Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
11:39
Subcellular Fractionation of Primary Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells to Monitor Nuclear/Cytoplasmic Protein Trafficking
Published on: October 23, 2019
Effects of feed restriction on the nucleolar structure and function in lymphocytes
Josef Berger1, Martina Machackova, Zdenek Berger
1University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. berger@jcu.cz
Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology
|September 24, 2005
Summary
Malnutrition alters rat lymphocyte nucleolar structure and function, with changes varying by feed restriction severity. These findings suggest a connection between nutritional status and blood toxicity.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Cell Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Malnutrition is known to negatively impact drug efficacy and blood cell development.
- The specific effects of malnutrition on the nucleolar structure and function within lymphocytes remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of malnutrition on the nucleolar structure and function in rat lymphocytes.
- To determine if the severity of feed restriction correlates with observable changes in nucleolar morphology and activity.
Main Methods:
- Rats were subjected to varying degrees of feed restriction to induce malnutrition.
- Lymphocyte samples were analyzed to assess nucleolar structure and types.
- Changes in nucleolar proportions were quantified and correlated with the severity of malnutrition.
Main Results:
- Malnutrition significantly altered the proportion of different nucleolar types in rat lymphocytes.
- The observed changes in nucleolar morphology were dose-dependent on the severity of feed restriction.
- These alterations in nucleolar structure were comparable to those induced by cytostatic drugs.
Conclusions:
- Malnutrition directly affects nucleolar structure and function in lymphocytes.
- The severity of malnutrition correlates with the extent of nucleolar changes.
- These findings suggest a potential link between nutritional deficiency and drug-induced hemotoxicity.
Related Concept Videos
02:55The Nucleolus
The nucleolus is the most prominent substructure of the nucleus. When it was first discovered, it was considered to be an isolated organelle that forms fibrils and granules. In 1931, the relationship between the nucleolus and chromosomes was first described by Heitz. He observed that the appearance and size of nucleolus varies depending on the stage of the cell cycle. He also noticed constricted regions on different chromosomes clustered together at definite cell cycle stages. These regions,...
01:45Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
02:35Chromatin Position Affects Gene Expression
Chromatin is the massive complex of DNA and proteins packaged inside the nucleus. The complexity of chromatin folding and how it is packaged inside the nucleus greatly influences access to genetic information. Generally, the nucleus' periphery is considered transcriptionally repressive, while the cell's interior is considered a transcriptionally active area.
Topologically Associated Domains (TADs)
The 3-dimensional positioning of chromatin in the nucleus influences the timing and level of...
Topologically Associated Domains (TADs)
The 3-dimensional positioning of chromatin in the nucleus influences the timing and level of...
02:10Additional Subnuclear Structures
The eukaryotic nucleus is a double membrane-bound organelle that contains nearly all of the cell’s genetic material in the form of chromosomes. It is rightly called the “brain” of the cell as it shoulders the responsibility of responding to various physiological processes, stress, altered metabolic conditions, and other cellular signals.
The nucleus contains many membrane-less subnuclear organelles or nuclear bodies, such as nucleoli, Cajal bodies, speckles, paraspeckles, etc. These nuclear...
The nucleus contains many membrane-less subnuclear organelles or nuclear bodies, such as nucleoli, Cajal bodies, speckles, paraspeckles, etc. These nuclear...
01:42Nuclear Export
The nucleus restricts several proteins within and allows others to pass. The restricted proteins possess a nuclear retention sequence or NRS, anchoring them to the nuclear lamins and preventing their transport to the cytosol. The non-restricted proteins, after their synthesis, are transported to their site of action, such as the cytosol or other organelles, with the help of nuclear export signals or NES.
NES are of three types- the canonical 10-residue long leucine-rich signal and other...
NES are of three types- the canonical 10-residue long leucine-rich signal and other...
02:41Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing
In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
The chromatin structure, especially...