The microfluidic PT model altered sodium-dependent reabsorption of glucose analog in response to ouabain.

<p>(A) hRPTEC expressed polarized transport proteins Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase and SGLT2 under co-culture conditions. (B) A schematic representation of experimental conditions. Under all conditions, the transport of a fluorescent glucose analog, 2-NBDG, from the filtrate channel (top) into the vascular channel (bottom) was observed using confocal z-stack and time-lapse microscopy to quantify intensity in the vascular channel. (C) 2-NBDG intensity versus time for one device subjected to all conditions sequentially shows the reduction in active transport due to ouabain administration. (D) The bar graph indicates the mean 2-NBDG intensity in the vascular channel at each condition, measured over ~15 minutes for 3 devices. Data are from 3 replicates of the experiment. Error bars represent standard error of the main effects as computed from the error term in the analysis of covariance model. Introducing ouabain to the vascular channel blocked 2-NBDG transport. The 2-NBDG transport recovered when ouabain was rinsed from the system. A second administration of ouabain again blocked 2-NBDG transport. The tissue recovery and repeat effect of ouabain demonstrates dynamic reabsorptive cell-mediated reabsorption function. * P < 0.0005. Experimental results were verified for 3 independent experiments.</p

hMVEC presence enhances the hRPTEC layer.

<p>(A, B) TJ formation in 7-day cultures of hRPTEC without and with hMVEC in the microfluidic device, respectively. hRPTEC formed a more compact tissue layer with clear TJ formation under hRPTEC/hMVEC co-culture conditions. hRPTEC were labeled with anti-ZO-1 (green) and Hoechst (blue). At least 5 images for each tissue layer and at least three replicate samples were analyzed per group. (C) Average number of hRPTEC/mm² in co-culture conditions is more than double that of hRPTEC-only conditions after 7 days of culture. * P < 0.001. Results were verified for 3 independent experiments. (D) hRPTEC in co-culture conditions have increased mitochondrial activity compared to hRPTEC-only conditions, normalized to cell count. The mitochondrial activity of hMVEC cells in co-culture is negligible. * P = 0.002. Error bars represent standard error of the mean from 3 independent tissue samples.</p

An in vitro 3D microfluidic model mimics the reabsorptive barrier of the proximal tubule.

<p>A) In vivo, water and solutes cross an epithelial-endothelial barrier in the reabsorption process from filtrate tubule to the peritubular capillaries. (B) The microfluidic channels overlap to create a filtrate channel (green) in communication with a vascular channel (purple). The cross-sectional architecture (inset) mimics in vivo epithelial-endothelial barrier and generates cell-mediated transport through the membrane. (C) A cross-sectional SEM of the device shows a semi-porous membrane, which serves as a scaffold for the epithelial and endothelial cells and separates the filtrate and vascular channels. (D) The membrane sub-micron ridge/groove topography influences tissue organization and function.</p

hRPTEC and hMVEC in close-contact co-culture form a physiological PT tissue barrier.

<p>(A) The microfluidic channels overlap to create a renal epithelial filtrate channel in communication with an endothelial vascular channel. (B) A close-contact co-culture of hRPTEC and hMVEC were grown in channels on opposite sides of the membrane. hRPTEC were labeled with anti-ZO-1 (green) and hMVEC with anti-vWF (red). (C, D) Confocal slices of the co-cultured cells show a confluent hRPTEC tissue layer and hMVEC tissue layer with clear ZO-1 (green) and vWF (red) expression, respectively. Each tissue layer exists in the xy plane, but is separated in the z-axis by the membrane. Scale bars: 30 μm. (E) A collapsed xz view of the co-culture stack shows clear separation between the tissue layers and a thicker epithelial tissue layer vs. endothelial layer. (F) A z-profile plot illustrates the change in average intensity expression, normalized to respective blank channel intensity values, of ZO-1 and vWF signals through the 14 μm co-culture 3D tissue stack. The width of the peaks correspond to each cell layer thickness, indicating a cuboidal morphology of the hRPTEC tissue in and a squamous morphology of hMVEC tissue. At least 3 replicate samples were repeated over at least 3 batches of experiments.</p

EM refinement of the CD11b/CD18 ectodomain.

