The karyomastigont as an evolutionary seme

The problem of eukaryogenesis--the evolutionary mechanism whereby eukaryotic cells evolved from prokaryotes--remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of cell biology, possibly due to the reductionist tendency of most scientists to work only within their subdisciplines. Communication between biologists who conduct research on the nucleus and those working on the cytoskeleton or endomembrane system are sometimes wanting, and yet, all of these quintessentially eukaryotic elements of the cell are interdependent, and are physically associated in many protists as the karyomastigont organellar system: nucleus, one or more basal bodies and flagella, nuclear connector, and Golgi apparatus. Here we suggest a more holistic view of the karyomastigont as not simply an organellar system, but an evolutionary seme, the archaic state of the eukaryotic cell. We also present a scheme whereby the karyomastigont may have dissociated, giving rise in more derived cells to one or more free nuclei and discrete flagellar apparati (akaryomastigonts).

Localization of rRNA transcribed spacer domains in the nucleolinus and maternal procentrosomes of surf clam (Spisula) oocytes

The nucleolinus is a nuclear subcompartment long ago posited to play a role in cell division. In a recent study using surf clam oocytes, cytoplasmic foci containing a nucleolinar protein were shown to later recruit γ-tubulin, identifying them as centrosomal precursors. (1) We now demonstrate the presence of structural RNAs from the nucleolinus in these procentrosomes. They include the well-known but poorly understood rRNA-transcribed spacer regions. In situ hybridization revealed a specific and dynamic association of these structural RNAs with the cell division apparatus that extends through the early stages of meiosis. In addition to their bearing on the debate over the nature of centrosome- and spindle-associated RNAs, the observations also suggest that rRNA spacer regions are not simply waste products to be discarded immediately, but may be functional byproducts that play a role in formation of the cell division apparatus.

Composition and dynamics of the nucleolinus, a link between the nucleolus and cell division apparatus in surf clam (Spisula) oocytes

The nucleolinus is a little-known cellular structure, discovered over 150 years ago (Agassiz, L. (1857) Contributions to the Natural History of the United States of America, First Monograph, Part IIL, Little, Brown and Co., Boston) and thought by some investigators in the late 19th to mid-20th century to function in the formation of the centrosomes or spindle. A role for the nucleolinus in formation of the cell division apparatus has recently been confirmed in oocytes of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima (Alliegro, M. A., Henry, J. J., and Alliegro, M. C. (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 13718-13723). However, we know so little about the composition and dynamics of this compartment, it is difficult to construct mechanistic hypotheses or even to be sure that prior reports were describing analogous structures in the cells of mammals, amphibians, plants, and other organisms where it was observed. Surf clam oocytes are an attractive model to approach this problem because the nucleolinus is easily visible by light microscopy, making it accessible by laser microsurgery as well as isolation by common cell fractionation techniques. In this report, we analyze the macromolecular composition of isolated Spisula nucleolini and examine the relationship of this structure to the nucleolus and cell division apparatus. Analysis of nucleolinar RNA and protein revealed a set of molecules that overlaps with but is nevertheless distinct from the nucleolus. The proteins identified were primarily ones involved in nucleic acid metabolism and cell cycle regulation. Monoclonal antibodies generated against isolated nucleolini revealed centrosomal forerunners in the oocyte cytoplasm. Finally, induction of damage to the nucleolinus by laser microsurgery altered the trafficking of α- and γ-tubulin after fertilization. These observations strongly support a role for the nucleolinus in cell division and represent our first clues regarding mechanism.

High-throughput optofluidic system for the laser microsurgery of oocytes

This study combines microfluidics with optical microablation in a microscopy system that allows for high-throughput manipulation of oocytes, automated media exchange, and long-term oocyte observation. The microfluidic component of the system transports oocytes from an inlet port into multiple flow channels. Within each channel, oocytes are confined against a microfluidic barrier using a steady fluid flow provided by an external computer-controlled syringe pump. This allows for easy media replacement without disturbing the oocyte location. The microfluidic and optical-laser microbeam ablation capabilities of the system were validated using surf clam (Spisula solidissima) oocytes that were immobilized in order to permit ablation of the 5 μm diameter nucleolinus within the oocyte nucleolus. Oocytes were the followed and assayed for polar body ejection.

The Nucleolinus: A disappearing, forgotten and (maybe) misnamed organelle

It is common knowledge that many of the cell components we study today were discovered more than a century ago. Some have been renamed due to a newer understanding of their physiology or composition, and in some cases the old terminology is abandoned. However, it is unusual to find a structure that has not been renamed but simply forgotten. This appears to be the case for the nucleolinus, discovered at least 150 years ago and studied by Agassiz, Haekel, Montgomery and others until it virtually dropped from the literature in the early 1970s. The nucleolinus was thought to have a role in cell division, but with little knowledge of its composition and no molecular markers (until recently) available for its study, we do not know if the nucleolinus is a ubiquitous structure or an antiquated descriptor. This brief article relates most of what we know about the nucleolinus and where to find more information. Our growing knowledge concerning the role of the closely allied nucleolus in cell cycle regulation suggests that renewed study of the nucleolinus will yield important information about the biogenesis and evolution of the cell division apparatus.

