PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C Capo

Publications and source records attributed to C Capo.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Wild type and tailless CD8 display similar interaction with microfilaments during capping.

We examined the influence of the intracytoplasmic region of CD8 alpha on capping and interaction with microfilaments. We used cell clones obtained by transfecting a CD4+ T-cell hybridoma with (a) T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha and beta chains from a cytolytic clone and (b) CD8 alpha genes that were either native or modified by extensive deletion of the intracytoplasmic region or replacement of the transmembrane and intracytoplasmic domains with those of a class I major histocompatibility complex gene (Letourneur et al. (1990). Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 2339-2343). Different cell surface structures were cross-linked with anti-T-cell receptor, anti-CD8 or anti-class I monoclonal antibodies and anti-immunoglobulin (Fab')2. Double labeling and quantitative image analysis were combined to monitor fluorescence anisotropy and correlation between different markers. Microfilaments displayed maximal polarization within two minutes. The correlation between these structures and surface markers was then maximal and started decreasing, whereas the redistribution of surface markers remained stable or continued. Furthermore, wild type and altered CD8 alpha exhibited similar ability to be capped and to induce co-capping of TCR and MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class I: the fraction of cell surface label redistributed into a localized cap ranged between 40% and 80%. Finally, cytochalasin D dramatically decreased CD8 capping in all tested clones. It is concluded that the transmembrane and/or intracellular domains of CD8 molecules are able to drive the extensive redistributions of membrane structures and cytoskeletal elements that are triggered by CD8 cross-linking.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Rat basophilic leukemia cells: protein kinase C and secretion.

Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) but not its inactive analogue phorbol didecanoate modulated the release of [3H] serotonin by rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells stimulated by antigen-IgE complexes. Concanavalin A or the calcium ionophore ionomycin, suggesting that protein kinase C (PKC) was involved in the exocytosis process. The PKC inhibitor sphingosine markedly inhibited release. When the PKC content of RBL cells was diminished by a prior 24 h-exposure (long-term PMA-treated cells) to 50 or 100 ng/ml PMA, the release induced by the three secretagogues was also strongly inhibited. Since cell activation by PMA in different cell systems is accompanied by PKC translocation from cytosol to membrane, we studied the location of PKC in resting cells and its translocation by a 5 min-exposure to 100 ng/ml PMA. PKC was cytosolic in long-term PMA-treated and control RBL cells and its translocation occurred regardless of the total PKC cell content, showing a possible correlation between the level of functional PKC (susceptible to be translocated) and exocytosis. Taken together, these data suggest that PKC is involved in the controlling of exocytosis by different secretagogues.

Animals↗

Involvement of the copper in the inhibition of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase activity at high pH.

The alkaline spectroscopic transition of the copper at the active site of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase has been reexamined by room temperature EPR, in order to correlate it with the inhibition of the enzyme activity at high pH. The EPR transition is governed by a single prototropic equilibrium, with pK values of 11.3 and 11.1 for ox and shark superoxide dismutase, respectively. This result suggests possible contributions of changes of the copper environment to the higher pK of the activity/pH curve. When Arg141 was chemically modified by phenylglyoxal treatment of the ox protein, a lower pK value (10.8) was obtained, indicating that Arg141 is involved in the observed modifications of the EPR spectra.

Animals↗

Splitting cell adhesiveness into independent measurable parameters by comparing ten human melanoma cell lines.

