• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.804-811
• /
• 2013

Melanopsin is an opsin-like photopigment found in the small proportion of photosensitive ganglion cells of the retina. It is involved in the regulation of the synchronization of the circadian cycle as well as in the control of pupillary light reflex. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether melanopsin is also expressed in the other areas of the central visual system outside the retina. We have studied the distribution and morphology of neurons containing melanopsin in the mouse visual cortex with antibody immunocytochemistry. Melanopsin immunoreactivity was mostly present in neuronal soma, but not in nuclei. We found that melanopsin was present in a large subset of neurons within the adult mouse visual cortex with the highest density in layer II/III. In layer I of the visual cortex, melanopsin-immunoreactive (IR) neurons were rarely encountered. In the mouse visual cortex, the majority of the melanopsin-IR neurons consisted of round/oval cells, but was varied in morphology. Vertical fusiform and pyramidal cells were also rarely labeled with the anti-melanopsin antibody. The labeled cells did not show any distinctive distributional pattern. Some melanopsin-IR neurons in mouse visual cortex co-localized with nitricoxide synthase, calbindin and parvalbumin. Our data indicate that melanopsin is located in specific neurons and surprisingly widespread in visual cortex. This finding raises the need of the functional study of melanopsin in central visual areas outside the retina.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
• /
• 1995.06b
• /
• pp.27-53
• /
• 1995

In plant pathology there is an increasing necessity for improved cytological techniques as basis for the localization of cellular substances within the dynamic fine structure of the host-(plant)-pathogen-interaction. Low temperature (LT) preparation techniques (shock freezing, freeze substitution, LT embedding) are now successfully applied in plant pathology. They are regarded as important tools to stabilize the dynamic plant-pathogen-interaction as it exists under physiological conditions. - The main advantage of LT techniques versus conventional chemical fixation is seen in the maintenance of the hydration shell of molecules and macromolecular structures. This results in an improved fine structural preservation and in a superior retention of the antigenicity of proteins. - A well defined ultrastructure of small, fungal organisms and large biological samples such as plant material and as well as the plant-pathogen (fungus) infection sites are presented. The mesophyll tissue of Arabidopsis thaliana is characterized by homogeneously structured cytoplasm closely attached to the cell wall. From analyses of the compatible interaction between Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei on barley (Hordeum vulgare), various steps in the infection sequence can be identified. Infection sites of powdery mildew on primary leaves of barley are analysed with regard to the fine structural preservation of the haustoria. The presentation s focussed on the ultrastructure of the extrahaustorial matrix and the extrahaustorial membrane. - The integration of improved cellular preservation with a molecular analysis of the infected host cell is achieved by the application of secondary probing techniques, i.e. immunocytochemistry. Recent data on the characterization of freeze substituted powdery mildew and urst infected plant tissue by immunogold methodology are described with special emphasis on the localization of THRGP-like (threonine-hydrxyproline-rich glycoprotein) epitopes. Infection sites of powdery mildew on barley, stem rust as well as leaf rust (Puccinia recondita) on primary leaves of wheat were probed with a polyclonal antiserum to maize THRGP. Cross-reactivity with the anti-THRGP antiserum was observed over the extrahaustorial matrix of the both compatible and incompatible plant-pathogen interactions. The highly localized accumulation of THRGP-like epitopes at the extrahaustorial host-pathogen interface suggests the involvement of structural, interfacial proteins during the infection of monocotyledonous plants by obligate, biotrophic fungi.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.377-383
• /
• 2002

We have detected the murine zinc transporter, ZnT3, and zinc ions in the mouse choroid plexus by immunocytochemistry (ICC) and zinc selenium autometallography ($ZnSe^{AMG}$), respectively. BALB/c mice served as experimental animals. Routine floating ABC immunocytochemical procedures were used for the ZnT3 immunocytochemistry, and the mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with sodium selenide (10 mg/kg) for the zinc selenium autometallography. The choroid plexus showed weak immunoreactivity (Ir) for ZnT3. At high magnification, ZnT3-Ir was seen to be located in the choroid epithelium and the connective tissue of the capillaries. At the EM level, a high electron density of ZnT3-immunoreactivity was restricted to vesicle membranes as well as microvilli in the apical membrane. In contrast, immunostaining of ZnT3 was completely absent in the basolateral plasma membrane and other cell organelles. After silver enhancement, fine $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains were observed in both the epithelial and endothelial cells of the choroid plexus. Few $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains present in the cell bodies of the choroid epithelial cells were located in multivesicular bodies. It is striking that very many $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains were observed in the endothelial cells of the capillaries. These findings establish the choroid plexus as a non-neuronal pool of zinc ions in the brain, although the functional significance of this pool is not clear. The choroid epithelium, however, may play an important role in the transportation of zinc between the CSF and brain tissue.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.311-320
• /
• 2002

