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A short-chain analogue of galactosylceramide (6-NBD-amino-hexanoyl-galactosylceramide, C6-NBD-GalCer) was inserted into the apical or the basolateral surface of MDCK cells and transcytosis was monitored by depleting the opposite cell surface of the analogue with serum albumin. In MDCK I cells 32% of the analogue from the apical surface and 9% of the analogue from the basolateral surface transcytosed to the opposite surface per hour. These numbers were very similar to the flow of membrane as calculated from published data on the rate of fluid-phase transcytosis in these cells, demonstrating that C6-NBD-GalCer acted as a marker of bulk membrane flow. It was calculated that in MDCK I cells 155 microns membrane transcytosed per cell per hour in each direction. The fourfold higher percentage transported from the apical surface is explained by the apical to basolateral surface area ratio of 1:4. In MDCK II cells, with an apical to basolateral surface ratio of 1:1, transcytosis of C6-NBD-GalCer was 25% per hour in both directions. Similar numbers were obtained from measuring the fraction of endocytosed C6-NBD-GalCer that subsequently transcytosed. Under these conditions lipid leakage across the tight junction could be excluded, and the vesicular nature of lipid transcytosis was confirmed by the observation that the process was blocked at 17 degrees C. After insertion into one surface of MDCK II cells, the glucosylceramide analogue C6-NBD-GlcCer randomly equilibrated over the two surfaces in 8 h. C6-NBD-GalCer and -GlcCer transcytosed with identical kinetics. Thus no lipid selectivity in transcytosis was observed. Whereas the mechanism by which MDCK cells maintain the different lipid compositions of the two surface domains in the absence of lipid sorting along the transcytotic pathway is unclear, newly synthesized C6-NBD-GlcCer was preferentially delivered to the apical surface of MDCK II cells as compared with C6-NBD-GalCer.

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Enveloped viruses of eukaryotes obtain their membrane by budding through a cellular membrane. Therefore, most frequently the lipid composition of the virion envelope reflects that of the membrane where budding took place. In the case of herpes simplex viruses, nucleocapsids assemble in the nucleus and bud through the inner nuclear membrane. The pathway from the perinuclear space to the extracellular medium is as yet poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the phospholipid composition of extracellular herpes simplex virions differs from that of nuclei isolated from the infected cells. The viral membrane contains threefold higher concentrations of sphingomyelin and phosphatidylserine. These lipids are typically enriched in the Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane. The data are in agreement with a model in which herpes simplex virus, after budding through the inner nuclear membrane, loses its envelope by fusing with the outer nuclear membrane and obtains a new membrane by budding into a compartment late in the exocytotic pathway, very likely the Golgi apparatus or membranes derived from it. Alternatively, because the perinuclear space is continuous with the ER lumen, the virus after its first budding may be transported through the exocytotic pathway without ever leaving the lumen of the subsequent compartments. In that case, either the virions, while budding through the nuclear membrane select for sphingomyelin and phosphatidylserine, or the original lipids of the viral envelope are exchanged for lipids of an exocytotic membrane, most likely by a transient membrane continuity between the virion and the vesicle by which it is surrounded. Light particles, virus-like particles that lack capsid and DNA but contain tegument and envelope proteins, displayed the same lipid composition as complete herpes simplex virions, suggesting that they also acquired their envelope from a Golgi membrane.

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Forssman antigen, a neutral glycosphingolipid carrying five monosaccharides, was localized in epithelial MDCK cells by the immunogold technique. Labeling with a well defined mAb and protein A-gold after freeze-substitution and low temperature embedding in Lowicryl HM20 of aldehyde-fixed and cryoprotected cells, resulted in high levels of specific labeling and excellent retention of cellular ultrastructure compared to ultra-thin cryosections. No Forssman glycolipid was lost from the cells during freeze-substitution as measured by radio-immunostaining of lipid extracts. Redistribution of the glycolipid between membranes did not occur. Forssman glycolipid, abundantly expressed on the surface of MDCK II cells, did not move to neighboring cell surfaces in cocultures with Forssman negative MDCK I cells, even though they were connected by tight junctions. The labeling density on the apical plasma membrane was 1.4-1.6 times higher than basolateral. Roughly two-thirds of the gold particles were found intracellularly. The Golgi complex was labeled for Forssman as were endosomes, identified by endocytosed albumin-gold, and lysosomes, defined by double labeling for cathepsin D. In most cases, the nuclear envelope was Forssman positive, but the labeling density was 10-fold less than on the plasma membrane. Mitochondria and peroxisomes, the latter identified by catalase, remained free of label, consistent with the notion that they do not receive transport vesicles carrying glycosphingolipids. The present method of lipid immunolabeling holds great potential for the localization of other antigenic lipids.

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The success of post-embedding immunocytochemistry depends largely on the preparation methods. The requirements for structural preservation and immunocytochemistry are in some cases contradictory. This is especially the case in the study of lipid-rich structures and the localization of lipid components. Earlier work on freeze-substitution has shown that this method is very promising for the preservation of lipids and the immunocytochemical localization of lipids at the electron microscopical level. In this study we show that freeze-substitution in combination with low temperature embedding in Lowicryl HM20 has fulfilled this promise. Lamellar bodies in alveolar type II cells contain about 90% lipids and are very difficult to preserve in ultrathin cryosections. Lowicryl sections of freeze-substituted lung tissue shows excellent preservation of lamellar bodies in combination with immunogold localization of a hydrophobic surfactant protein. With an antibody against the Forssman glycolipid we demonstrate a highly reproducible intracellular localization of this glycolipid with high specificity and resolution. This method results in the retention of lipids and glycolipids and allows postembedding immunogold labeling.

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In iron-limited environments, the plant-growth-stimulating Pseudomonas putida WCS358 produces a yellow-green fluorescent siderophore called pseudobactin 358. The transcriptional organization and the iron-regulated expression of a major gene cluster involved in the biosynthesis and transport of pseudobactin 358 were analyzed in detail. The cluster comprises a region with a minimum length of 33.5 kilobases and contains at least five transcriptional units, of which some are relatively large. The directions of transcription of four transcriptional units were determined by RNA-RNA hybridization and by analysis in Escherichia coli minicells. The latter also demonstrated that large polypeptides were encoded by these transcriptional units. The results allowed us to localize several promoter regions on the DNA. The iron-dependent expression of at least two genes within this cluster appears to be regulated at the transcriptional level.

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