Abstract
The reaction of embryonic chick heart cells grown in tissue culture to specific guinea pig antiserum has been studied with electron microscopy. Heart fragments from chick embryos were cultured with a plasma clot. After being tested with antiserum or normal serum, they were fixed with buffered osmium tetroxide and embedded in butyl methacrylate before removal from the glass culture chamber. Thin cells found by phase microscopy to have reacted were sectioned in a plane parallel to the glass surface on which they had grown. The results confirm and extend observations made previously while the reactions were occurring. The plasma membrane, like that of the red cell, becomes disrupted or less resistant to trauma following the action of antiserum. The membranes of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum vesiculate and swell. Before nuclear shrinkage becomes prominent, the outer nuclear membrane separates over a large portion of the nuclear envelope and forms one or more large swollen blebs. Thus, the outer nuclear membrane shows a reactivity similar to endoplasmic reticulum. It is suggested that the various physical and chemical changes observed to follow the action of antibody and complement on fibroblasts may be explained by osmotic pressure differences between various cell components. Some basic similarities to the action of hemolytic agents on red cells are noted.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.1 MB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- ANDERSON N. G. On the nuclear envelope. Science. 1953 May 15;117(3046):517–521. doi: 10.1126/science.117.3046.517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- ANDERSON N. G., WILBUR K. M. Studies on isolated cell components. IV. The effect of various solutions on the isolated rat liver nucleus. J Gen Physiol. 1952 May;35(5):781–796. doi: 10.1085/jgp.35.5.781. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HORN E. C. Ascites tumor development. II. Cytotoxicity of various antisera prepared against Ehrlich ascites tumor cell components. Cancer Res. 1956 Aug;16(7):595–599. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hogeboom G. H., Schneider W. C. On the Nuclear Envelope. Science. 1953 Oct 9;118(3067):419–419. doi: 10.1126/science.118.3067.419. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- IMAGAWA D. T., SYVERTON J. T., BITTNER The cytotoxicity of serum for mouse mammary cancer cells. II. The effects upon cells in culture. Cancer Res. 1954 Jan;14(1):8–11. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KALFAYAN B., KIDD J. G. Structural changes produced in Brown-Pearce carcinoma cells by means of a specific antibody and complement. J Exp Med. 1953 Jan;97(1):145–162. doi: 10.1084/jem.97.1.145. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KUTSAKIS A., LATTA H. Cytotoxic effects of specific antiserum and 17-hydroxycorticosterone on cells in tissue culture. Lab Invest. 1957 Jan-Feb;6(1):12–27. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LATTA H., POLT S. S. Sucrose inhibition of resorcinol hemolysis. Science. 1954 Aug 13;120(3111):271–273. doi: 10.1126/science.120.3111.271. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LATTA H. The surface of the mammalian erythrocyte; an electron microscope study of the effect of lipid solvents, fixatives, hypotonicity, and hemolysin (amboceptor) and complement. Blood. 1952 May;7(5):508–521. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LUFT J. H. Permanganate; a new fixative for electron microscopy. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Nov 25;2(6):799–802. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.6.799. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MILLER D. G., HSU T. C. The action of cytotoxic antisera on the HeLa strain of human carcinoma. Cancer Res. 1956 May;16(4):306–312. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- OPIE E. L. Osmotic activity in relation to the movement of water under normal and pathological conditions. Harvey Lect. 1954;50:292–314. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SCHREK R., PRESTON F. W. Toxicity of homologous immune serum to a transplantable tumor: studies using phase microscopy and cinemicrography. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1956 Feb;16(4):1021–1045. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SIEKEVITZ P., WATSON M. L. Cytochemical studies of mitochondria. I. The separation and identification of a membrane fraction from isolated mitochondria. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Nov 25;2(6):639–652. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.6.639. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- TALMAGE D. W. Allergy and immunology. Annu Rev Med. 1957;8:239–256. doi: 10.1146/annurev.me.08.020157.001323. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WISSLER R. W., FLAX M. H. Cytotoxic effects of antitumor serum. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1957 Dec 16;69(4):773–794. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1957.tb49715.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]