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T Hartmann

Publications and source records attributed to T Hartmann.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Interfacial energies and surface-tension forces involved in the preparation of thin, flat crystals of biological macromolecules for high-resolution electron microscopy.

It is generally agreed that surface-tension forces and the direct interaction between the specimen and either the air-water interface or the water-substrate interface can influence significantly the preparation of biological materials for electron microscopy. Even so, there is relatively little systematic information available that would make it possible to control surface-tension forces and interfacial energies in a quantitative fashion. The main objective in undertaking the present work has been to understand somewhat better the factors that influence the degree of specimen flatness of large, monolayer crystals of biological macromolecules. However, the data obtained in our work should be useful in understanding the preparation of specimens of biological macromolecules in general. Data collection by electron diffraction and electron microscopy at high resolution and high tilt angles requires thin crystals of biological macromolecules that are flat to at least 1 degree, and perhaps less than 0.2 degrees, over areas as large as 1 micron2 or more. In addition to determining empirically by electron diffraction experiments whether sufficiently flat specimens can be prepared on various types of modified or unmodified carbon support films, we have begun to use other techniques to characterize both the surfaces involved and the interaction of our specimen with these surfaces. In the specific case of large, monolayer crystals of bacteriorhodopsin prepared as glucose-embedded specimens on hydrophobic carbon films, it was concluded that the initial interfacial interaction involves adsorption of the specimen to the air-water interface rather than adsorption of the specimen to the substrate. Surface-tension forces at the air-water interface and an apparently repulsive interaction between the specimen and the hydrophobic carbon seem to be major factors influencing the specimen flatness in this case. In the more general case it seems likely that interfacial interactions with either the substrate or the air-water interface can be variously manipulated in the search to find desirable conditions of specimen preparation.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1991

Mast cell tryptase is a mitogen for cultured fibroblasts.

Mast cells appear to promote fibroblast proliferation, presumably through secretion of growth factors, although the molecular mechanisms underlying this mitogenic potential have not been explained fully by known mast cell-derived mediators. We report here that tryptase, a trypsin-like serine proteinase of mast cell secretory granules, is a potent mitogen for fibroblasts in vitro. Nanomolar concentrations of dog tryptase strongly stimulate thymidine incorporation in Chinese hamster lung and Rat-1 fibroblasts and increase cell density in both subconfluent and confluent cultures of these cell lines. Tryptase-induced cell proliferation appears proteinase-specific, as this response is not mimicked by pancreatic trypsin or mast cell chymase. In addition, low levels of tryptase markedly potentiate DNA synthesis stimulated by epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, or insulin. Inhibitors of catalytic activity decrease the mitogenic capacity of tryptase, suggesting, though not proving, the participation of the catalytic site in cell activation by tryptase. Differences in Ca++ mobilization and sensitivity to pertussis toxin suggest that tryptase and thrombin activate distinct signal transduction pathways in fibroblasts. These data implicate mast cell tryptase as a potent, previously unrecognized fibroblast growth factor, and may provide a molecular link between mast cell activation and fibrosis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Strong and persistent activation of inositol lipid breakdown induces early mitogenic events but not Go to S phase progression in hamster fibroblasts. Comparison of thrombin and carbachol action in cells expressing M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

In order to evaluate the role of phosphoinositide turnover in growth factor action, we expressed human M1 muscarinic acetylcholine (Hm1) receptors in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (CCL39 cell line). In the transfected cells (39M1-81 clone), but not in wild type fibroblasts, the muscarinic agonist carbachol induced a release of inositol phosphates as strong as alpha-thrombin, a very potent growth factor and activator of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) in this cell system. In contrast to thrombin, carbachol-stimulated PLC activity was not inhibited by pertussis toxin treatment of cells. At concentrations that elicited a comparable initial rate of inositol phosphate release (10 nM for thrombin and 0.1 mM for carbachol), both agents gave rise to an identical calcium signal and equally stimulated Na+/H+ exchange and the transcription of the early genes c-jun, c-fos, and c-myc. Surprisingly, however, carbachol is not a mitogen for 39M1-81 cells, and even if tested in association with insulin or fibroblast growth factor, its effects on cell proliferation remained weak when compared with thrombin. Also, the muscarinic agonist did not stimulate soft agar colony forming capacity and did not prevent growth arrest in Go upon serum deprivation of cycling 39M1-81 cells. The failure of carbachol to induce cell proliferation could not be attributed to rapid and complete desensitization of Hm1 receptors nor to the activation of inhibitory pathways like adenylyl cyclase stimulation. We conclude that strong and persistent activation of phosphoinositide turnover elicits early biochemical events generally associated with mitogenesis, but is not sufficient to stimulate or maintain continuous cell proliferation. On the basis of our results, we postulate that thrombin mitogenesis depends critically on signaling events different from phosphoinositide turnover, possibly the stimulation of a receptor tyrosine kinase or a Gi protein-activated tyrosine kinase.

