Morphological study of the mammalian stress response: characterization of changes in cytoplasmic organelles, cytoskeleton, and nucleoli, and appearance of intranuclear actin filaments in rat fibroblasts after heat-shock treatment

Using both electron microscopy and immunological methods, we have characterized a number of changes occurring in rat fibroblasts after heat-shock treatment. Incubation of the cells for 3 h at 42 degrees-43 degrees C resulted in a number of changes within the cytoplasm including: a disruption and fragmentation of the Golgi complex; a modest swelling of the mitochondria and subtle alterations in the packing of the cristae; and alterations in cytoskeletal elements, specifically a collapse and aggregation of the vimentin-containing intermediate filaments around the nucleus. A number of striking changes were also found within the nuclei of the heat-treated cells: (a) We observed the appearance of rod-shaped bodies consisting of densely packed filaments. Using biochemical and immunological methods, these nuclear inclusion bodies were shown to be comprised of actin filaments. (b) Considerable alterations in the integrity of the nucleoli were observed after the heat-shock treatment. Specifically, there appeared to be a general relaxation in the condensation state of the nucleoli, changes in both the number and size of the granular ribonucleoprotein components, and finally a reorganization of the nucleolar fibrillar reticulum. These morphological changes in the integrity of the nucleoli are of significant interest since previous work as well as studies presented here show that two of the mammalian stress proteins, the major stress-induced 72-kD protein and the 110-kD protein, localize within the nucleoli of the cells after heat-shock treatment. We discuss these morphological changes with regards to the known biological and biochemical events that occur in cells after induction of the stress response.