Rediscovery of the nucleolinus, a dynamic RNA-rich organelle associated with the nucleolus, spindle, and centrosomes

The nucleolinus is an RNA-rich compartment, closely apposed to or embedded within the nucleolus. Discovered over 150 y ago, fewer than two dozen articles have been published on the nucleolinus, probably because complex histochemical stains are required for its visualization in the great majority of cells. The nucleolinus has been reported in invertebrate oocytes, mammalian and amphibian epithelial cells, neurons, and several transformed cell lines. A prominent nucleolinus, clearly visible with transmitted light microscopes at 10x magnification, is present in each oocyte of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima. We observed a consistent relationship between the nucleolinus and the developing meiotic apparatus following Spisula oocyte activation. Through sonication and sucrose gradient fractionation of purified oocyte nuclei, we isolated nucleolini, extracted their RNA, and prepared an in situ riboprobe (NLi-1), which is associated specifically with the nucleolinus, confirming its unique composition. Other in situ observations revealed a NLi-1 and nucleolinar association with the developing spindle and centrosomes. Laser microsurgery that targeted the nucleolinus resulted in failed meiotic cell division in parthenogenetically activated oocytes and failed mitosis in fertilized oocytes. Although the nucleolinus may be a forgotten organelle, its demonstrated role in spindle formation suggests it deserves renewed attention.

Echinonectin is a Del-1-like molecule with regulated expression in sea urchin embryos

Echinonectin (EN) is a dimeric galactosyl-binding protein found in sea urchin eggs and embryos. It had been postulated in earlier studies that EN is secreted into the hyaline layer, a stratified matrix deposited on the apical surface of cells, and serves as an attachment substrate for cells of the blastoderm. However, the dynamics of EN expression have rendered past observations difficult to interpret on this point and others. Radioiodination experiments in this study indicate that the bulk of EN is, at any one time, maintained in its vesicular compartment beneath the plasma membrane, but that a portion of the protein is secreted onto the cell surface during early development. The primary structure of EN was determined. The protein consists of a series of coagulation factor 5/8 repeats and discoidin-like lectin domains, and bears similarity to the secreted proteins DEL-1 and lactadherin from angiogenic endothelial cells. In situ hybridization analysis indicates that EN mRNA levels are regulated to coincide with periods of reduced motility in embryonic cells, supporting the postulate that the protein is involved in cell anchoring.

Centrosome-associated RNA in surf clam oocytes

Centrosomes are the major microtubule-organizing center in animal cells. They are composed of a pair of [9(3) + 0] centrioles surrounded by a relatively ill-defined pericentriolar matrix, provide the ciliary centriole-kinetosome (basal body) progenitor, and organize the assembly of microtubules into the mitotic spindle during cell division. Despite >100 years of microscopic observation and their obvious significance, our understanding of centrosome composition, dynamic organization, and mechanism of action is limited when compared with that of other cellular organelles. Centrosomes duplicate only once per cell cycle to ensure development of a normal bipolar spindle. The initial event in centrosome duplication is centriole replication, which is generative, semiconservative, and independent of the nucleus. Such observations led to the proposal that centrosomes contain their own complement of nucleic acids, possibly representative of an organellar genome comparable with those described for mitochondria and chloroplasts. The consensus in the field is that centrosomes lack DNA but may contain RNA. We isolated centrosomes from oocytes of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima, and purified from them a unique set of RNAs. We show here by biochemical means and subcellular in situ hybridization that the first transcript we analyzed is intimately associated with centrosomes. Sequence analysis reveals that this centrosome-associated RNA encodes a conserved RNA-directed polymerase domain. The hypothesis that centrosomes contain an intrinsic complement of specific RNAs suggests new opportunities to address the century-old problem of centrosome function, heredity, and evolution.

Differential expression of tyrosinated tubulin in Spisula solidissima polar bodies

The C-terminus of alpha-tubulin can be reversibly modified by a specific tyrosine ligase to yield an isoform known as Tyr-tubulin. Tyr-tubulin is typically found in more dynamic microtubule arrays such as the mitotic spindle, as opposed to stable structures like centrioles and flagella. In developing systems, it is expressed in relatively undifferentiated, proliferative cell types but is replaced by detyrosinated (Glu-) tubulin during differentiation. We found Tyr-tubulin highly enriched in a single polar body of Spisula solidissima embryos. Quantitation of DNA content by Hoechst staining indicates that polar body 1 (with twice the DNA content of polar body 2) is the Tyr-tubulin-positive cell. Other than the apoptosis marker caspase, this is, to our knowledge, the first distinguishing marker antigen for polar bodies, particularly for one polar body vs. another. This localization of Tyr-tubulin is unlikely to be a byproduct of the meiotic process itself, because it arises after ejection of both polar bodies is complete. Although polar bodies are typically thought of as a terminally differentiated vestige of meiosis, the localization of this more dynamic tubulin isoform suggests an active role in early development.

Mouse pigpen encodes a nuclear protein whose expression is developmentally regulated during craniofacial morphogenesis

Pigpen, a nuclear protein with RNA-binding motifs and a putative transcriptional activation domain (TAD), is expressed at high levels in proliferating endothelial cells and expression is down-regulated when cells adopt a quiescent or differentiated phenotype. We cloned the mouse homolog of pigpen and investigated the regulation of its expression during embryogenesis. In situ hybridization demonstrated that a broad pattern of pigpen expression became restricted during tooth formation in the mandible. In the eye, pigpen showed a spatial restriction to the more proliferating and less differentiated regions of the lens and neural retina. Expression was also restricted in the developing vibrissae, lung, and kidney, all sites where epithelial-mesenchymal interactions are vital for morphogenesis. In vitro assays, that focused on the mandible and tooth development, indicated that epithelial signals, mediated by fibroblast growth factor-8, were required to maintain pigpen expression in the mandibular mesenchyme, whereas bone morphogenetic protein-4 negatively regulated expression in that tissue during early odontogenesis. At the protein level, immunocytochemistry demonstrated that Pigpen was expressed diffusely in the cytoplasm and more concentratedly in focal granules within the nuclei of mouse embryonic cells. Lastly, CAT reporter assays showed that the N-terminus of mouse pigpen encodes an active TAD. These data suggest that mouse Pigpen may activate transcription in vivo in response to specific growth factor signals and regulate proliferation and/or differentiation events during mouse organogenesis.

