Search results for "Cell Fusion"
showing 10 items of 30 documents
Rett Syndrome Mutant Neural Cells Lacks MeCP2 Immunoreactive Bands.
2016
Dysfunctions of MeCP2 protein lead to various neurological disorders such as Rett syndrome and Autism. The exact functions of MeCP2 protein is still far from clear. At a molecular level, there exist contradictory data. MeCP2 protein is considered a single immunoreactive band around 75 kDa by western-blot analysis but several reports have revealed the existence of multiple MeCP2 immunoreactive bands above and below the level where MeCP2 is expected. MeCP2 immunoreactive bands have been interpreted in different ways. Some researchers suggest that multiple MeCP2 immunoreactive bands are unidentified proteins that cross-react with the MeCP2 antibody or degradation product of MeCP2, while others…
Characterization of cells involved in the formation of granuloma. An ultrastructural study on macrophages, epitheloid cells, and giant cells in exper…
1981
In experimental tubulo-interstitial (anti-basement membrane) nephritis of the rat, granulomatous inflammation develops around immunologically altered tubular basement membranes. The present light- and electron microscopic studies indicate that in the course of the granulomatous reaction, tissue monocytes evolve from blood monocytes and pursue two independent pathways of differentation. On the one hand they may differentiate into macrophages ("distant from tubules") or, alternatively, into epitheloid cells ("adjacent to tubules"). The latter, through cell fusion, develop into multinucleated giant cells of the Langhans' type. The cytoplasmic components of the epitheloid cells and the multinuc…
Heterogeneous response to differentiation induction with different polar compounds in a clonal rat rhabdomyosarcoma cell line (BA-HAN-1C)
1989
The clonal rat rhabdomyosarcoma cell line BA-HAN-1C was tested for its susceptibility to differentiation induction with different polar compounds. This cell line is composed of proliferating mononuclear tumour cells, some of which spontaneously fuse to form terminally differentiated postmitotic myotube-like giant cells. Exposure of BA-HAN-1C cells to dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO), hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), sodium butyrate (NaBut) and N-monomethylformamide (NMF) resulted in a significant inhibition of proliferation (P less than 0.001) and in a simultaneous increase in differentiation. The response was most pronounced after exposure to NMF as evidenced by a marked increase in the creatin…
Dendritic cell-tumor cell hybrids and immunotherapy: what's next?
2011
Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells currently being used as a cellular adjuvant in cancer immunotherapy strategies. Unfortunately, DC-based vaccines have not demonstrated spectacular clinical results. DC loading with tumor antigens and DC differentiation and activation still require optimization. An alternative technique for providing antigens to DC consists of the direct fusion of dendritic cells with tumor cells. These resulting hybrid cells may express both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules associated with tumor antigens and the appropriate co-stimulatory molecules required for T-cell activation. Initially tested in animal models, …
Characterization of fusion from without induced by herpes simplex virus
1991
The process of fusion from without (FFWO) induced by herpes simplex virus (HSV) was analyzed by using various inhibitors and compared to fusion from within (FFWI). The fate of certain elements of the cytoskeleton after FFWO was also investigated. Our experiments demonstrate FFWO as a very suitable system for study of early virus-cell interactions. Zn++ ions proved inhibitory for penetration whilst pretreatment of cells with Ca++ ions before infection enhanced FFWO activity. Dissociation of penetration from the fusion process itself was possible by use of Zn++ ions, low pH-treatment and antiserum on the one hand and N-ethylmaleimide and cytochalasin D on the other. Penetration itself needs o…
Differentiation of herpes simplex virus-induced fusion from without and fusion from within by cyclosporin A and compound 48/80.
1991
Treating strains of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in culture with either cyclosporin A or compound 48/80, allowed the strains to be divided into two groups. Group 1 contains the strains ANG and HFEM of HSV-1 and Lux syn (HSV-2) producing fusion from within (FFWI) and fusion from without (FFWO). Cyclosporin A fails to inhibit both types of fusion at concentrations up to 100 microM. Strains ANG and HFEM belong to the syn 3 marker locus group identified for HSV-1. Group 2 contains all other fusion-producing strains of HSV tested so far. Cyclosporin A inhibits FFWI at concentrations as low as 10 to 20 microM. These strains belong to the syn locus marker groups 1, 2, 4 and 5. From the fact that mut…
Fusion of bone-marrow-derived cells with Purkinje neurons, cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes
2003
Recent studies have suggested that bone marrow cells possess a broad differentiation potential, being able to form new liver cells, cardiomyocytes and neurons1,2. Several groups have attributed this apparent plasticity to ‘transdifferentiation’3,4,5. Others, however, have suggested that cell fusion could explain these results6,7,8,9. Using a simple method based on Cre/lox recombination to detect cell fusion events, we demonstrate that bone-marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) fuse spontaneously with neural progenitors in vitro. Furthermore, bone marrow transplantation demonstrates that BMDCs fuse in vivo with hepatocytes in liver, Purkinje neurons in the brain and cardiac muscle in the heart, resul…
In vitro fusion of phagosomes with different endocytic organelles from J774 macrophages.
1998
We describe novel biochemical and electron microscopy assays to investigate in vitro fusion of latex bead phagosomes with three different endocytic organelle fractions from J774 macrophages. After formation, early phagosomes fuse avidly with early and late endosomes and for a longer period of time with lysosomes, but they subsequently become fusion-incompetent. The fusion of early, but not late, phagosomes with all three endocytic fractions could be significantly stimulated by Rab5. In contrast to other cell types investigated, this Rab is uniquely enriched on both early and late endosomes in J774 macrophages. Moreover, exogenous Rab5 stimulates homotypic fusion between both sets of organel…
Down-regulation of transcription factors AP-1, Sp-1, and NF-kappa B precedes myocyte differentiation.
1996
Terminal differentiation of myocytes involves withdrawal from the cell cycle, induction of myogenin expression, and finally formation of myotubes. To study the factors that regulate the initial phase of muscle differentiation, we analyzed the binding activities of transcription factors AP-1, Sp-1, and NF-kappa B in L6, C2C12, and rhabdomyosarcoma BA-Han-1C cells. Temporal changes in transcription factor binding activities were compared to the activation of myogenin promoter-driven CAT reporter gene and the expression level of myogenin, a master gene of myogenic differentiation. We observed a prominent decrease in the nuclear binding activities of AP-1, Sp-1, and NF-kappa B already 12 to 24 …
Loss of surface fibronectin after infection of cultured cells by HSV-1 and 2
1985
Fibronectin is lost from the surface of HSV infected cells during cell rounding. In order to investigate also the fate of fibronectin during the process of HSV-induced cell-fusion, BHK, Vero as well as primary or secondary rabbit kidney cells were infected with HSV-1 strains producing cell-fusion. By immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy a considerable loss of fibronectin after HSV infection could be demonstrated leaving only irregular clumps of fibronectin containing virus particles on the cell surface. Decrease and disarrangement of fibronectin was similar during cell rounding and cell fusion. Loss of Fibronectin was closely connected with the two types of the cytopathic effect…