The objective of this study was to assess the developmental potential in vitro produced embryos frozen-thawed with the various containers, and also examined expression and localization of heat shock protein 70 at these embryos. For the vitrification, 2-cell, 8-cell and blastocyst stage embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and nuclear transfer (NT) were exposed the ethylene glycol 5.5 M freezing solution (EC 5.5) for 30 sec, loaded on each containers such EM grid, straw and cryo-loop, and then immediately plunged into liquid nitrogen. Thawed embryos were serially diluted in sucrose solution, each for 1 min. and cultured in CRI-aa medium. Survival rates of the vitrification production were assessed by re-expanded, hatched blastocysts. There were no differences in the survival rates of IVF using EM grid and cryo-loop. However, survival rates by straw were relatively lower than other containers. The use of cryo-loop resulted in only survival of nuclear transferred embryos (43.7%). Also, there embryos after IVF or NT were analysed by semi-quantitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) methods for hsp 70 mRNA expression. Results revealed the expression of hsp 70 mRNh were higher thawed embryos than control embryos. Immunocytochemistry used to localize the hsp 70 protein in embryos. Two and 8-cell embryos derived under control condition was evenly distributed in the cytoplasm but appeared as aggregates in some frozen-thawed embryos. However, in the control, blastocysts displayed aggregate signal while Hsp70 in frozen-thawed blastocysts appeared to be more uniform In distribution. Therefore, this result suggests that the exploiting Hsp 70 in the early embryos may be role for protection of stress condition for increase viability of embryos within IVF, NT and there frozen-thawed embryos.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.131-140
• /
• 2006

Neurofascin, one of the members of L1CAM, has been known to have some important roles during the development of nerve fibers. In order to investigate the role of neurofascin associated with the myelination of peripheral nerves, the localization of neurofascin in myelinated rat sciatic nerve fibers was studied with the immuno-fluorescence and immune-electron microscopy and the results are as follows; 1. According to the myelination is going on, neurofascin localization was dramatically changed in the sciatic nerve fibers. 2. In the myelinated fibers, neurofascin was weakly localized along the axolemma at the node of Ranvier. 3. Neurofascin was also apparantly localized at the non-compact area of Schwann cell membrane such as paranodal loop, Schmidt-Lantermann incisure, inner & outer mesaxons in the myelinated fibers. From the above results, neurofascin is likely to have a role to sustain the ideal gap of apposing membranes of Schwann cell, so it may enable to materials transport in the myelin sheath.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.16 no.9
• /
• pp.6425-6431
• /
• 2015

Invertase, that hydrolyzes sucrose into glucose and fructose, plays a great role in carbohydrate reallocation between the photosynthetic source tissue and various sink tissues. Invertase also occurs in a variety of isoforms for various functions in plants. Insoluble invertases were extracted only in buffer solutions containing high concentrations of salt. Within these classes, acid invertase has an optimum activity at acidic pH (pH 4-5). Induction of insoluble acid invertase (INAC-INV) in leaf, stem, and root tissues in response to physical wounding has been investigated. To detect the localization of INAC-INV within the plant, immunolocalization has been performed. In this study, the accumulation of INAC-INV was noticeable to reach maximum levels on 72 hr after mechanical injuries. INAC-INV was induced in wounded leaves 3 times more than control leaves. Immunolocalization results showed that INAC-INV accumulated in wall appositions and intercellular spaces. INAC-INV was also localized at sieve cell walls in phloem tissues close to the site of wounding. Taken together, this study suggested that INAC-INV induction upon wounding injuries can play a role on responses to the high energy demand for wound healing process.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.285-294
• /
• 2004

We investigated the morphology, distribution and synaptic connectivity of cholinergic neurons in the mouse retina by immunocytochemistry, using antisera against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). ChAT-immunoreactive amacrine cells fall into two groups according to the localization of their somas in the retina: one is situated in the inner nuclear layer (INL), near the border of the inner plexiform layer (IPL), and the other is displaced in the ganglion cell layer (GCL). The dendrites of amacrine cells from the INL ramify in sublamina a and that of the displaced amacrine cells ramify in sublamina b of the IPL. Double labeling with an antisera against ChAT and r-aminobutyric acid (GABA) demonstrated that these labeled cells formed a subpopulation of GABAergic amacrine cells. The synaptic connectivity of ChAT-immunoreactive amacrine cells was identified in the IPL by electron microscopy. The most frequent synaptic input of ChAT-labeled amacrine cells was from bipolar cells in both sublaminae a and b of the IPL, followed by labeled amacrine cells and unlabeled amacrine cells. Their primary output targets were onto ganglion cells in both sublaminae a and b and output onto ganglion cells was more frequently observed in sublamina b of the IPL. Our results suggest that cholinergic amacrine cells in the mouse retina are very similar to their counter parts in other mammals, and they can attribute a major role in the pathway feeding into directionally selective ganglion cells.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.1 no.3
• /
• pp.483-489
• /
• 1997

