title: Reversible changes in size of cell nuclei isolated from Amoeba proteus: role of the cytoskeleton.
abstract: Micrurgically isolated interphasal nuclei of Amoeba proteus, which preserve F-actin cytoskeletal shells on their surface, shrink after perfusion with imidazole buffer without ATP, and expand to about 200% of their cross-sectional area upon addition of pyrophosphate. These changes in size may be reproduced several times with the same nucleus. The shrunken nuclei are insensitive to the osmotic effects of sugars and distilled water, whereas the expanded ones react only to the distilled water, showing further swelling. The shrinking-expansion cycles are partially inhibited by cytochalasins. They are attributed to the state of actomyosin complex in the perinuclear cytoskeleton, which is supposed to be in the rigor state in the imidazole buffer without ATP, and to dissociate in the presence of pyrophosphate. Inflow of external medium to the nuclei during dissociation of the myosin from the perinuclear F-actin may be due to colloidal osmosis depending on other macromolecular components of the karyoplasm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pomorski
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grebecka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grebecki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Makuch
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000205:Actomyosin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000656:Amoeba / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011756:Diphosphates / Q000494:pharmacology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011756:Diphosphates; D007093:Imidazoles; D003571:Cytochalasin B; D000205:Actomyosin; C003319:sodium pyrophosphate