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Biomedical subjects

H SWIFT

Publications and source records attributed to H SWIFT.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

NUCLEIC ACIDS OF CHLOROPLASTS AND MITOCHONDRIA IN SWISS CHARD.

Nucleic acids in young leaves of Swiss chard have been studied by light and electron microscope techniques. Leaf DNA has also been characterized by density gradient centrifugation and shown to contain a minor band of higher guanine plus cytosine (GC) content, presumably attributable to chloroplasts. The chloroplasts were faintly stained by the Feulgen reaction; radioautography demonstrated the incorporation of tritiated thymidine in the cytoplasm and in some nuclei. The Feulgen stainability and most of the radioactivity were removable with DNase. Under the electron microscope, both mitochondria and chloroplasts were found to contain filamentous and particulate components within the matrix areas. The morphology of the filamentous component was dependent on the fixation, being partially clumped after OSO(4) or formalin, but finely filamentous after Kellenberger fixation. The filaments were stainable with uranyl acetate, and were extractable with DNase following formalin fixation under conditions in which nuclear DNA was also extracted. The particulate component, after formalin fixation and uranyl staining, was prominent in chloroplasts from young leaves, but was only sparsely distributed in mitochondria. The stainability was removed with ribonuclease. We have concluded that chloroplasts and mitochondria of Swiss chard possess a filamentous component that contains DNA, probably responsible for both cytoplasmic thymidine incorporation and the minor band in CsCl centrifugation. A particulate ribosome-like component that contains RNA is also present.

Autoradiography↗

URICASE: LOCALIZATION IN HEPATIC MICROBODIES.

Microbodies of rat hepatic cells and hepatomas contain a crystalloid with the same structural characteristics as crystals of purified uricase, when viewed by electron microscopy. We conclude that crystalline uricase is located within hepatic microbodies.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

THE DEVELOPMENT OF BASAL BODIES AND FLAGELLA IN ALLOMYCES ARBUSCULUS.

The development of basal bodies and flagella in the water mold Allomyces arbusculus has been studied with the electron microscope. A small pre-existing centriole, about 160 mmicro in length, was found in an inpocketing of the nuclear membrane in the vegetative hypha. Thus, formation of a basal body does not occur de novo. When the hyphal tip started to differentiate into gametangia, the centrioles were found to exist in pairs. One of the members of the pair then grew distally to more than three times its original length, whereas the other remained the same size. The larger centriole would correspond to the basal body of a future gamete. Gametogenesis was usually induced by transferring a "ripe" culture to distilled water. Shortly after this was done, a few vesicles were pinched off from the cell membrane of the gametangium and came in contact with the basal body. Apparently, they fused and formed a large primary vesicle. The flagellum then started to grow by invaginating into it. Flagellar fibers were evident from the very beginning. As the flagellum grew so did the vesicle by fusion with secondary vesicles, thus coming to form the flagellar sheath. The different stages of flagellar morphogenesis are described and the possible interrelationships with other processes are discussed.

Allomyces↗

The fine structure of normal and neoplastic melanocytes in the Syrian hamster, with particular reference to carcinogen-induced melanotic tumors.

The dermal melanocyte system of the Syrian hamster is particularly responsive to the melanogenetic and tumor-inducing effects of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). The melanocytes of the hair follicles appear to be susceptible to the melanogenetic effect of DMBA but not to its tumor-inducing effect. The epidermal melanocytes are non-pigmented and are unresponsive to both melanogenetic and carcinogenic effects of DMBA. The pigmented granules of the dermal melanocytes of both the golden and the white hamster have an identical substructure and pattern of melanization which occurs in an orderly fashion on a delicate fibrillar component. The hair melanocytes have larger pigment granules with a more complicated fibrillar substructure. The epidermal melanocytes do not possess pigment granules but are recognized by their dendritic shape, the absence of desmosomes and tonofilaments, and the presence of racket-shaped or rod-shaped organelles. The melanin granules in neoplastic melanocytes of the golden hamster differ from corresponding normal melanocytes only in their larger size. In the white hamster, however, the melanin granules in tumors produced under identical experimental conditions are so bizarre and atypical that consideration was given to the possibility that a genetic difference in the melanization pattern between the two varieties becomes apparent in carcinogen-induced melanotic tumors. No definite conclusions could be reached as to the precise origin of the melanin granules in either normal or neoplastic melanocytes.

Animals↗

Observations on the development of erythrocytes in mammalian fetal liver.

The fine structure of the erythrocyte during development in rabbit and human fetal liver has been studied. A morphologic description of representative erythropoietic cells and their relationship to the hepatic parenchyma is presented. Erythrocyte development was accompanied by a decrease in nuclear and cell size, fragmentation and eventual loss of nucleoli, and progressive clumping of chromatin at the nuclear margin. Mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi elements decreased in size or abundance and eventually disappeared. Ribosome concentration initially increased, but subsequently diminished as the cytoplasm increased in electron opacity, probably through the accumulation of hemoglobin. Similar dense material, interpreted to be hemoglobin, infiltrated the nuclear annuli and, in some cases, appeared to extend into the interchromatin regions. There was a marked decrease in the number of annuli of the nuclear envelope. Possible relationships between nucleus and cytoplasm and of RNA to hemoglobin synthesis are discussed. In rabbits, erythroid and hepatic cells were separated by a 200 to 400 A space limited by the undulatory membranes of the respective cells. Membranes of adjacent erythropoietic cells were parallel and more closely apposed (100 to 200 A). In humans, relationship between various cells exhibited wide variation. Ferritin particles were observed within forming and formed "rhopheocytotic" vesicles.

Animals↗