In the tree shrew retina individual rod and cone photoreceptors can be readily identified and quantified because their perikarya are arranged in a single layer. This retina is therefore an ideal system for testing the specificity of photoreceptor-directed antibodies. Here we describe the staining properties of polyclonal antibodies against (rhod)opsin and retinal S-antigen in the tree shrew ret...

In the tree shrew retina individual rod and cone photoreceptors can be readily identified and quantified because their perikarya are arranged in a single layer. This retina is therefore an ideal system for testing the specificity of photoreceptor-directed antibodies. Here we describe the staining properties of polyclonal antibodies against (rhod)opsin and retinal S-antigen in the tree shrew ret...

The small GTPase RhoD regulates actin cytoskeleton to collapse actin stress fibers and focal adhesions, resulting in suppression of cell migration and cytokinesis. It also induces alignment of early endosomes along actin filaments and reduces their motility. We show here that a constitutively activated RhoD generated two types of actin-containing thin peripheral cellular protrusions distinct fr...

The Rho GTPases have mainly been studied in association with their roles in the regulation of actin filament organization. These studies have shown that the Rho GTPases are essential for basic cellular processes, such as cell migration, contraction, and division. In this paper, we report that RhoD has a role in the organization of actin dynamics that is distinct from the roles of the better-stu...

The dynamics of mitochondrial [Ca 2+ ] ([Ca 2+ ] M) plays a key role in a variety of cellular processes. The most important methods available to monitor [Ca 2+ ] M are fluorescent dyes such as rhod-2 and specifically targeted proteins such as aequorin or pericam. However, significant discrepancies, both quantitative and qualitative, exist in the literature between the results obtained with diff...

Surface fluorescence spectroscopy of the beating heart to measure cytosolic calcium has been limited by the need to use ultraviolet excitation light for many of the commonly used calcium indicators. Ultraviolet light in the heart produces a high level of background fluorescence and is highly absorbed, limiting tissue penetration. Visible wavelength fluorescence dyes such as rhod 2 are available...

The dynamics of mitochondrial [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](M)) plays a key role in a variety of cellular processes. The most important methods available to monitor [Ca(2+)](M) are fluorescent dyes such as rhod-2 and specifically targeted proteins such as aequorin and pericam. However, significant discrepancies, both quantitative and qualitative, exist in the literature between the results obtained with d...

The organization of lipids and proteins into domains in cell membranes is currently an established subject within biomembrane research. Fluorescent probes have been used to detect and characterize these membrane lateral heterogeneities. However, a comprehensive understanding of the link between the probes' fluorescence features and membrane lateral organization can only be achieved if their pho...

RhoA-mediated regulation of myosin-II activity in the actin cortex controls the ability of cells to contract and bleb during a variety of cellular processes, including cell migration and division. Cell contraction and blebbing also frequently occur as part of the cytopathic effect seen during many different viral infections. We now demonstrate that the vaccinia virus protein F11, which localize...