Open Access
REVIEW
FRANCISCO CAPANI1, EZEQUIEL SARACENO1, VALERIA ROMINA BOTI1, LAURA AON-BERTOLINO1, JUAN CARLOS FERNÁNDEZ1, FERNANDO GATO1, MARIA SOL KRAUSE2, LISANDRO GIRALDEZ3, MARK H. ELLISMAN4, HÉCTOR COIRINI1,2
BIOCELL, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 1-8, 2008, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2008.32.001
Abstract Cellular and subcellular organization and distribution of actin filaments have been studied with various techniques. The use of fluorescence photo-oxidation combined with phalloidin conjugates with eosin has allowed the examination of the precise cellular and subcellular location of F-actin. Correlative fluorescence light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies of F-actin distribution are facilitated with this method for morphological and physiological studies. Because phalloidin-eosin is smaller than other markers, this method allows the analysis of the three-dimensional location of F-actin with high-resolution light microscopy, three-d serial sections reconstructions, and electron tomography. The combination of selective staining and three-dimensional reconstructions provide a… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
MARCOS MORGAN
BIOCELL, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 9-26, 2008, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2008.32.009
Abstract The clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) are single-pass transmembrane proteins that constitute a subfamily within the cadherin superfamily. In mammals, they are arranged in three consecutive clusters named α, β, and γ. These proteins are expressed in the nervous system and are targeted to mature synapses. Interestingly, different neurons express different subsets of isoforms; however, little is known about the functions and expression of the clustered Pcdhs.
Previous phylogenetic analyses that compared rodent and human clusters postulated the recent occurrence of gene duplication events. Using standard phylogenetic methods, I confirmed the prior observations, and I show that duplications are likely to… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
ALICIA WEYERS, LAURA I. UGNIA, HUGO GARCÍA OVANDO, NORA B. GORLA*
BIOCELL, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 27-31, 2008, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2008.32.027
Abstract In the present study, the antioxidant capacity of vitamin C was examined in the liver and the kidney tissues of mice with or without ciprofloxacin (CFX) treatment. The antioxidant capacity of the vitamin was evaluated in terms of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs). The experimental design was 15 days of water (control and CFX groups) or vitamin C (vitamin C and vitamin C plus CFX groups) in drinking water. One dose of CFX was injected, 15 minutes before sacrifice, in the corresponding mice.
The initial nmol of lipid hydroperoxides/g of tissue were 137 ± 11… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
LUIS A. MROGINSKI*, PEDRO A. SANSBERRO, ADRIANA M. SCOCCHI, CLAUDIA LUNA, HEBE Y. REY
BIOCELL, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 33-39, 2008, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2008.32.033
Abstract Tropical Ilex species have recalcitrant seeds. This work describes experiments demonstrating the feasibility of long-term conservation of Ilex brasiliensis, I. brevicuspis, I. dumosa, I. intergerrima, I. paraguariensis, I. pseudoboxus, I. taubertiana, and I. theezans through cryopreservation of zygotic rudimentary embryos at the heart developmental stage. The embryos were aseptically removed from the seeds and precultured (7 days) in the dark, at 27± 2ºC on solidified (0.8% agar) 1/4MS medium, [consisting of quarterstrength salts and vitamins of Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium] with 3% sucrose and 0.1 mg/l Zeatin. The embryos were then encapsulated in 3% calcium alginate beads and pretreated… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
SONIA ROSENFELDT, BEATRIZ GLORIA GALATI
BIOCELL, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 41-47, 2008, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2008.32.041
Abstract Eleven Oxalis L. species from the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) were investigated with scanning and transmission electron microscopes. We identified four different types and two subtypes of orbicules. We conclude that the close morphological similarity between these species is also reflected in their orbicules, and we suggest that the orbicules morphology may be a useful character in systematic studies. More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
GEORGINA M. DEL FUEYO1, Marta A. CACCAVARI1,2, ELIZABETH A. DOME1
BIOCELL, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 49-60, 2008, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2008.32.049
Abstract The pollen cone and the pollen grain of the two Argentinean species of Araucaria are described with LM, SEM and TEM. Primordia of pollen cones are formed in April and May and reach maturity by mid-October in A. angustifolia (Bert.) O. Kuntze and by mid-November in A. araucana. (Mol.) K. Koch. Characters of the mature pollen cones and microsporophylls between both taxa are clearly differentiated. Pollen grains are spheroidal-subspheroidal, inaperturate, and asaccate with granulate exine and a subequatorial annular area that corresponds to the sexine thickness. Sculpturing consists of irregularly dispersed granules that are sometimes fused to each other (A.… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
DANIELA DE OLIVEIRA PINHEIRO*, HÉLIO CONTE**, ELISA APARECIDA GREGÓRIO*
BIOCELL, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 61-67, 2008, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2008.32.061
Abstract Diatraea saccharalis, the main pest of sugarcane, has been controlled by Cotesia flavipes. Very little is known about the effect of parasitism on the host organs, including the midgut. The Lepidoptera midgut epithelium is composed of columnar, goblet, regenerative, and endocrine cells. Spherites have been described in columnar and regenerative cells of several Lepidoptera species, and presented a lot of functional meaning. We identified spherites in the midgut epithelial cells of non-parasitized D. saccharalis larvae analyzed the effect of parasitism on spherite morphology and distribution along the length of the midgut. Midgut fragments of both non-parasitized and parasitized larvae were… More >