This study was performed to investigate the differentiation and distribution of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT}-immunoreactive cells in the magnacellular preoptic nucleus (MCPO) of the postnatal and adult rat forebrains, utilizing techniques of immunocytochemistry. According to the cell shape and the ratio of long axis versus short axis of cell soma, the ChATimmunoreactive nerve cells in the MCPO were classified into six types: 1) round, 2) oval, 3) elongated, 4) fusiform, 5) triangular, and 6) polygonal types. Frequency distributions of the oval and round nerve cells on the postnatal day (PND) 0 were observed to be high. But in the adult, frequency distributions of the same cells were shown to decrease. Compared to those of the postnatal rats, frequency distributions of elongated, fusiform, triangular, and polygonal nerve cells in the adult were increased. The total mean volumes of ChAT-immunoreactive cell somata in the MCPO of PND 0 rat were the lowest, while those in the PND 17 rat were shown to be the highest and decreased in the adult. The soma volumes of the immunoreactive cells at the PND 17 were evenly distributed, but those in the other developmental stages (e.g. PND 7 and adult) appeared to exhibit unimodal distributions. On the electron micrography, the free ribosomes, polysomes, and rough endoplasmic reticula (RER) of the nerve cells in the MCPO of PND 21 rat forebrains were immunoreactive to ChAT in the tissues untreated with triton X-100. According to the observations in the present study, it is considered that the ChAT-immunoreactive nerve cells in the MCPO of the rat forebrains are differentiated throughout the following processes during the postnatal development: 1) increase in cell soma volumes, 2) development of neurites, 3) increase in the frequency of differentiated cell types, and 4) decrease in cell soma volumes. The ribosomes, polysomes, and RER are considered to be closely related to the intracellular localization and biosynthesis of the ChAT but not Golgi complex.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.93-98
• /
• 2009

In this study, bovine Dnmt1 cDNA was sequenced and detected Dnmt1 mRNA level in bovine tissues by northern blot, methylation pattern of genome by southern blot, specific localization of Dnmt1 in mouse and bovine preimplantation embryos by immunocytostaining and Dnmt1 protein level in ovary and testis by western blot. Bovine Dnmt1 cDNA sequence showed more homology with that of human than mouse and rat. The RNA level of Dnmt1 was 10 times higher expression in placenta than other tissues. This indicates that placenta was hypermethylated compared to others organs. The genomic DNA could not be cut by a specific restriction enzyme (HpaII) in placenta, lung and liver of bovine. It suggests that Dnmt1 in some somatic cells was already methylated. Dnmt1, which has the antibody epitope 1316~1616, was distributed in nucleus and cytoplasm including the stage of pronuclear stage and maturation of oocyte and gradually weaken to blastocyst stage compare to negative. In addition, Dnmt1 was strongly expressed in tetraploid embryo and cloned 8-cell than IVF 8-cell. An aberrant pattern of DNA methylation in cloned embryo may be abnormal development of fetus, embryonic lethality and placenta dysfunction. The somatic specific band (190kDa) was appeared in ovary and testis, but oocyte specific band (175kDa) was not. Further investigations are necessary to understand the complex links between the methyltransferases and the transcriptional activity of genes in the cloned bovine tissues.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.402-408
• /
• 2015

Protein O-GlcNAcylation, dictated by cellular UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) levels, plays a crucial role in posttranslational modifications. The enzyme GlcNAc kinase (NAGK, E.C. 2.7.1.59) catalyzes the formation of GlcNAc-6-phosphate, which is a major substrate for the biosynthesis of UDP-GlcNAc. Recent studies have revealed the expression of NAGK in different types of cells especially in neuronal dendrites. Here, by immunocytochemistry (ICC) and immunonucleochemistry (INC) of cultured rat hippocampal neurons, HEK293T and GT1-7 cells, we have showed that NAGK immuno-reactive punctae being present in the nucleoplasm colocalized with small nuclear ribonucleoprotein-associated protein N (snRNPN) and p54NRB, which are speckle and paraspeckle markers, respectively. Furthermore, NAGK IR cluster was also found to be colocalized with GTF2H5 (general transcription factor IIH, polypeptide 5) immuno reactive punctae. In addition, relative localization to the ring of nuclear lamin matrix and to GlcNAc, which is highly enriched in nuclear pore complexes, showed that NAGK surrounds the nucleus at the cytoplasmic face of the nuclear outer membrane. By in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) we confirmed the colocalization of NAGK with snRNPN in the nucleus and in dendrites, while we also verified the interactions of NAGK with p54NRB, and with GTF2H5 in the nucleus. These associations between NAGK with speckle, paraspeckle and general transcription factor suggest its regulatory roles in gene expression.