA-DR+, Leu11a+, and Leu7+ cells.

The experiments presented in this paper deal with the question of whether there is an absolute requirement for alpha-naphtylacetate esterase (ANAE)-positive monocytes, HLA-DR+, Leu11a+, and/or Leu7+ cells to stimulate human peripheral blood T lymphocytes by phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Purified (p) T lymphocytes containing less than 0.1% ANAE-positive monocytes were isolated from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) by sequential removal of carbonyl-iron phagocytic cells and of low-density cells by density gradient centrifugation and isolation of E-rosette-forming cells (E-RFC). These pT-cells were further depleted of HLA-DR+, Leu11a+, and/or Leu7+ cells using monoclonal antibodies and cell sorting. The T lymphocytes were stimulated by PHA in an ultra-micro culture in glass capillaries at a volume of 1 microliter or 2 microliters, containing 1000 cells per culture. With this method, the accessory cell requirement could be studied under limiting cell number conditions. The results show that pT-cells can be stimulated by PHA in the absence of ANAE-positive monocytes. No ANAE-positive monocytes were found in the culture after stimulation, indicating the lack of differentiation into ANAE-positive monocytes from ANAE-negative precursors. A rabbit antiserum against leukocytic pyrogen (LP, also containing anti-IL 1 activity) only reduced but did not abrogate the stimulation of pT-lymphocytes by PHA. Addition of adherent cells resulted in an enhancement or in an inhibition of the response of pT-lymphocytes to PHA, depending on cell concentration and culture time: The lower the number of cultured T lymphocytes and the shorter the culture time, the higher was the enhancing activity by additional adherent cells, and vice versa. Further purification of the pT-cells using monoclonal antibodies and cell sorting led to the finding that depletion of either HLA-DR+, Leu11a+, or Leu7+ from pT-cells only reduced but did not abrogate the stimulation of the pT-cells by PHA. However, in absence of HLA-DR+ and Leu7+ cells, the pT-lymphocytes totally failed to respond to PHA. This abrogation of the response was not observed when pT-cells were depleted of HLA-DR+ and Leu11a+ cells. In addition, T11+/HLA-DR- T lymphocytes isolated from E-RFC by positive selection in a cell sorter also responded to PHA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Discrepancy between skin reactivity and blastogenic activity of fractionated PHA-P.

Firstly, it was reported that phytohemagglutinin P (PHA-P) can induce the immediate skin reaction besides the delayed one. 70 out of 80 cases (87.5%) gave positive immediate reactions with 1 mug of PHA-P. There was a close correlation between the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) counts against PHA-P and the total IgE value or erythematous diameter of the immediate skin reactions. Absorption with anti-IgE or PHA-P reduced the RAST counts against PHA-P to 79 and 56% of their initial values, respectively, but did not effect the RAST counts against steptokinase-streptodornase (SK-SD). These results suggest that the immediate skin reaction might be induced by specific IgE antibody against PHA-P. Secondly, using three fractions of PHA-P obtained by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration, skin test and RAST in humans, ACA in rats, and 3H-thymidine incorporation into human leukocytes, were carried out and data obtained that showed some discrepancy between them. That is, on skin testing, it was shown that all of the three fractions (fr.) had the ability to elicit the immediate and delayed skin reaction in humans and rats with the order of fr. 1, 2 and 3, and it was confirmed by RAST. On the other hand, the leukocyte-stimulating activity resided in fr. 1 and 2, while fr. 3, which seemed to be a group of subunits with a molecular weight of around 35,000, had almost no activity. These findings have been discussed in view of the earlier studies on the structure of PHA-P

Absorption↗

Subicular efferents to histaminergic neurons in the posterior hypothalamic region of the rat studied with PHA-L tracing combined with histidine decarboxylase immunocytochemistry.

The projections from the subiculum to histaminergic cells in the posterior hypothalamic region of the rat were studied by means of anterograde neuroanatomical tracing with Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) combined with histidine decarboxylase (HDC)-immunohistochemistry. PHA-L was injected at various loci along the dorsoventral and proximodistal axes of the subiculum. This resulted in labeling of the fornix and of terminal plexuses at various locations in the diencephalon and the mammillary body. Following deposition of PHA-L in the proximal part of the dorsal subiculum, labeled fibers in the posterior hypothalamus were confined to the mammillary nuclei, whereas after injections of PHA-L in the distal part of the dorsal subiculum and the entire ventral subiculum, labeled fibers were also present in clusters of histaminergic cells located around the mammillary nuclei. The density of the PHA-L labeled fibers within these clusters increased from low to moderate in association with a shift of the injection sites from dorsal to ventral and from proximal to distal parts of the subiculum, i.e., the highest fiber labeling was seen after injections of PHA-L in the distal part of the ventral subiculum. In the latter experiments, PHA-L labeled fibers reached HDC-immunoreactive neurons in the tuberal magnocellular nucleus, the deepest layer of the caudal magnocellular nucleus, the two bridges of histaminergic cells in the posterior hypothalamus, and the histaminergic neurons scattered in the supramammillary region. A few labeled fibers invaded the postmammillary caudal magnocellular nucleus. The presence of varicosities on the PHA-L labeled fibers in close proximity to the cell bodies and dendrites of the histaminergic neurons suggest the existence of synaptic contacts.

Animals↗

[Basic types and vital forms of human peripheral and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes studied in vitro].

Natural diversity in peripheral and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes seen in the same donors was studied using digitized streak photo of living cells in observational camera. Cells were monitored for 5-8 h at the superior limit of optical resolution by means of phase-contrast microscopy. Intact lymphocytes were observed in autological blood plasma, and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes were examined in self-conditioned centrifuged growth medium. The majority of intact cells were small- and middle-sized floating lymphocytes with microvilli, and middle-sized caudate lymphocytes capable of stick-slip motion. The lesser part consisted of "spread-eagle" or movable forms of both large granular lymphocytes and middle-sized lymphocytes of several types: narrow-plasm lymphocytes with lamellipodia, wide-plasm lymphocytes without cytoplasmic processes, lymphocytes with single pseudopodia, and lymphocytes with single lobopodia of complex shape. On the contrary, the minor fraction of PHA-stimulated lymphocytes of 3 day old cultures contained floating cells with microvilli or floating cells with microvilli and two pseudopodia, whereas the majority of these lymphocytes were spread-eagle or movable forms of cells of different type. These substrate-adhesive PHA-stimulated lymphocytes had well defined apical and basal cell surfaces, but upon mechanical stress are easily pinched off to become ball-shaped. At least 6 different cell types were distinguished among substrate-adhesive PHA-stimulated lymphocytes, with more than half of these being heavily vacuolated spheroid lymphocytes prone to forming cell clusters. The rest PHA-stimulated lymphocytes were represented by signet-ring lymphocytes with dark or light cytoplasm, narrow-plasm lymphocytes with large prolonged nuclei and lamellipodia, lymphocytes with single lobopodia, and lymphocytes with single spiral structures in the cytoplasm. The spiral structure is 10-11 microns in length and 0.5-0.7 micron in width, being presumably a mitochondrion or a group of butt-joined mitochondria. Since some of the caudate middle-sized lymphocytes also contain this structure, these may be regarded as putative precursors of respective type of PHA-stimulated lymphocytes. Under the conditions of observation, interphase nuclei of all live PHA-stimulated lymphocytes were seen to contain numerous globular or fiber structures of condensed chromatin made of 0.3-0.8 micron beads. These beads are doubtless interphase chromomeres.

Cell Nucleus↗