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Cryo-electron microscopy of vitreous sections (CEMOVIS) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) of vitrified specimens are gradually gaining popularity. However, similar to the conventional methods, these techniques tend to produce different images of the same sample. In CEMOVIS, the mechanical stress caused by sectioning may cause inaccuracies smaller than those caused by crevasses. Therefore, we examined Escherichia coli cells by using CEMOVIS and cryo-ET to determine the differences in the computed sizes of the envelope layers, which are smaller than crevasses. We found that the width of the periplasmic space in vitreous sections and tomograms was 12 and 14 nm, respectively; furthermore, while the distance between the outer membrane (OM) and the peptidoglycan (PG) layer was almost equal (11 nm) in the two techniques, that between the plasma membrane (PM) and PG was clearly different. Thus, the observed size difference can be mainly attributed to the PM–PG distance. Since our data were obtained from images acquired using the same microscope in the same conditions, the size differences cannot be attributed to microscope-related factors. One possible factor is the angle of the cutting plane against the long axis of the cell body in CEMOVIS. However, the same PG–OM distance in both methods may exclude the variations caused by this factor. Furthermore, the mechanical stress caused by vitreous sectioning or high-pressure freezing may result in shrinkage. If this shrinkage is responsible for the nanometre-scale deformation in CEMOVIS, this factor will have to be considered in determining the molecular resolution obtained by CEMOVIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by destruction of articular cartilage induced by accumulated mechanical stresses to joints. Destruction of the articular cartilage in OA is caused by the combination of (1) increased degradation of ECM (extracellular matrix), (2) decreased production of ECM and (3) chondrocyte death. Members of the MMP (matrix metalloproteinase) and ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) gene families are considered to play key roles in the degradation of cartilage ECM. On the other hand, members of the membrane-type ADAM gene family may be involved in the initiation and progression of OA by regulation of chondrocyte metabolism through shedding of membrane proteins.

Objective: ADAMs are a gene family of multifunctional proteins. We undertook this study to determine which ADAM species is up-regulated in osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage and to examine its pathobiologic function., Methods: Expression of the 13 different metalloproteinase-type ADAMs was screened by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and expression levels of prototype membrane-anchored ADAM-12 (ADAM-12m) were determined by real-time PCR. ADAM-12m expression in articular cartilage was examined by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and immunoblotting. Chondrocytes were used for functional analyses of ADAM-12m., Results: ADAM-12m was selectively expressed in 87% of OA cartilage, and the expression level was significantly higher in OA cartilage than in normal cartilage. In situ hybridization showed that OA chondrocytes were responsible for the expression. ADAM-12m was immunolocalized on the membranes of OA chondrocytes, and its immunoreactivity correlated directly with the Mankin score and with degrees of chondrocyte cloning and proliferation. Immunoblotting analysis of OA chondrocytes demonstrated an active form of ADAM-12m. ADAM-12m expression in OA chondrocytes was selectively enhanced by transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta), which also induced chondrocyte proliferation and degradation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP-5). TGFbeta-induced chondrocyte proliferation was inhibited by suppression of IGF-1 signaling. In addition, TGFbeta-induced chondrocyte proliferation, chondrocyte cloning in agarose gel culture, and digestion of IGFBP-5 were inhibited with ADAM inhibitor, anti-ADAM-12 antibody, and small interfering RNA for ADAM-12., Conclusion: These data suggest a novel function of ADAM-12m in chondrocyte proliferation and cloning in OA cartilage through enhanced bioavailability of IGF-1 from the IGF-1-IGFBP-5 complex by selective IGFBP-5 digestion.