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin↗
PubMed1990

Model of ion transport regulation in chloride-secreting airway epithelial cells. Integrated description of electrical, chemical, and fluorescence measurements.

An electrokinetic model was developed to calculate the time course of electrical parameters, ion fluxes, and intracellular ion activities for experiments performed in airway epithelial cells. Model variables included cell [Na], [K], [Cl], volume, and membrane potentials. The model contained apical membrane Cl, Na, and K conductances, basolateral membrane K conductance, Na/K/2 Cl and Na/Cl symport, and 3 Na/2 K ATPase, and a paracellular conductance. Transporter permeabilities and ion saturabilities were determined from reported ion flux data and membrane potentials in intact canine trachea. Without additional assumptions, the model predicted accurately the measured short-circuit current (Isc), cellular conductances, voltage-divider ratios, open-circuit potentials, and the time course of cell ion composition in ion substitution experiments. The model was used to examine quantitatively: (a) the effect of transport inhibitors on Isc and membrane potentials, (b) the dual role of apical Cl and basolateral K conductance in cell secretion, (c) whether the basolateral symporter requires K, and (d) the regulation of apical Cl conductance by cAMP and Ca-dependent signaling pathways. Model predictions gave improved understanding of the interrelations among transporting systems and in many cases gave surprising predictions that were not obvious without a detailed model. The model developed here has direct application to secretory or absorptive epithelial cells in the kidney thick ascending limb, cornea, sweat duct, and intestine in normal and pathophysiological states such as cystic fibrosis and cholera.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Thickness determination of biological samples with a zeta-calibrated scanning tunneling microscope.

A single-tube scanning tunneling microscope has been zeta-calibrated by using atomic steps of crystalline gold and was used for measuring the thickness of two biological samples, metal-coated as well as uncoated. The hexagonal surface layer of the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans with an open network-type structure shows thickness values that are strongly influenced by the substrate and the preparation method. In contrast, the thickness of the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium with its densely packed less-corrugated structure exhibits very little variation in thickness in coated preparations and the values obtained are in good agreement with x-ray data.

Bacteriorhodopsins↗
PubMed1990

Functional expression of the human receptor for colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) in hamster fibroblasts: CSF-1 stimulates Na+/H+ exchange and DNA-synthesis in the absence of phosphoinositide breakdown.

The human CSF-1 receptor (c-fms protooncogene product) was introduced into CSF-1-unresponsive Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (CCL39 cell line) in order to study its coupling to biochemical signal-transducing systems and to compare the growth-regulating properties of CSF-1 to those of other growth factors. Independent clones expressing different levels of CSF-1 receptors were isolated and characterized. CSF-1 increased [3H]thymidine incorporation in serum-starved cells and potentiated the mitogenic effects of FGF and thrombin. As already observed for other growth factors activating receptor tyrosine kinases (EGF, FGF, IGF-I), CSF-1 alone did not trigger inositol phosphate formation, but slightly enhanced the activity of phospholipase C agonists (thrombin, A1F4- complex). Activation of the CSF-1 receptor by its ligand was evidenced by the rapid activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger resulting in amiloride-sensitive cytoplasmic alkalinization (0.1-0.2 pH units) within minutes after stimulation. Whereas pertussis toxin does not affect the action of EGF, FGF, or IGF-I in CCL39 cells, it partially inhibited both DNA synthesis reinitiation and activation of Na+/H+ exchange by CSF-1, indicating that the CSF-1 receptor can communicate with a signal-transducing GTP binding protein. A point-mutated form of the c-fms gene product, in which Tyr 969, a residue negatively modulating signal transduction, had been replaced with Phe [fms (F969)], did not generate responses significantly different from those obtained with the wild-type c-fms gene product. In the absence of CSF-1, cells expressing either wild-type or fms (F969) showed a considerably higher basal level of thymidine incorporation and decreased anchorage dependence compared with parental CCL39 cells. Monoclonal antibodies that interfere with signal transduction by the human CSF-1 receptor inhibited both basal [3H]thymidine incorporation and soft agar colony formation, indicating that relaxation of growth control was dependent on CSF-1 receptor expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Cellular compartmentation of calcium in mouse fibroblasts in vitro depends on cell density and transformation.

Cellular compartmentation of Ca has been investigated by kinetic analysis of 45Ca efflux from preloaded cells at various states of cell density-dependent proliferation of normal (3T3) and transformed (3T6 and SV40-3T3) mouse cells. Three pools of exchangeable calcium were separated on the basis of their differing exchange kinetics. For each of the cell lines tested, all three compartments decrease with cell density. Significant differences between normal and transformed cells are observed upon quiescence of the normal cells, where the slowly exchanging compartment of normal cells gradually increases, whereas that of the transformed cells continues to decrease (with increasing cell density). Free cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration as determined by the Quin 2 method, was found to be significantly higher in transformed cells than in normal cells. These results indicate significant differences in Ca homeostasis between normal and transformed cells.

Animals↗