<p>(A) Example images from the final round of refinement. On the left is an average image generated from reference-free alignment and averaging which preceded the refinement itself. The averages have been displayed with the final map projection that they most closely resemble. Results from the final round of refinement are displayed adjacent to the reference-free average, showing from left to right of each panel the average from reference free alignment (number 1), an example raw particle from the final projection class (number 2), the average generated from the final projection class (number 3), and the projection from the final map for this class (number 4). The letters on the left indicate the class in the distribution histogram (B). The side of each box is 232Å. (B) Projection histogram showing the number of particles identified as belonging to a particular Euler angle orientation for the final round of refinement. Each circle indicates a particular class while the number of particles is indicated as a gray scale. The scale bar is indicated to the right. The letters refer to the classes shown in (A). (C) Fourier shell correlation analysis to determine the resolution of the final map. The total dataset was separated randomly into two equal groups. The particle classes for each group were independently aligned with the final map projection and averaged to generate two independent maps. The graph displays the correlation in Fourier space between the maps. The resolution of 1/(26 Å) is determined by a value of 50% correlation.</p

FLIM lifetimes of the Alexa488 donor fluorescence in the presence and absence of the acceptor FM.

<p>A) Representative Alexa488 fluorescence intensity and lifetime images. The panel shows examples of data collected in the absence (left, WT 488) and presence of the acceptor FM (right, WT 488+FM). The pseudocolor scale is shown at the bottom. B, histogram of measured Alexa488 lifetimes generated by integrating lifetime measurements for individual cells. The histogram bars show the number of cells in 50 ps bins for Alexa488 in the absence (blue) and presence (red) of the acceptor FM. The average and standard deviation were generated by fitting the histogram to a single Gaussian function (shown as a solid line).</p

EM analysis of the CD11b/CD18-Fab107 complex and orientation of the CD11bA MIDAS face.

<p>(A) Reference-free alignment and averaging of CD11b/CD18-Fab107 particles. The top row shows a k-means classification of 10,661 raw particles classified into 10 groups and averaged. The number of particles for each class is indicated at the top of each average. Several of the groups are similar, suggesting that there are fewer than 10 unique preferred orientations for the particles on the grid. The bottom row shows the model projection that best fits each of the particles shown in the top row. Projections in the bottom row were generated from the model shown in (B) which was generated by sequentially fitting a projection for the integrin followed by the projection for the CD11bA/Fab107 complex. For comparison, the model generated by fitting the CD11c/CD18 ectodomain X-ray structure is shown in (C). In this model, the CD11bA domain has the same relative orientation to the rest of the integrin as found in the X-ray structure. (D) Shows a direct comparison of the two models for the average, which most easily allows identification of individual integrin domains within the projection. Displayed alongside the average (center image) is the projection from the model in (B) which best fits the average (left image), compared to the projection from the model in (C) (right image). E, ribbon diagram of the Propeller/αA of CD11c/CD18 ectodomain crystal structure oriented as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0057951#pone-0057951-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2E</a>, showing crystal contacts from two symmetry-related molecules (Calf-2 in gray and Thigh in magenta) that rotate MIDAS face of CD11cA domain by ∼35° (red arrows) relative to its position in the unrestricted EM model (colored as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0057951#pone-0057951-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2E</a>). F, same Figure in (E) rotated clockwise by 135°.</p

Surface shaded density of the final 3D map of the CD11b/CD18 ectodomain.

<p>A, B) are two views of the map rotated by 45°. The isosurface has been chosen to enclose 100% of the expected protein volume. C and D) the same views of the map as in A and B, shown as a transparent isosurface, but also displaying the αA-lacking αVβ3 ectodomain (pdb 3IJE) model as a ribbon diagram. A clear density corresponding to the CD11bA domain is seen, fitted here with a ribbon diagram of the crystal structure of the isolated CD11bA (pdb 1jlm), with the MIDAS ion in cyan. The αV subunit and CD11bA are shown in blue and β3-subunit in red. The spherical metal ions in the Propeller and α-genu are in green and that in the βA ADMIDAS is in magenta. E, F) a ribbon diagram of the crystal structure of CD11c/CD18 ectodomain fitted into the CD11b/CD18 EM map (shown as a transparent isosurface). Most of Calf-1/Calf-2 and β TD domains do not fit the 3D map. CD11cA fits better within the map density but extends somewhat outside it (compare CD11cA with that of CD11bA [shown in yellow, oriented as in C, with its MIDAS metal ion in orange]). The three metal ions in the CD11c Propeller are in green, the CD11cA MIDAS ion in cyan, and the βA ADMIDAS ion in magenta. F) a 45° clockwise rotation of the Figure in (E).</p