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L L Tres

Publications and source records attributed to L L Tres.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of vimentin in rat sertoli cells.

Ca2+-dependent protein phosphorylation and the role of calmodulin in this process was investigated in subcellular fractions of primary cultures of rat Sertoli cells. Significant Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphorylation in Sertoli cells was restricted to the cytosol fraction. The calmodulin dependence of these effects was confirmed by using the calmodulin inhibitor trifluoperazine. One of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphoproteins was identified as the intermediate filament protein vimentin, based on the following criteria: (i) migration pattern in two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels, (ii) Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of a 58-kilodalton protein present in detergent-insoluble intermediate filament protein extract of Sertoli cells, and (iii) peptide mapping of the phosphoprotein. These data support a role for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphorylation in the modulation of Sertoli cell cytoskeletal components.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Follicle-stimulating hormone-dependent phosphorylation of vimentin in cultures of rat Sertoli cells.

Endogenous protein phosphorylation was investigated in cultured rat Sertoli cells after treatment with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and pharmacological agents that activate cAMP-dependent protein kinases. In intact Sertoli cells, both phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins occurred in response to treatment with these agents. Studies using cell-free preparations suggest that four phosphoproteins phosphorylated by cAMP or the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase were also phosphorylated in a FSH-dependent manner in intact cells. These data suggest that FSH-dependent phosphorylation in Sertoli cells occurs through activation of a cAMP-dependent protein kinase. A FSH-dependent phosphoprotein with a molecular weight of 58,000 was identified as the intermediate filament protein vimentin, based on its migration in two-dimensional gels and its peptide map. The cellular distribution of vimentin was monitored by immunofluorescence in Sertoli cells after treatment with FSH. Results of this study support a role for intermediate filaments in FSH-dependent events in Sertoli cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Serological and cytological evidence for increased Y-chromosome related material in Sxr,XY (sex-reversed carrier, male) mice.

In order to define the nature of the genetic lesion which gave rise to Sxr, the sex-limited autosomal dominant sex reversal condition in the mouse, cytological and serological studies were carried out comparing Sxr,XY (males carrying the sex-reversal gene) and normal XY male mice. Cytotoxic H-Y antisera were absorbed by splenocytes or sperm from both Sxr,XY and normal XY male mice. Our results indicate that for both types of tissue, Sxr,XY cells absorbed consistently greater amounts of cytotoxic activity than did normal XY cells. Whole-mount electron micrographs as well as light micrographs of silver-stained spermatocytes suggest that during meiotic prophase in Sxr,XY males, the paracentromeric region of the normal Y chromosome pairs with a supernumerary Y chromosomal fragment. This fragment can be identified as one of Y chromosomal origin by its thickened axial core. Taken together, our findings support the notion that the Sxr syndrome in the mouse can be due to a supernumerary Y chromosomal fragment containing male determining factors (including one or more H-Y structural or regulatory genes) rather than to a constitutive autosomal mutation.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Structural and functional aspects of cultured epididymal epithelial cells isolated from pubertal rats.

Acidic epididymal glycoprotein (AEG) and androgen-binding protein (ABP) antisera were used to study functional activities of primary cell cultures of the epididymal epithelium of 20--23-day-old rats. Extensive AEG immunoreactivity was associated with almost all epithelial cells of the distal caput, corpus and cauda epididymidis. ABP immunoreactivity was solely confined to some epithelial cells of the caput epididymidis. AEG and ABP immunoreactive cells were identified as principal cells. Morphological studies of enzymically dispersed aggregates of the epididymal epithelial cells showed that stromal cells were satisfactorily removed and that cell aggregates consisted of a predominant population for cells displaying the morphological characteristics of principal cells. Scanning and transmission electron microscopic studies of cultured epididymal epithelial cells in monolayers demonstrated that microvilli and pit-like invaginations of the cell surface were preserved during the first 7--10 days of culture and then gradually disappeared. Other characteristic subcellular structures such as Golgi apparatus and rough endoplasmic reticulum cisterna were preserved. Electrophoretic analysis of [35S]methionine-labelled secretory polypeptides released by epididymal epithelial cells into the culture medium demonstrated a distinct protein band pattern which differed from that observed in the medium of cultured rat Sertoli cells. These results demonstrate that primary cultures of epididymal epithelial cells isolated from sexually immature rats maintain several differentiated characteristics of the intact organ and therefore provide a valuable system for the study of epididymal epithelial cell function.

