Violacein, a pigment produced by Chromobacterium violaceum, is reported to be a potential drug for the treatment of Chagas' disease. Violacein is also effective against leukemia and lymphoma cells in culture (IC50 10(-8) M). Changes in the nuclear acid content, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-biphenyl tetrazolium bromide reduction and neutral red uptake in these cells were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of violacein in V79 Chinese hamster (M-8) fibroblasts. Violacein was highly cytotoxic to V79 fibroblasts (IC50 5-12 microM). Using the TUNEL method and the Feulgen reaction coupled to image analysis, violacein (5 and 10 microM) was found to trigger apoptosis but not necrosis in V79 cells. The morphological changes seen in the nuclei of these cells included chromatin condensation and a decrease in deoxyribonucleic acid content. These results demonstrating that violacein induces apoptosis in V79 cells strengthen its potential as a therapeutic agent.

Nuclear image analysis of Feulgen-stained V79 fibroblasts after three days in culture was used to discriminate apoptotic cells and cells suspected to be undergoing apoptosis from control cells based on parameters such as the Feulgen-DNA content, degree of chromatin condensation and nuclear areas, in association with visual morphology. The fibroblasts were initially plated at a density of 10(5) cells/ml and incubated under optimal culture conditions without subculturing. Following confluency, the cells underwent contact inhibition apoptosis. Image analysis revealed three nuclear phenotypes which were defined in terms of their morphological characteristics and levels of chromatin condensation. A decrease in the amount of Feulgen-DNA was detected in apoptotic cells and in cells suspected of undergoing apoptosis. This decrease was assumed to indicate DNA loss. Image analysis procedures may therefore provide a useful tool for discriminating cells in the early stages of apoptosis.

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The binding capacity of concanavalin A (Con A) to condensed euchromatin and heterochromatin was investigated in chicken erythrocyte nuclei (CEN), mouse liver cells, Zea mays mays meristematic cells and Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes after 4 N HCl hydrolysis to determine whether binding was preferentially occurring in bands and heterochromatin. Dry mass (DM) variation was investigated in CEN by interference microscopy. Feulgen and Con A reactions were employed for all materials to correlate the loci of the two reactions. Quantifications and topological verifications were carried out by video image analysis (high performance cytometry). It was observed that 4 N HCl hydrolysis caused an important DM loss in CEN leaving a level corresponding to the average DNA DM content. In this material, Con A binding was restricted to the nuclear envelope, which reinforces the idea of the absence of a nuclear matrix in these cells. The other cell types exhibited a correspondence of Feulgen-positive and Con A-reactive areas. The Con A reaction was highly positive in the condensed chromatin areas and heterochromatin. This fact led us to speculate that Con A-positive proteins may play a role in the chromatin condensation mechanism, endowing this structure with physico-chemical stability towards acid hydrolysis and contributing to its rheological properties.
A capacidade de ligação da concanavalina A (Con A) a regiões condensadas de eucromatina e heterocromatina foi investigada em núcleos de eritrócito de frango (CEN), hepatócitos de rato, células meristemáticas de Zea mays mays e em cromossomos politênicos de Drosophila melanogaster após hidrólise com HCl 4 N para determinar a ocorrência de ligação preferencial em bandas e heterocromatina. A variação da massa seca foi investigada em CEN por microscopia de interferência, e reações de Feulgen e Con A foram empregadas para todos os materiais para correlacionar os loci de ambas reações. As quantificações e verificações topológicas foram levadas a efeito por análise de imagens (citometria de alta performance). Foi observado que a hidrólise por HCl 4 N causou uma importante perda de massa seca em CEN, permanecendo um nível correspondente ao conteúdo médio de massa seca de DNA. Neste material a ligação com Con A foi restrita ao envelope nuclear, reforçando a idéia da ausência da matriz nuclear nessas células. Os demais tipos celulares exibiram áreas reativas de cromatina condensada e heterocromatina. Este fato permite especular o papel desempenhado por proteínas Con A-positivas no mecanismo de condensação cromatínica. Esta estrutura glicoprotéica contribuiria para uma maior estabilidade físico-química da cromatina condensada, especificamente da heterocromatina, e também para suas propriedades reológicas

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