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The localization of the P185HER2 transmembrane receptor in SKOV-3 and BT-474 cancer cells was studied by fluorescence, confocal, and electron immunomicroscopy. The P185HER2 receptor is a marker of breast and ovarian tumors; it is also considered to be a target for anticancer therapy. It is extremely important to choose a universal immunicytotoxic agent applicable, firstly, to study the distribution of P185HER2 in cancer cells, secondarily, to remove P185HER2 from the cell surface and, thirdly, to eliminate target cells. In this study, for visualization P185HER2 we propose an immunocytotoxic system, which consists of monoclonal miniantibody 4D5 scFv to the extracellular P185HER2 domain fused with two molecules of barnase (cytotoxic RNAase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and its specific inhibitor, barstar. Fluorescent microscopy showed that the module 4D5 scFc-dibarnase:barstar is efficient for identifying P185HER2 on the surfaces of cancer cells. It was found by confocal microscopy that interaction with 4D5 scFc-dibarnase results in the internalization of P185HER2. The localization of P185HER2 in human ovarian carcinoma cells (SKOV-3) and breast carcinoma cells (BT-474) was compared by electron microscopy using 4D5 scFv-dibarnase:barstar-Au and 4D5 scFv-dibarnase-Au complexes. P185HER2 is distributed unequally on the cell surface with preferential localization on protrusions or close to their bases and at contacts between protrusions and the cell membrane. At 37°C, P185HER2 is internalized through coated pits and vesicles and concentrates in endosomes and multivesicular bodies in the cells of both cell lines, as well as in lysosomes in BT-474 cells.

According to our computer modeling data obtained earlier, nucleoli in interphase ciliates Didinium nasutum are complex netlike structures, in which the trabeculumor lamella-shaped fibrillar component is located on the periphery, and the granular component in the central part of the nucleolus. Chromatin bodies connected with nucleoli act as the nucleolar organizers in D. nasutum. In the present work, the arrangement of all chromatin bodies, which could correspond to nucleolar organizers by morphological criteria, is studied by means of a 3D-reconstruction. It is shown that all of these chromatin bodies are localized outside the nucleoli, on the fibrillar component’s periphery. Even those chromatin bodies which appeared to be completely surrounded by the fibrillar nucleolar component on single ultrathin sections are actually settled down in nucleolus cavities open to the nucleoplasm. This proves that the RNA processing in D. nasutum nucleoli is directed toward the center of nucleoli, where the granular component is located. The analysis of the nucleolar chromatin distribution made it possible to conclude that different parts of the complex interfase netlike nucleoli of D. nasutum have approximately the same activity.

The nucleolar organization in ciliate Didinium nasutum somatic interphase nuclei was studied using serial ultrathin sections and compared for various physiological states of the cell, namely, fed ciliates, starved ciliates, and dormant cysts. It has been shown that the interphase nucleoli are large structures with a complex architecture: the fibrillar component forms an intricate network in the macronucleus space, while the granular component is located inside this network. The structures looking as individual nucleoli in single sections are actually parts of branched nucleolar networks. The intricate nucleolar networks do not disintegrate after a 30-h starvation; however, the granular component becomes denser and develops numerous cavities filled with fine fibrils of a nonribonucleoprotein nature. In fed D. nasutum, the fibrillar structures on the periphery of nucleoli contain numerous pores (virtually absent in starved cell nucleoli), which can potentially serve for transporting newly synthesized rRNP. Branched nucleolar networks are undetectable in cysts. Their nucleoli are individual structures consisting mainly of the fibrogranular component.