The concept of cell adhesiveness was analyzed by looking for correlations between the adhesive behavior and measurable biological properties of different cell populations. Ten established lines of melanoma cells were assayed for passive deformability (by micropipet aspiration), active spreading (by measuring the height/diameter ratio after incubation on different surfaces), density and mobility of concanavalin A binding sites (by quantitative analysis of fluorescence microscopic images), spontaneous and concanavalin A-mediated agglutination (by measuring the number of cell conjugates resisting calibrated shearing forces), and binding to glass capillary tubes (with a quantitative assay of binding strength). Forty-four different parameters were thus measured, and each set of determinations was repeated 2 or 3 t at different days on each cell line. Analysis of variance was performed to assess the capacity of each parameter to discriminate between different lines. Correlations between different parameters were studied in order to understand a possible influence of cell intrinsic properties on the behavior of individual cells. The following conclusions were suggested by experimental data 1. Cell spreading ability, resistance to slow deformation within a micropipette and ability to form shear-resistant bonds, are independent properties. It is therefore suggested that different mechanisms rule the cell deformations on time scales of several minutes, tens of seconds, and fractions of a second. 2. Cell spreading ability may effectively influence binding strength only when adhesive stimuli are low, since in this case, cell stiffness is likely to impair the formation of extensive contact areas. 3. Individual cells may display marked heterogeneity within a given population, that emphasizes the danger of using averaged parameters to predict rare events (such as metastasis formation). 4. The most useful parameters to discriminate between different cell lines were, spreading ability and shear-resistant lectin agglutination, and substrate adhesion. It is concluded that cell adhesion is influenced by several measurable cellular properties that may display independent variations. The importance of a given parameter depends on the conditions of bond formation and rupture.

Cell Adhesion↗

Localization of calcium and microfilament changes in mechanically stressed cells.

We combined fluorescence labeling, digital image processing, and micromanipulation to investigate the intracellular events induced by inflicting a mechanical stress on rat basophilic leukemia cells. Our findings were as follows: 1. Most cells displayed a localized calcium rise in response to micropipet aspiration. This represented an average threefold increase as compared to resting level, and it was observed during the first 10 s following aspiration. A slow return to initial level occurred within about 3 min. Further, this calcium rise involved a mobilization of intracellular stores, since it was not prevented by adding a calcium chelator into the extracellular medium. 2. All micropipet-aspirated cells displayed a local accumulation of microfilaments, with a preferential localization in the cell protrusions or near the pipet tips. 3. No absolute correlation was found between the localization of calcium rise and cytoskeletal accumulation. 4. Cell deformability was decreased when intracellular calcium was maintained at a constant (high or low) level with ionomycin and/or EGTA. It is concluded that cells have a general ability to respond to mechanical stimulation by a coordinated set of events. More parameters must be studied before the mechanisms of cell shape regulation are fully understood.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Use of conjugates made between a cytolytic T cell clone and target cells to study the redistribution of membrane molecules in cell contact areas.

In many models of cell-cell adhesion, it was reported that some cell membrane molecules might be redistributed into contact areas. However, this phenomenon was not subjected to precise quantification. In the present work, fluorescence microscopy, immunolabelling and digital image processing were combined to analyse quantitatively the spatial organization of specific or nonspecific conjugates made with a cytolytic T (CTL) lymphocyte clone (BM3.3) and target cells (EL4 or RDM4). Binding was achieved under calcium-free conditions to study the earliest steps of cell interaction, preceding CTL activation. Fluorescent antibodies were used to label class I histocompatibility molecules on both killer and target cells, and T cell receptor, CD3, CD8 and LFA-1 (CD18/CD11a) on the killer cells. Membrane bilayers were stained with a fluorescent phospholipid, glycoconjugates were labelled with periodic oxidation and Lucifer Yellow uptake, and polymerized actin was revealed with a fluorescent phallacidin derivative. Also, the fine geometry of killer-target interaction area was studied with electron microscopy and computer-assisted contour analysis. It is concluded that: (1) qualitative examination of fluorescence photomicrographs cannot permit accurate comparison between different fluorescence densities. (2) The cell-cell contact area was about fourfold higher in specific conjugates than in non-specific ones. (3) The surface density of adhesion molecules exhibited similar increases (between 30 and 80%) in the contact areas of both specific and nonspecific conjugates. (4) However, the amount of redistributed surface molecules was higher when cell-cell interaction was enhanced either by specific immunological recognition (in specific conjugates) or periodate oxidation. (5) Since redistribution did not require extracellular calcium and it was detected on nonspecific conjugates, this did not require full lymphocyte activation. Spatial reorganization of cell surface molecules may thus be a general consequence of adhesion, cell surface mobility and intermolecular forces.