Androgen-Binding Protein↗
PubMed1981

Androgen-binding protein. Purification from rat epididymis, characterization, and immunocytochemical localization.

Androgen-binding protein (ABP) was purified from caput epididymis of the rat by sequential chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, hydroxylapatite, dihydrotestosterone-17 beta-hemisuccinyl-1,6-diaminohexane-Sepharose, and Sephadex G-150. The final product migrated as a single band corresponding to a peak of protein-bound [3H]dihydrotestosterone on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A molecular weight of 100,000 was estimated by sedimentation equilibrium. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, subunits of Mr = 47,000 and 41,000 were observed. Amino acid analysis indicated ABP to be rich in leucine while nonpolar aminoacids totaled only 51%. Its carbohydrate content is 25%. Antibodies to purified ABP were raised in a rabbit and evaluated by immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, binding inhibition, radioimmunoassay, and immunocytochemistry. Immunoperoxidase staining localized ABP in the basal and adluminal regions of seminiferous tubules of rat testis and in secretory granules of cultured Sertoli cells. In principal cells of caput epididymis, ABP is concentrated in the supranuclear region known to contain morphological specializations for absorption. These immunocytochemical results confirm that ABP synthesized and secreted by Sertoli cells in the testis is transported to the epididymal duct via testicular fluid and is taken up by epithelial cells of the proximal segments.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1981

Isolation, culture, and immunocytochemical characterization of epididymal epithelial cells from pubertal and adult rats.

A method for the isolation and culture of epididymal epithelial cells obtained from pubertal and old adult rats is described. This method permits the establishment of primary cultures of these cells in monolayers from aggregates isolated from whole epididymides and major epididymal anatomical segments (caput, corpus, and cauda) after trypsin and collagenase digestions. A large number of cultured epididymal cells retain a differentiated function as demonstrated by the immunocytochemical and radioimmunoassay finding of acidic epididymal glycoprotein, a spermatozoa-coating protein secreted by the principal cells of rat epididymis. The proliferative potential of cultured epididymal cells obtained from pubertal and old adult donors can be documented by [3H]thymidine labeling and mitotic indices without significant loss of gene expression for acidic epididymal glycoprotein. Results of this study demonstrate that epididymal epithelial cells, consisting of a predominant population of principal cells, can be isolated, cultured, and maintained for up to 3 months.

Aging↗
PubMed1980

Localization of androgen-binding protein in proliferating Sertoli cells in culture.

The peroxidase and immunofluorescent localization patterns of androgen-binding protein (ABP), a biological marker of Sertoli cell function, have been examined in cultured Sertoli cells isolated from 20- to 22-day-old rats. ABP immunoreactivity in the form of cytoplasmic granules of variable diameter was observed in Sertoli cells with characteristic lipid droplets and a colony-forming, epithelial-like growth pattern. Incubation of cultures with [3H]thymidine demonstrated that Sertoli cells continue to produce ABP while retaining their capability for synthesizing DNA and undergoing mitosis. A variable number of cultured Sertoli cells became morphologically transformed after exposure to follitropin (follicle-stimulating hormone) and pharmacological agents acting on cyclic nucleotide metabolism. The induced change in Sertoli cell shape coincided with a disappearance of ABP-containing granules from the cytoplasm. These observations demonstrate that localization of ABP by immunological techniques is a valuable tool for the characterization of structural and functional properties of Sertoli cell in culture.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1979

Side-by-side pairing of the XY bivalent in spermatocytes and the ubiquity of the H-Y locus.