Myosin II in retinal pigmented epithelial cells: evidence for an association with membranous vesicles

The goal of this study was to further characterize and identify possible functions for a cytoplasmic myosin II protein which we have isolated from retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences are highly identical to non-muscle myosin heavy chain II-A (NMMHC II-A). However, this RPE myosin displays characteristics that are atypical of other myosins, including an affinity for carbohydrate and a C-terminal sequence extension, suggesting it may have a specialized function. In this study, reverse transcriptase-PCR using isoform-specific primers demonstrated that the RPE myosin and conventional NMMHC II-A have overlapping but distinguishable tissue expression profiles. To gain clues to function, subcellular distribution was determined in motile RPE cells using indirect immunofluorescence. In addition to subtle differences in localization that appeared to further distinguish this molecule from NMMHC II-A, these studies revealed a colocalization with phagocytosed intracellular vesicles. In vitro experiments suggest that the association in situ was not simply coincidental, because isolated vesicles interacted with the protein in cosedimentation assays. Taken together, our observations suggest the RPE myosin exhibits characteristics different from conventional myosin II-A and may function in intracellular vesicle transport.

Receptor-bound uPA is reversibly protected from inhibition by low molecular weight inhibitors

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) plays a ubiquitous role in cell migration and invasiveness. Amiloride, a competitive inhibitor of uPA, can inhibit endothelial cell (EC) outgrowth during angiogenesis. To address the question of whether amiloride blocked angiogenesis by inhibiting uPA, we undertook a study of uPA expression in sprouting EC in vitro and the effects of amiloride on both enzymatic and morphogenetic activity. As expected, amiloride inhibited soluble uPA (suPA) with an IC(50) of 45-85 microm, however, receptor-bound uPA (rbuPA) from the sprouting EC was insensitive to amiloride. Removal of uPA from its receptors confers sensitivity to inhibition by amiloride suggesting that a reversible conformational change may mediate the insensitivity of rbuPA to amiloride and its analogs. In summary, we found no evidence to support the hypothesis that amiloride blocks capillary outgrowth by inhibition of uPA, but were able to successfully demonstrate a functional difference between two physiological forms of this important matrix-degrading enzyme.

Coiled body heterogeneity induced by G(1) arrest with amiloride + bumetanide

Ki67 is a nuclear protein expressed in proliferating cells, but not in quiescent or G(0)-arrested cells. Similar to the proliferating cell nuclear antigen and several other well-characterized molecules, Ki67 exhibits a repeating pattern of regulated expression and redistribution during the cell cycle, making it a useful marker for cell cycle phase. In addition to other structures labeled, concentrated foci may be observed in the nucleus and sometimes the cytoplasm. We observed that these Ki67 foci can be found at any stage of the endothelial cell cycle. They are not coincident with coiled bodies (CB), as determined in double-label immunofluorescence experiments with anti-Ki67 and antibodies to the CB marker protein pigpen. However, arrest of BPA47 endothelial cells in G(1) with amiloride + bumetanide induces colocalization of pigpen and Ki67 in 40% of cells exhibiting Ki67 foci. We conducted a series of experiments to examine the possibilities that pigpen was exported from CB and into unique, Ki67-containing foci or that Ki67 was imported into pigpen-containing CB. Our results showed us that although CB typically contain both coilin and pigpen, amiloride + bumetanide-induced G(1) arrest reconfigured the CB compartment into three populations of foci: one containing pigpen without coilin, the second containing coilin without pigpen, and a third containing both pigpen and coilin together. Furthermore, G(1) arrest resulted in Ki67 redistribution into both coilin- and pigpen-containing foci. The results suggest that under certain conditions, "resident" CB proteins can be differentially redistributed, and proteins not previously recognized as resident in CB can be driven into that compartment. Our observations underscore the fluid nature of CB. They demonstrate that previously reported heterogeneity in the CB compartment can be amplified by a specific experimental manipulation. This may be useful in future analyses of protein trafficking within the CB compartment and between CB and other cellular compartments. Finally, the redistribution of Ki67 into CB represents a new finding for a widely expressed but poorly understood molecule, one that may be useful in elucidating function.

Nuclear injection of anti-pigpen antibodies inhibits endothelial cell division

Endothelial cell proliferation is required for angiogenesis in both embryonic and adult tissues. In rat brain tumors, it has recently been shown that the nuclear protein pigpen is expressed selectively in endothelial cells of developing microvasculature but not in the established peritumoral vessels (Blank, M., Weinschenk, T., Priemer, M., and Schluesener, H. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 16464-16468). This finding suggests that pigpen may be important for promoting the undifferentiated, or "angiogenic" endothelial cell phenotype. Our studies show that pigpen protein and mRNA are expressed in actively dividing endothelial cells and down-regulated as they become confluent. Protein distribution is regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner. We conclude that this expression pattern is important for and not simply ancillary to proliferation because nuclear microinjection of anti-pigpen Fab fragments inhibited endothelial cell division. Moreover, expression of the proliferating cell marker Ki67 was inhibited in antibody-injected cells. The absence of Ki67 suggests exit from rather than arrest within (for example, at the G(1)/S interface) the cell cycle. Together with earlier observations on the structure and expression of this molecule, our data support the hypothesis that pigpen helps regulate endothelial cell differentiation state.