Animals↗

Mechanisms of leukocyte adhesion.

The interaction between granulocytes and endothelial walls may be influenced by the blood flow. This possibility was investigated by studying the influence of fluid flow on the adhesion and detachment of 51Cr-labeled rat granulocytes interacting with protein-coated glass surfaces. It is concluded that: i) Adhesion is markedly decreased when the wall shear rate becomes higher than about 20 s-1. ii) Pretreating glass with concanavalin A or polylysine significantly decreased adhesion, whereas fibronectin had little effect on binding. iii) Very high flow rates (about one thousandfold higher than those compatible with bond formation) were required to provoke substantial detachment of substrate-bound cells. iv) Coating glass with laminin or polylysine decreased binding strength whereas fibronectin or concanavalin A did not substantially influence this parameter. v) Exposing granulocytes to phorbol myristate acetate might increase the cell ability to form strong adhesions, whereas labile adhesion was unaffected or even decreased by this treatment.

Animals↗

[Impairment of neutrophil functions: study of a family with a case of juvenile periodontitis].

Neutrophil function was assessed in family in which only one member suffered from Juvenile Periodontitis (JP). Directed mobility (fMet-Leu-Phe and zymosan-activated plasma) was decreased in all siblings without involving a seric inhibitor. Adhesion was studied by a new method which allows for the evaluation of both adhesive rate and binding strengths. The latter parameters were decreased in the parents neutrophils, but remained increased in a set of twin sisters. The specific receptor induced phagocytosis was altered in all members of the family (FC receptor: IgG-SCR, C3b and mannosylfucosyl receptor: zymosan). The superoxide generation in response to fMet-Leu-Phe was decreased while the PMA response was almost normal. These results suggest an overall abnormality of ligand-receptor interactions (C5a, fMet-Leu-Phe, Fc and C4b receptors), this defect seems to involve some membrane characteristics and underlines the absence of correlation between PMN deficiency and the clinical expression of J.P.

Adult↗

Relationship between cellular adhesiveness and metastatic activity in polyomavirus-transformed FR3T3 rat cell lines.

A series of polyomavirus-transformed rat cells with varying tumorigenic potential were tested for biophysical parameters possibly related to metastatic properties: adhesive capacity and strength of adhesion to different substrates (laminin, fibronectin and albumin), cell deformability and spreading. Two groups of cell lines were defined according to their higher or lower adhesive capacity. Adhesivity did not appear to be related to cell deformability and spreading. A weak correlation was suggested between low adhesivity and high metastatic potential. A selection method was devised to separate cell samples into 3 subpopulations with different adhesive strength. Two cell lines, originally different, were chosen for this study: Py-tsa A25 cells were less adherent and highly metastatic, and Py-WTA2 cells were more adherent and less metastatic. After s.c. inoculation into syngeneic Fisher rats, the 3 selected subpopulations of the 2 cell lines induced pulmonary nodules to varying degrees, but only the less adherent ones were able to induce visceral metastasis located in stomach and intestine. In this case, animal survival time was 30% lower than for the highly adherent selected cells. After 10 culture passages, the same subpopulations were able to metastasize only in the lungs. However, when the selection procedure was repeated, the less adherent cells were again able to yield visceral nodules. Tumorigenicity remained unchanged in all cases. Study of cell dissemination and arrest in vivo showed a rapid targeting of labelled tumor cells toward lungs and stomach 5 hr after intradermal injection, where they remained up to 72 hr. More adherent cells displayed delayed localization after injection (24 hr) and radioactivity decreased more rapidly.

Animals↗

The effects of pH and various salts upon the activity of a series of superoxide dismutases.