The pairing mechanism of the XY bivalent, the possibility of crossing-over between X and Y chromosomes during meiotic prophase, and the location of the H-Y locus are of interest with regard to genetic control mechanisms, male gametogenesis, and testicular organization. A whole-mount electron microscope technique has permitted the study of a large number of mouse and hamster spermatocytes to evaluate the spatial relationship of sex chromosomes and autosomes. X and Y chromosomes showed a transient, extensive side-by-side pairing segment along most of the length of the Y chromosome. This extensive pairing segment may cause genetic exchange between X and Y chromosomes. The finding of a small unpaired paracentromeric region of the Y chromosome could be related to a locus of totally sex-linked gene(s) that determine the development of the testis from the undifferentiated embryonic gonad.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

The packaging unit: a basic structural feature for the condensation of late cricket spermatid nuclei.

The alignment, folding and packaging of cricket chromatin was examined during late spermiogenesis by an electron-microscope study of nuclei dispersed by air--liquid surface tension forces after detergent treatment. Late developing spermatid genomes arrange themselves in multiple packaging units in a stepwise process which includes: (1) a loss of the beaded repeating structure of chromatin as nucleoprotein fibres become smooth and gradually assume a uniform diameter; (2) a side-by--side alignment of structurally modified chromatin fibres; and (3) a regular folding into packaging units. Alignment and folding of chromatin fibres are presumably mediated by intermolecular bonds easily disrupted by spreading forces. In very late spermatids, interfibre binding forces are difficult to overrride by spreading alone, indicating a stronger cross-linking of increasingly coalescent packaging units. 'Unit to unit' coalescence stabilizes the nuclear structure, first limiting and afterwards denying penetration of phosphotungstic acid, as displayed in thin sections of extremely cricket spermatid nuclei. Binding of phosphotungstate by nuclear basic proteins can be facilitated by limited protein solubilization after disulphide reduction of unfixed cricket tests with sodium dodecyl sulphate and dithiothreitol. Results of this study permit the proposal of model experiments useful for clarifying the organization of highly condensed spermatid genomes and for evaluating the structure of genome segments in systems wherein changes of chromatin-associated protein occur.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

RNA transcription and chromatin structure during meiotic and postmeiotic stages of spermatogenesis.

Autoradiographic procedures for the study of RNA and protein synthesis during spermatogenesis have been complemented with electron microscope techniques for visualization of gene activity. These procedures have enabled us to determine that RNA transcription is highly selective with respect to RNA species, timing of synthesis, types of chromosomes (autosomes and sex chromosomes), segments of chromosomes (i.e., the lampbrush segment), and chromatin structure. In mouse and human spermatocytes, a peak production of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) occurs during leptotene-zygotene, preceding nonnucleolar RNA synthesis, which is at a peak in middle pachytene. Transcription in late spermatids decreases in coincidence with changes in chromatin structure and high incorporation rates of [3H]arginine. In these cells, a particulate repeating pattern of chromatin is replaced by chromatin fibers of uniform diameter as highly arginine-rich proteins replace somatic histones. In spermatogonia, spermatocytes and Sertoli cells, the products of transcription are mainly heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) and rRNA, whereas spermatids transcribe predominantly hnRNA during early spermiogenesis. Persistent long-lived [3H]-uridine-labeled RNA species in pachytene spermatocyte nuclei contrast with a fast turnover of [3H]uridine-labeled RNA in Sertoli cells as detected at the same pulse labeling time (8--12 days). From these results one can postulate a still undefined control mechanism of gene expression during spermatogenesis for modulating a cascade of events required for male gamete formation.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Extensive pairing of the XY bivalent in mouse spermatocytes as visualized by whole-mount electron microscopy.