Pigpen and endothelial cell differentiation

Endothelial cells can toggle back and forth between differentiated and relatively undifferentiated states with comparative ease. This is an important characteristic, particularly in adult tissues where the constitutive endothelial cell phenotype is quiescent. It enables rapid repair of wounds, renewal of the vascular intima in parts of the circulatory system with high flow and turbulence, and is essential to the cyclic function of reproductive organs. However, the ability to dedifferentiate can be a severe disadvantage when it is subverted to the support of disease processes such as tumor growth and metastasis. The control of endothelial cell differentiation state is, therefore, a matter of significance to investigators of basic developmental mechanism, as well as those studying an array of neovascular disorders. Recently, studies have advanced beyond the identification of extracellular triggers and overt cellular responses to the analysis of signal transduction pathways and nuclear events. This review focuses on the nuclear protein pigpen that is found in the right place at the right time, and with the necessary equipment, to modulate endothelial cell differentiation. We project that when we better understand the relationship of pigpen to its upstream regulators and downstream effectors, we will also have a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying capillary morphogenesis.

Effects of dithiothreitol on protein activity unrelated to thiol-disulfide exchange: for consideration in the analysis of protein function with Cleland's reagent

Dithiothreitol (DTT) is widely used to reduce disulfide bonds in the analysis of protein structure and function. However, thiol-disulfide exchange is not the only mechanism whereby DTT can alter protein function. We observe that DTT diminishes the carbohydrate binding activity of a cysteineless mutant of pigpen as well as it inhibits the intact molecule. Lack of inhibition by threitol, a derivative of the four-carbon sugar threose, indicates that the thiol groups of DTT are required for inhibition, and also that DTT is not acting as a simple carbohydrate competitor. Moreover, inhibition of pigpen-carbohydrate binding is not likely due to metal chelation because pigpen binding to carbohydrate is insensitive to EDTA and 1, 10-phenanthroline, which would otherwise be expected to mimic the DTT effect. Our results suggest that DTT can interact with protein domains in the absence of cysteine residues, and that the biochemical reactivity of DTT is not necessarily one and the same with its assumed biochemical specificity.

A C-terminal carbohydrate-binding domain in the endothelial cell regulatory protein, pigpen: new function for an EWS family member

The potential for encoding information in carbohydrate (CHO) structures has long been recognized. Selective CHO-binding proteins known as lectins and the biological events they mediate are well known. However, many lectins were originally discovered for biological activities other than saccharide binding, and only subsequently was it realized that one or more of their key functions were mediated by specific CHO recognition. Our previous observations suggested that the nuclear protein pigpen had an affinity for CHO structures. This would represent a new attribute for proteins of the EWS (Ewing's sarcoma) family, of which pigpen is a member. In this study we demonstrate that a CHO-binding domain resides in the C-terminus of the molecule and can be preferentially inhibited by saccharides, most notably N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (GalNAc) and the GalNAc-containing polysaccharide, chondroitin sulfate. Ligand blotting experiments were subsequently performed with fractionated, [(3)H]galactose-labeled cells to demonstrate the presence of chondroitin sulfate-inhibitable endogenous CHO ligands for pigpen in endothelial nuclei. Finally, microinjection of polysaccharide competitor into the nucleus of cultured endothelial cells resulted in a loss of pigpen focal accumulations, suggesting that the CHO-binding activity may be instrumental in subcellular localization of the protein. In summary, our results show ligand preference and domain specificity for pigpen's CHO affinity and provide initial evidence for physiological ligands and function. They may also shed new light on the mechanisms of oncogenic transformation involving EWS proteins.

Intima-like smooth muscle cells: developmental link between endothelium and media?

The presence of non-contractile smooth muscle cells within the arterial wall raises questions as to their origin and function. These cells abound within the aortae of murine and porcine neonates, but are also present within the intimal and medial layers of adult arteries. They are largely devoid of smooth muscle-associated proteins and manifest an epithelioid form. Their morphological resemblance to endothelial cells prompted us to explore this potential relationship and to investigate their angiogenic properties in three-dimensional collagen gels. Using well-characterized smooth muscle cell lines, displaying either the intima-like (epithelioid) or media-like (spindle-shaped) morphology, we were able to show that intima-like cells share several features in common with endothelial ones and can transform into a media-like phenotype, whereby they irreversibly lose their characteristic pattern of protein expression. Intima-like, but not media-like, vascular smooth muscle cells are capable of forming capillary tubes, and, in co-cultures, can induce media-like ones to participate in this process. Such capillaries consist of a randomly-organized, mixed population of endothelial cells with intima-like or media-like smooth muscle ones. The functional significance of this diversity in smooth muscle cell type is not well understood, but phenotypic plasticity could conceivably figure as an important adaptive response to changes in the local environment.