The CuZn superoxide dismutases (SODs) from ox, sheep, pig and yeast were investigated by pulse radiolysis in order to evaluate the role of electrostatic interactions between O2.- and SOD proteins in the mechanism of action of the SOD enzymes. The protein net charge in this series varies, as evaluated by the protein pI values spanning over a large range of pH: 8.0 (sheep), 6.5 (pig), 5.2 (ox) and 4.6 (yeast). The amino acid sequences are largely conserved, with the three mammalian proteins being highly homologous and the yeast protein having some distinct variations in the region surrounding the active site. At pH 8.0 the activities of the SODs from various sources are similar, though the minor differences observed suggest that in the highly homologous mammalian series the most acidic protein is the most enzymically efficient one. The pH-dependences of the various activities in the pH range 7-12 are similar, and the related curves are best fitted by two pK values, which are approx. 9.2 and 11.0 for the mammalian enzymes and 9.1 and 11.4 for the yeast enzyme. The activities of the proteins at I 0.1 are decreased by approx. 20% when compared with the activity at I 0.02 at pH 8.5, whereas at pH above 10 the pH-dependence of the activity approaches that determined at I 0.02 and at pH 11.9 the activity is essentially independent of ionic strength. The dependence upon ionic strength also depends on the salt used, with perchlorate being more effective than phosphate or borate or Mops and still effective at pH above 10.5, where the effect of other salts becomes negligible. The dual and concerted dependence of the activities of different SODs on pH and salt concentration is explained with the encounter of O2.- with the active-site copper being governed by the protonation of two positively charged groups in the vicinity of the active site. The gradient between these localized charges and the rest of the protein may explain the different activities of the mammalian proteins at lower pH. On the basis of the sequence variation of the SODs examined it is not possible to definitely identify these groups. Likely candidates are conserved basic amino acid side chains in the vicinity (less than or equal to 1.2 nm) of the active site, i.e. Lys-134 and Arg-141, but co-ordination of OH- in the first copper co-ordination sphere may be an additional factor accounting for the higher pK.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Zymosan but not phorbol myristate acetate induces an oxidative burst in rat bone marrow-derived macrophages.

We found that rat bone marrow-derived macrophages responded to opsonized zymosan by releasing superoxide anion. However, these cells were defective in the response to the potent oxidative burst activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). This result was observed whatever the concentration of agonist used and with different concentrations of cells. Since it is strongly suspected that protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in the transductional pathway induced by PMA in numerous cell types, and particularly in phagocytes, we studied PKC and we observed that it was functional in rat bone marrow-derived macrophages, but only present at a low level. Thus, we suggest that our results are consistent with the possibility that zymosan-induced respiratory burst may be independent of PKC and that these cells may not possess the minimal level of PKC required for responding to PMA.

Animals↗

Myotonic dystrophy: defective oxidative burst of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Because myotonic dystrophy (MD) is an autosomal dominant multisystemic disorder affecting plasma membrane, we have studied the oxidative burst of PMNs. The PMA and fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated superoxide generation is defective in the patient group as compared to controls: the response is both delayed and low. The kinetic parameters of the NADPH oxidase complex are not affected. We have not found any abnormalities in the membrane potential changes. In addition, the cytosolic protein kinase C (PKC) activity of resting PMNs is similar in MD patients and controls, and the translocation of protein kinase C in response to PMA is not impaired. The decrease of the oxidative response of PMNs from MD patients may be related to an abnormality of the environment of the NADPH oxidase.

Adult↗

Differential binding of anions to the active site of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase. A study of the Co,Zn enzyme derivative.

The reaction of N3- with Co,Zn superoxide dismutase, a good analogue of the native Cu,Zn enzyme, was studied in the presence and absence of phosphate, which is known to perturb the spectroscopic properties of the cobalt chromophore in the Co,Zn enzyme. EPR, NMR, and optical titrations demonstrated the formation of different adducts for N3- depending on the presence of phosphate, at variance with results previously obtained with CN- [3]. This evidence indicates that the mechanism of anion binding to Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase cannot be described on the basis of data obtained with a single type of anions.