Autosomes and sex chromosomes of mouse spermatocytes were examined during zygotene, pachytene, and diplotene by a whole-mount electron-microscope technique after cell dispersion in a detergent solution (Nonidet-P40). Zygotene, pachytene, and diplotene stages can be adequately identified in the preparations. Thus, asynchronous side-by-side pairing of homologous autosomes, some of them displaying attached nucleoli, defines zygotene. Pachytene is identified by complete pairing of homologues. Diplotene is characterized by disjunction of bivalents (autosomes and sex chromosomes), lack of autosomal-attached nucleoli, divergent expansions observed at lateral element endings of disassembled synaptonemal complexes, end-to-end association of the XY pair and well defined outward deformations ('bulges') along sex chromosomal axial cores. X and Y chromosomes display at pachytene an extensive side-by-side pairing segment which decreases in length as meiotic prophase advances. Each sex chromosomal axial core appears double and is formed by close apposition of 2 nearly parallel elements displayed separately along the entire length of the chromosomal core. This double structural feature suggests that each sex chromosomal axial core is presumably composed of 2 chromatid axial cores, each of which, in turn, constitutes the respective lateral elements of short synaptonemal complexes observed at the unpaired segment.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Formation of packaging units in circket late spermatid nuclei as visualized by spreading techniques (1).

The nuclear organization of a particular step of cricket late spermiogenesis was examined by an electron microscope study of spermatids dispersed by air-liquid surface tension. Cell spreading techniques facilitate a display of condensing spermatid nuclei sufficient to allow interpretation of chromatin packaging processes. Results indicate that nuclei of late developing cricket spermatids are integrated by multiple packaging units as the result of an orderly aggregation of individual chromatin fibers. Each packaging unit consists of a thick fasicle, formed by the alignment of smooth chromatin fibers, which frays out into tassels of looped fibers.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Nucleolar RNA synthesis of meiotic prophase spermatocytes in the human testis.

Human meiotic prophase spermatocyte nuclei were studied by electron microscope autoradiography after a 3 hours 3H-uridine labeling pulse, followed by postincubation in non-radioactive medium. In autosomes, 3H-uridine nucleolar labeling reaches a peak during early-middle zygotene prior to the peak labeling of chromosmal RNA species at middle pachytene. Transcription activities of sex chromosomes are inconspicuous when compared with that of autosomes. An increasing condensation of nucleolar-associated chromatin in acrocentric bivalents contributes to the formation of basal knobs in human pachytene spermatocytes. Upon completion of knob formation, nucleolar components segregate and the uptake of 3H-uridine decreases. These findings suggest that the template capability of ribosomal DNA cistrons, located next to the basal knob region, is largely associated with a dispersed state of chromatin whereas increased chromatin condensation is correlated with a restriction of ribosomal RNA transcription.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1975

Structural and transcriptional features of the mouse spermatid genome.

A whole-mount electron microscope technique has allowed direct visualization of the transcription process in mouse spermatids. Thes observations have been supported by light and electron microscope autoradiographic techniques that employ [3H]uridine and [3H]arginine in attempts to clarify mechanisms of RNA synthesis and their relationship to nuclear histone changes throughout spermiogenesis. Early spermatid genomes are dispersed almost completely, whereas in later spermiogenic steps the posterior or flagellar nuclear region is readily dispersed and the anterior or subacrosomal nuclear region remains compact. Display of genome segments permits identification of regions where transcription complexes, presumably heterogeneous nuclear RNA species, are seen related to chromatin. These complexes appear as ribonucleoprotein chains, some of them of considerable length, decreasing progressively in number in late spermiogenic steps. This decrease coincides with diminishing rates of [3H]uridine incorporation. Two distinct patterns of chromatin have been identified: a beaded chromatin type associated with transcription complexes encounterd in early spermatids; and a smooth chromatin type not involved in transcriptive activity observed in advanced spermiogenic genomes. Protein particles staining densely with phosphotungstic acid become apparent in nuclei of spermatids after [3H]arginine incorporation becomes significant. There is no structural or autoradiographic evidence for the presence of nucleoli during spermiogenesis. From these data and from previous experimental findings, we conclude that: (a) spermatogonia, spermatocytes and Sertoli cells are transcriptionally expressed into heterogeneous nuclear RNA and preribosomal RNA species whereas transcription in spermatids is predominantly heterogeneous nuclear RNA; and (b) the modification of the chromatin patterns in late spermiogenic steps indicates a stabilized genome that restricts transcriptive functions.

Animals↗