Protein heterogeneity in the coiled body compartment

Coiled bodies are ubiquitous nuclear inclusions of unknown function. Although a considerable list of coiled body components has been assembled in recent years leading to several functional hypotheses, none have yet been borne out by experimentation. Pinpointing coiled body function is difficult in part because each known component molecule has been shown to be present at other sites in the nucleus. Using probes to individual coiled body molecules is therefore likely to yield ambiguous results. From direct observation of coiled body behavior we know that they are dynamic structures, changing in content, size, and number under different physiological conditions. In our studies, we have found that the number of coiled bodies in mammalian endothelial cells is relatively high. Depending on phenotype, quiescent or angiogenic, endothelial cells can average as few as 4 or as many as 15 coiled bodies per nucleus (as opposed to 2 or 3 for most cell types). This can provide certain advantages in the analysis of their dynamics and composition. Moreover, expression of the coiled body protein, pigpen, is sharply regulated as endothelial cells toggle back and forth between the two phenotypes. Using the endothelial cell system, we present several new observations in this report on the dynamics of coiled bodies and their constituent proteins and reinforce prior observations that we consider important but understated in the literature. With antibodies to p80-coilin, pigpen, and fibrillarin, we show that there may be heterogeneity in the coiled body population of individual cells. We demonstrate that the coiled body marker protein p80-coilin can also be found distributed in the nucleoplasm and in apparent association with the nuclear envelope. This suggests that coilin could play a role in some aspect of nucleocytoplasmic exchange. Finally, we correlate the presence of pigpen in a diffuse nucleoplasmic pool with the expression of a phosphatase-sensitive epitope, indicating that subnuclear localization may depend upon the phosphorylation state of the protein. Our results suggest to us that a viewpoint of coiled bodies as part of a fluid trafficking network may be helpful in discerning their cellular functions.

Novel characteristics of a myosin isolated from mammalian retinal pigment epithelial and endothelial cells

We have isolated a novel, high Mr protein from human retinal pigment epithelial cells and endothelial cells by affinity chromatography on Sepharose 4B. Two polypeptides are present on SDS-gels of the 8 M urea eluent with apparent molecular mass of approximately 210 and 47 kDa. In the absence of dithiothreitol, the two polypeptides migrate as one protein band with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 550 kDa. "Piglet," as this molecule is tentatively named, is present in retinal pigment epithelial and endothelial cells of several species, but could not be detected in the nonepithelial cells we examined. Immunofluorescent localization using an antibody to the 210-kDa polypeptide revealed a filamentous network in the cytoplasm of cultured cells. This antibody was used to identify a cDNA for piglet in a bovine aortic endothelial cell expression library. Sequence data indicate a high degree of identity with non-muscle myosin II heavy chain. We subsequently found that piglet had an actin-activated ATPase activity, colocalized with actin in cells, and reacted on Western blots with a pan-non-muscle myosin II heavy chain antiserum. The protein was also recognized by antibodies specific for myosin heavy chain isoform A, but did not react with anti-isoform B antibodies. Although piglet has several features in common with known forms of non-muscle myosin II, the distinctly unconventional features it displays suggest that it is a novel myosin.

Identification of a new coiled body component

Coiled bodies are small, round nuclear inclusions that have been identified in many somatic cell types. Equivalent structures are found in the germinal vesicles of amphibian and insect oocytes, known respectively as sphere organelles and Binnenkörper. Their functions are not known, but their molecular composition is being brought to light. In addition to the nucleolar protein, fibrillarin, coiled bodies contain DNA topoisomerase I and an array of RNA processing molecules characteristic of spliceosomes. One coiled body protein absent from nucleoli and spliceosomes, known as p80-coilin, has also been described. We have now identified pigpen, a new member of the EWS family of proteins, as a second protein enriched in coiled bodies. In an earlier report we found that pigpen's structure and expression pattern were suggestive of a role in endothelial cell proliferation and differentiation. In this brief report we characterize pigpen's nuclear compartment and describe its reorganization during mitosis.

Identification of a new coiled body component

Coiled bodies are small, round nuclear inclusions that have been identified in many somatic cell types. Equivalent structures are found in the germinal vesicles of amphibian and insect oocytes, known respectively as sphere organelles and Binnenkörper. Their functions are not known, but their molecular composition is being brought to light. In addition to the nucleolar protein, fibrillarin, coiled bodies contain DNA topoisomerase I and an array of RNA processing molecules characteristic of spliceosomes. One coiled body protein absent from nucleoli and spliceosomes, known as p80-coilin, has also been described. We have now identified pigpen, a new member of the EWS family of proteins, as a second protein enriched in coiled bodies. In an earlier report we found that pigpen's structure and expression pattern were suggestive of a role in endothelial cell proliferation and differentiation. In this brief report we characterize pigpen's nuclear compartment and describe its reorganization during mitosis.

