UNLABELLED The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa can infect almost any site in the body but most often targets epithelial cell-lined tissues such as the airways, skin, and the cornea of the eye. A common predisposing factor is cystic fibrosis (CF), caused by defects in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane-conductance regulator (CFTR). Previously, we showed that when P. aeruginosa enter...

Membrane tension has been proposed to be important in regulating cell functions such as endocytosis and cell motility. The apparent membrane tension has been calculated from tether forces measured with laser tweezers. Both membrane-cytoskeleton adhesion and membrane tension contribute to the tether force. Separation of the plasma membrane from the cytoskeleton occurs in membrane blebs, which co...

Retinal adhesiveness in vitro is reduced by lowering the external calcium (Ca2+) concentration. The effects of lowering subretinal Ca2+ concentration in living rabbit eyes was investigated by making experimental retinal detachments (blebs) filled with Ca(2+)-free disodium edetate solution. Unlike blebs made with Hanks' solution, these low-Ca2+ blebs enlarged progressively after they were formed...

Membrane vesicles (MVs) released from activated cells and blebs from apoptotic cells are increased in patients with vascular disease and in those with atherosclerotic lesions, and their contribution to inflammatory reactions has been suggested. At sites of inflammation, MVs could serve as rapidly available substrates for peroxidation, carry oxidized compounds to activate other cells, and amplif...

In this work, the mechanism of cell bleb formation upon the addition of cryoprotectants (CPAs) was investigated, and the role of cell blebs in protecting cells was determined. The results show that after adding CPAs, the hyperosmotic stress results in the breakage of the cortical cytoskeleton and the detachment of the cell membrane from the cortical cytoskeleton, causing the formation of cell b...

Background: Increased risk of spontaneous pneumothorax has been described in patients with Marfan syndrome and has been attributed, in part, to the presence of apical blebs and bullae. Objectives: We assess the risk of pneumothorax and its relationship to the presence of apical blebs and bullae in patients with Marfan syndrome in the era of CT imaging. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was ...

This paper describes "blebs" protruding from the surface of the nucleus into the cytoplasm. The "blebs" are separated from the cytoplasm by 2 membranes which are continuous with the outer and inner nuclear membranes. The "blebs" contain 3 structurally distinct substances. Two of these substances (beta and gamma substances) are similar to extranucleolar karyoplasm and nucleolar material. The oth...