Animals↗

T-cell-mediated cytolysis: analysis of killer and target cell deformability and deformation during conjugate formation.

T-cell-mediated cytolysis is initiated by the formation of strong adhesions between killer and target cells. The present work was aimed at determining whether T lymphocytes might exert some mechanical stress on targets during the binding process. Target S194 myeloma cells were thus conjugated to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) raised by mixed lymphocyte culture or a cloned lymphoid line that was no longer cytolytic (TG2OUA2). After incubation periods of various lengths, conjugates were processed for electron microscopy and micrographs were digitized for computerized analysis: the cell surface curvature (at the micrometre level) and rugosity (at the submicrometre level) were quantified in free and adhesion-involved regions. Also, the size of cell interaction areas and the distribution of intermembrane distances were measured. Finally, TG2OUA2 and target cells were aspirated into glass micropipettes with calibrated pressure in order to assay their resistance to deformation by mechanical forces. The following conclusions were suggested. (1) Formation of extensive contact zones (with a linear size of several micrometres) with tight intermembrane adhesion (more than 30% of the membrane contours in adhesive zones were separated by an apparent distance lower than 500 A) was essentially completed within less than one minute. (2) CTLs or TG2OUA2 cells were more villous than their targets, and they seemed to deform in adhesive zones in order to adapt to the target contour, rather than imposing some deformation on the target. This may be a general feature of actively adherent cells. (3) Some CTLs, but no TG2OUA2 cells, exhibited conspicuous protrusions extending towards the bound target. In this case, the target cell but not the CTL displayed markedly increased roughness in the adhesion area. (4) TG2OUA2 cells were more resistant to mechanical deformation than S194 target cells, in accordance with previous reports suggesting that the membrane of CTLs was more resistant than that of target tumour cells. Hence, CTLs might transiently impose mechanical stress on the target membrane during the course of lethal-hit delivery.

Animals↗

Quantification of the nonspecific intercellular transfer of fluorescent molecules between labeled and unlabeled rat thymocytes.

Fluorescein isothiocyanate has been used to label normal or tumor cells in order to study their migration in vivo. This requires that any transfer of fluorescence to neighbouring cells be carefully ruled out. The aim of the present report is to demonstrate the possibility of a transfer of fluorescein or fluorescein-bound molecules between untreated and labeled cells. When normal rat thymocytes were co-incubated with labeled cells (about 5 X 10(6) fluorescein molecules/cell) under continuous agitation or exposed to supernatants of these labeled cells, they bound an average of 10(4) fluorescein molecules. When the incubation was done on cell pellets after centrifugation, this transfer was increased tenfold. Hence, intercellular molecular exchange may occur in the absence of any specific interaction.

Animals↗

Analysis of cell structural and functional diversity by combination of micromanipulation and microfluorimetry.

Fluorescent molecules are widely used to study quantitative cell properties, such as density of different antigenic markers or membrane responses to various stimuli. In most cases, studies are done on bulk cell populations with a spectrofluorimeter or at the single cell level with a cytofluorograph. However, only microspectrofluorimetric techniques allow continuous recording of dynamic events undergone by individual cells. The aim of the present report was twofold: first, to describe a methodology easily accessible to cell biologists that allows simultaneous manipulation of single cells and measurements of their fluorescence properties; and second, through this methodology to study quantitative aspects of cell structure and function such as binding of a fluorescein-labeled lectin, transfer of fluorescent molecules between labeled and unlabeled cells brought in close contact, or fluorescence response of individual cells stimulated after being loaded with a potential-sensitive dye. We conclude that the understanding of many aspects of cell structure and behavior requires that individual cells be studied under dynamic conditions and for prolonged periods of time.

Animals↗