A nuclear protein regulated during the transition from active to quiescent phenotype in cultured endothelial cells

Pigpen is a 67-kDa Sepharose-binding molecule isolated from mammalian endothelial and retinal pigmented epithelial cells. The protein is distributed nonhomogeneously in the nucleus, exhibiting diffuse staining throughout (excluding nucleoli), together with a small number of intensely stained focal points, or granules, and punctate staining along the nuclear envelope. Pigpen was absent or greatly attenuated in the nonepithelial cell types we examined, including fibroblasts, myeloma, and astroglia. cDNA sequence analysis revealed a positively charged molecule with an RNP-CS RNA-binding domain, 19 RGG repeats, and a consensus tyrosine phosphorylation site in the C-terminus. The amino terminal portion of the molecule is characterized by 7 glutamine-rich hexapeptide repeats similar to those found in the transactivation domain of known transcription activators. Pigpen has a high level of identity with the FUS gene product, TLS (Translocated in Liposarcoma; Crozat et al, 1993; Rabbits et al., 1993), a new member of the EWS family of proteins. Expression of pigpen is regulated during the transition between active and quiescent endothelial cell phenotypes. Both mRNA and overall protein levels are maintained at a steady level in actively growing cells. The number of nuclear granules increases as cultures approach confluency. When cells reach confluency, overall expression is sharply reduced and the number of nuclear focal points declines gradually. We observed that reactivation of endothelial cells locally by wounding of confluent cultures resulted in a spatially restricted reactivation of pigpen expression. This pattern of expression, taken together with structural data, suggests that pigpen may function in the growth and differentiation of endothelial cells during angiogenesis.

Amiloride inhibition of angiogenesis in vitro

Angiogenesis is important to such processes as normal embryonic development and tissue growth, and is also a central feature of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and the growth of solid tumors. Understanding the basic events governing angiogenesis has therefore attracted great interest. The ion channel blocking agent, amiloride, has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis in an in vivo model (Lansing et al., '91). This suggested a vital role for Na(+)-coupled transport processes in angiogenesis. A large number of structural analogues of amiloride have been synthesized (Kleyman and Cragoe, '88), and many of these are well characterized with respect to biological activity. These analogues present an opportunity to dissect the process of angiogenesis and identify potentially important physiological events. In this report we describe the effects of amiloride on an in vitro model for angiogenesis employing vascularized tissue explants. Amiloride inhibits capillary morphogenesis completely and reversibly at concentrations as low as 134 microM. It appears to act by blocking endothelial cell proliferation, but not migration. Inhibition is heightened by the introduction of hydrophobic groups on the terminal guanidino nitrogen atom, or on the 5-amino position. An analogue substituted at both of these positions is 30-fold more potent than the parent compound. Of amiloride's known biological activities, these results most closely correlate with the inhibition of Ca2+ transport processes, and thereby suggest an important role for Ca2+ transport in capillary morphogenesis.

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for quantitating plasma levels of amiloride and its analogues

An assay for amiloride was devised for efficient use with the wide variety of analogues available. Amiloride was extracted from 1-ml plasma samples by elution from a C8 preparative column with 6% acetonitrile-45% methanol-5.4% acetic acid, adjusted to pH 4.0 with trimethylamine. Samples were lyophilized, resuspended in 50% methanol, filtered through 0.22-microns Spin-X cartridges, applied to a reversed-phase C18 column, and eluted in a 0-50% acetonitrile gradient in 0.4% acetic acid, pH 4.5 (1.2 ml/min). Detection by ultraviolet absorbance at 360 nm was linear from 1 to 1000 ng. Versatility of the method was demonstrated with the analogues benzamil, 6-hydro-, 6-iodo-, 5-hexamethylene-, and 5-chlorobenzyl-2',4'-dimethylbenzyl-amiloride.

Deployment of extracellular matrix proteins in sea urchin embryogenesis

The apical extracellular matrix of the sea urchin embryo, known as the hyaline layer (HL), is a multi-laminate organelle composed of at least 10 polypeptides. Although integrated into one ECM, HL proteins exhibit individual temporal and spatial dynamics throughout development. These molecules are stockpiled in the oocyte during vitellogenesis in at least four distinct vesicle populations. They are released onto the cell surface at fertilization in a specific order, and interact differentially with embryonic cells as development proceeds. Many experiments have suggested that the HL is vital for embryogenesis, but relatively little is known about the functions and interactions of its constituent molecules. The purpose of the present review has been to gather information on the basic characteristics of the known HL proteins together with data on their expression in the embryo, and where possible, their biological activities. Compiled, these observations may provide some insight into the workings of a uniquely embryonic organelle.

On the ultrastructure of hyalin, a cell adhesion protein of the sea urchin embryo extracellular matrix

Hyalin is a large (ca. 350 x 10(3) kD by gel electrophoresis) molecule that contributes to the hyalin layer surrounding the sea urchin embryo. In previous work a mAb (McA Tg-HYL), specific for hyalin, was found to inhibit cell-hyalin adhesion and block morphogenesis of whole embryos (Adelson, D. L., and T. D. Humphreys. 1988. Development. 104:391-402). In this report, hyalin ultrastructure was examined via rotary shadowing. Hyalin appeared to be a filamentous molecule approximately 75-nm long with a globular "head" about 12 nm in diameter that tended to form aggregates by associating head to head. Hyalin molecules tended to associate with a distinct high molecular weight globular particle ("core"). In fractions containing the core particle often more than one hyalin molecule were seen to be associated with the core. The core particle maintained a tenacious association with hyalin throughout purification procedures. The site(s) of McA Tg-HYL binding to the hyalin molecule were visualized by decorating purified hyalin with the antibody and then rotary shadowing the complex. In these experiments, McA Tg-HYL attached to the hyalin filament near the head region in a pattern suggesting that more than one antibody binding site exists on the hyalin filament. From the ultrastructural data and from the cell adhesion data presented earlier we conclude that hyalin is a filamentous molecule that binds to other hyalin molecules and contains multiple cell binding sites. Attempts were made to demonstrate the existence of lower molecular weight hyalin precursors. Whilst no such precursors could be identified by immunoprecipitation of in vivo labeled embryo lysates, immunoprecipitation of in vitro translation products suggested such precursors (ca 40 x 10(3) kD) might exist.

The structure and activities of echinonectin: a developmentally regulated cell adhesion glycoprotein with galactose-specific lectin activity

The extracellular matrix of the sea urchin embryo contains a 230 kD homodimeric glycoprotein known as echinonectin (EN). EN contains a cell attachment domain as well as a galactose-specific lectin activity. Cell attachment to EN is differentially regulated in the three primary germ layers, endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm. Prior to gastrulation all embryonic cells adhere equally to EN-coated substrates, but during gastrulation primary mesenchyme cells lose affinity for EN, ectoderm cells increase their binding to the molecule, and cells of the endoderm maintain a similar or slightly lowered level of binding. The mechanisms governing these adhesive changes and the specific functions they serve in development are not currently understood. They are timed to coincide with distinct morphogenetic events such as primary mesenchyme cell ingression and archenteron formation, suggesting that regulated adhesion to EN plays at least a permissive role in early morphogenesis.

Tissue-specific, temporal changes in cell adhesion to echinonectin in the sea urchin embryo

Echinonectin is a dimeric, glycoprotein found in the hyaline layer of the developing sea urchin embryo. It was found that echinonectin supports adhesion of embryonic cells in vitro. Previous studies have shown that the protein hyalin also supports adhesion. The purpose of this study was to examine the specificity of cell-echinonectin interactions during sea urchin development. Primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) ingress into the blastocoel during gastrulation. In the process the PMCs lose contact with the hyaline layer. It was found experimentally that differentiating PMCs decreased their adhesion to hyalin at the time of ingression. It was of interest, therefore, to determine whether there was a coordinate loss of adhesion to echinonectin at ingression as well. When cell-echinonectin interactions were quantified using a centrifugal force-based adhesion assay, it was shown that micromeres adhered well to echinonectin. At the time of ingression, PMCs displayed reduced adhesion to echinonectin just as had been found when hyalin was tested as a substrate. There was no change in adhesion of presumptive ectoderm or endoderm to echinonectin over the same time period. Early in gastrulation presumptive ectoderm and endoderm adhered to echinonectin only half as strongly as to equimolar concentrations of hyalin. After gastrulation endoderm cells were observed to retain the same relative affinity to hyalin and echinonectin, while ectoderm cells became equally adhesive for both hyalin and echinonectin. Quantitatively, this represents an overall increase in the affinity of ectodermal cells for echinonectin. Adhesion to combined substrata of echinonectin and hyalin was reduced but not abolished by monoclonal antibodies specific for echinonectin. The antibodies did not cross-react with hyalin. We conclude that both echinonectin and hyalin independently act as adhesive substrata for the developing sea urchin embryo. PMCs lose an affinity for echinonectin and ectodermal cells later increase their affinity for this substrate.

In vitro biological activities of echinonectin

Echinonectin (EN) is a 230-kDa extracellular matrix glycoprotein found in the hyaline layer of sea urchin embryos. Dissociated embryonic cells attached strongly to EN-coated microtiter wells in a centrifugal-based in vitro adhesion assay, suggesting that EN is one of the hyaline layer proteins to which cells adhere in vivo (Alliegro et al., 1988). The present study examines the molecular properties of that adhesion using monoclonal antibodies as probes to block cell attachment, and also demonstrates that EN possesses lectin activity. EN binds tenaciously to agarose-based chromatography resins, such as Sepharose. The sugar-binding activity is associated with the polypeptide component of EN, and not with the carbohydrate moiety. Binding is inhibited with galactose and fucoidan, but not with glucose or locust bean gum. Although functional sites both for polysaccharide binding and for cell attachment are present on each subunit of the EN molecule, the sites appear to be functionally distinct because galactose and fucoidan are completely without effect on cell attachment in vitro. Proteolytic digestion of EN yields a highly limited set of immunoreactive peptides. Digestion with trypsin yields a 20-kDa fragment, chymotrypsin, a doublet at 20 kDa, and 20- and 23-kDa fragments with thermolysin. McAb's directed against these peptides block cell adhesion in vitro, suggesting that they possess the cell attachment domain of EN. This is supported by the observations that trypsin-digested EN is an effective substrate in adhesion assays and that adhesion to the tryptic fragments is also blocked by McAb's to the 20-kDa domain.

Echinonectin: a new embryonic substrate adhesion protein

An extracellular matrix molecule has been purified from sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) embryos. Based on its functional properties and on its origin, this glycoprotein has been given the name "echinonectin." Echinonectin is a 230-kD dimer with a unique bow tie shape when viewed by electron microscopy. The molecule is 12 nm long, 8 nm wide at the ends, and narrows to approximately 4 nm at the middle. It is composed of two 116-kD U-shaped subunits that are attached to each other by disulfide bonds at their respective apices. Polyclonal antibodies were used to localize echinonectin in paraffin-embedded, sectioned specimens by indirect immunofluorescence. The protein is stored in vesicles or granules in unfertilized eggs, is released after fertilization, and later becomes localized on the apical surface of ectoderm cells in the embryo. When used as a substrate in a quantitative in vitro assay, echinonectin is highly effective as an adhesive substrate for dissociated embryonic cells. Because of the quantity, pattern of appearance, distribution, and adhesive characteristics of this protein, we suggest that echinonectin serves as a substrate adhesion molecule during sea urchin development.

Storage and mobilization of extracellular matrix proteins during sea urchin development

After fertilization, sea urchin embryos surround themselves with an extracellular matrix, or hyaline layer, to which cells adhere during early development. Hyalin, the major protein component of the hyaline layer has been isolated and partially characterized in several laboratories. Although other proteins are present in the hyaline layer, little is known about their origin, distribution, or functions. The present report characterizes a set of hyaline layer proteins that are secreted after fertilization from a class of vesicles that are distinct from cortical granules. The group of proteins in these vesicles were identified by a monoclonal antibody (8d11) which recognizes a carbohydrate epitope common to each of these molecules. 8d11 polypeptides range in molecular weight from 105 to 225 kDa. Oogonia and oocytes in early stages of vitellogenesis do not express the antigen. The proteins are first observed by immunofluorescence during oogenesis as a peripheral band in mid-vitellogenic oocytes. Following germinal vesicle breakdown 8d11 moves to be distributed evenly throughout the cytoplasm. The proteins are transported to the egg surface by a cytochalasin-sensitive mechanism after fertilization, and secreted predominately within the first 30 min of development. 8d11 proteins are depleted in areas of cell contact during early embryogenesis, and become concentrated on the apical surface of ectoderm cells where they are assembled into high-molecular-weight aggregates. Three of the molecules in this group may be proteins previously described as "apical lamina" proteins. These observations provide evidence of a third pathway (cortical granules and basal lamina granules being the other two) for synthesis, storage, and exocytosis of matrix proteins that are release after fertilization.

Immunocytochemical localization of the 35-kDa sea urchin egg trypsin-like protease and its effects upon the egg surface

Trypsin-like protease in sea urchin eggs is thought to reside in cortical granules since it is secreted at fertilization and has been isolated with cortical granule fractions from unfertilized eggs. A 35-kDa serine protease has been purified from Strongylocentrotus purpuratus eggs by soybean trypsin inhibitor-affinity chromatography. For this report the protease was localized by immunocytochemistry before and after fertilization, and its potential biological activity was examined by application of the isolated enzyme to the unfertilized egg surface. The protease was localized on sections by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy, and was found to reside in the spiral lamellae of S. purpuratus cortical granules and in the electron-dense stellate core of Arbacia punctulata granules. At fertilization the enzyme is secreted into the perivitelline space and accumulates only very briefly between the hyaline layer and the nascent fertilization envelope. Shortly thereafter the enzyme is lost from the perivitelline space and immunological reactivity is no longer associated with the egg surface. The 35-kDa cortical granule protease has vitelline delaminase activity but does not appear to destroy vitelline envelope sperm receptors as judged by the fertility of protease-treated eggs.

Characterization of soybean trypsin inhibitor sensitive protease from unfertilized sea urchin eggs

A serine protease from sea urchin eggs has been isolated by affinity chromatography on soybean trypsin inhibitor-agarose. Benzamidine hydrochloride was included to minimize autodegradation. We present data on the properties of the protease with respect to molecular weight and its interaction with trypsin inhibitors and substrates. The molecular weight of the enzyme is 47 000 by gel filtration under nonreducing conditions and 35 000 by electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and dithiothreitol. The pH optimum and Km with N alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester (BAEE) are 8.0 and 75 microM, respectively. The specific activity is comparable to that of bovine pancreatic trypsin. Proteolytic activity was measured by beta-casein hydrolysis. The caseinolytic activity is completely inhibited by 1 mumol of soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) per micromole of enzyme. BAEE esterase activity is inhibited competitively by SBTI (Ki = 1.6 nM), lima bean trypsin inhibitor (150 nM), chicken ovomucoid (100 nM), and leupeptin (130 nM). Bowman-Birk inhibitor, benzamidine hydrochloride, and antipain are also inhibitors of the purified enzyme. Inhibition by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride and N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone indicates the presence of serine and histidine residues in the active center, respectively. The chymotrypsin inhibitor L-1-(tosylamido)-2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone is ineffective. The protease is susceptible to autodegradation which can result in the appearance of a minor 23-kilodalton component. The egg protease appears to be similar in many respects to trypsins and trypsin-like enzymes isolated from a wide variety of sources, including sea urchin and mammalian sperm.

Polyspermy inhibition in the oyster, Crassostrea virginica

Inhibition of polyspermy is a critical response during fertilization which ensures that only one sperm nucleus will fuse with the female pronucleus to restore the diploid state. Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) eggs prevent polyspermy by a process occurring at the cell surface. However, 5 min after fertilization, there are still functional sperm receptor sites available for penetration by supernumerary sperm. Reinsemination experiments indicate that there is no decrease in the number of penetration sites during this interval. Yet, the number of sperm entering eggs is restricted to one per fertilized egg at a sperm:egg ratio of 1000:1. At a sperm:egg ratio of 10(5):1, an average of only six sperm were able to penetrate each egg. Gamete binding experiments indicate that there is a gradual decrease in the number of sperm bound to eggs starting at approximately 75 sec and continuing until all sperm are detached. Since eggs are fertilized within seconds of insemination and this process takes at least 12 min, it is considered an unlikely mechanism for the polyspermy block. There are no ultrastructural correlates to the polyspermy block nor to the unbinding of sperm, such as secretion of cortical granules or fertilization envelope formation. Based on reinsemination experiments, kinetic data, and ultrastructural observations, we suggest a physiological block to polyspermy which prevents fusion of gamete plasma membranes, and is mediated by an inhibitory effect directly upon the sperm.